GATA meets DANA DENTATA: 地獄へようこそ WELCOME TO HELL

Coming from a deep history of dark times and thoughts, Canadian singer Dana Dentata is building up energy and strength right now. Her albums and live performances are powerful, and beautifully disturbing at the same time. Accompanied by a demon on stage an in her head Dana is never alone.

The mullet-sporting 30 year old bad-ass babe just put out her latest work as the only solo female artist on Roadrunner Records. Following the prior songs 'Daddy Loves You' and 'Danavision', her work is reincarnated with 'The Resurrection of Dana Dentata', a 20 minutes performance, giving the world a new chance to find inspiration among her uncompromising attribution to her personal pain.

Much like the sassy Mallory Knox, Dana channels pain as an inspiration for self expression. Her lyrics are raw and honest, empowering women all over the planet.

Dana's angelic moves on the pole mix hypnotically with her spirited vocal aura and aggressive lyrical messages rallying her audience into unified energy, often screaming the motto "TRUST NO DICK" like a cult national anthem.
Marilyn Manson has put a worthy seal of approval on the talented Dana Dentata.

GATA’s Editor in Chief Marta Espinosa sat down with Dana and took the plunge down the dark rabbit hole to the underworld to find out what makes this unique mind tick.

WELCOME TO HELL

I read a lot of your past interviews and will do my best to explore some new topics. Very simply to begin: What’s on your mind? What would you like to tell or share with the world that you haven’t had the chance to say yet?

I realized I was inviting the darkness in and began to look towards the light and it brought a lot of light into my life. I manifested safety and healing for myself.

At what age did you write your first song and what was the young Dana writing about? Any themes or inspirations you remember that got you to start?

I was probably 14/15 on some very sad girl shit. I would write about the sad stuff happening in my life. Courtney Love (Hole), Brody Dalle (Distillers) and Kat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland) definitely inspired me to play guitar and sing.

“I’m the first solo female artist to sign to Roadrunner Records so I’m pretty excited about that. :)”

— dana dentata

Your music is full of dark and provocative metaphors, quite contrasting with the conservative, often religious America you live in. Did you have a spiritual upbringing and if so, how did it shape you as an artist?

I grew up in Canada and not religious at all. Its slightly different in Canada but I was very into all the American music that was fighting against the horrible things happening there.

As a child that grew up on her own, you talk many times about the lack of boundaries you had; how dancing and working helped set your “limits”. Could you share more about these ‘limits’? Were they personal or physical? Possibly both?

I wish more young girls were told about boundaries at a young age. People never talk about it so we don’t find out until we’re adults. Dancing has very clear boundaries of what’s ok and not ok but we should be taught from a young age to understand what good and bad and what not wanted touch all means.

“I realized I was inviting the darkness in and began to look towards the light and it brought a lot of light into my life. I manifested safety and healing for myself. ”

— DAna dentata

You mentioned in the podcast Pillow Talk, that right now you’re discovering and trying to understand your “masculinity.” Do you think that “being born female” or even just being called “Dana" your whole life has conditioned your behaviour and the way you see yourself?

Sometimes I feel like a woman and sometimes I feel like a guy. I feel like I’m still discovering myself and all the different aspects of me and I’m taking my time.

Do you think being aware of your masculinity is part of a “Spiritual Awakening” you are going through?

I think it’s an aspect of my identity that I understand more because I processed and healed a lot of trauma.

“Courtney Love (Hole), Brody Dalle (Distillers) and Kat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland) definitely inspired me to play guitar and sing. ”

— dana dentata

I wanna talk about your Demon! On stage we only get to see one, but sometimes you mention many. Is this demon representing only one or all of them? Many times, you spoke about ‘killing’ them, but I feel you have some sympathy towards them. Would you be the same “Dana” if the demons were gone? Could you live without your demons?

There are many, many demons. The one I’m with represents all the men who have abused me. I recently shot a 20-minute short film performance piece called “The Resurrection of Dana Dentata” where you can see what I’ve been putting towards my pain caused by the demons. I finally did kill the demon and I’m putting that chapter to rest. I feel like I really started living once I was healed.

“Dancing has very clear boundaries of what’s ok and not ok but we should be taught from a young age to understand what good and bad and what not wanted touch all means. ”

— dana dentata

I find it beautiful that you take time for yourself and practice celibacy, especially after a toxic relationship in which you absorbed emotional fragments of another person’s life and in turn, had your energy taken. It’s a great way to “body detox”, however, do you still seek personal pleasure (masturbate) during abstinence?

Of course, it’s important to have a relationship with yourself more than anyone else. There is so much healing we can do for our bodies from doing acupuncture to deciding what makes you feel good.