Granite Island Discs: Dan Heath

The Note’s new account manager and member of local bands TOWNHOUSE and The Hazys fills us in on his fav tracks, albums and music moments.

What five songs would you take to a desert island?

1. Prince Daddy & The Hyena – ‘Ursala Merger’

2. The Cure – ‘Friday I’m In Love’

3. Teenage Dads – ‘Boyfriend’

4. Courtney Barnett – ‘Nameless, Faceless’

5. Bob Dylan – ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’

If you could only pick one, what would it be?

I think it has to be ‘Friday I’m In Love’ by The Cure. I remember my dad dropping 11 or 12-year-old me off at primary school with The Cure’s Greatest Hits playing in the car. Whenever it came on, I’d think to myself, “This is the best song I’ve ever heard,” and I still think that most times I hear it. It’s just so lush, the production and instrumentation is flawless, I can’t fault it.

What's your favourite album?

How am I supposed to know that? I have so many answers, and none of them are wrong. My friends often take the piss out of me because everything I really like I refer to as the “best (insert topic here) of all time,” so I’m afraid I’ve got too many. I’m gonna cheat a little bit and do my favourite per decade. Strap in.

1960s: Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Folk perfection. Tales of love both lost and found, fiery protest songs, and the occasional moment of nonsense are par for the course of any Dylan record, but something about his attitude on this record really stands out to me.

1970s: The Clash – Give ‘Em Enough Rope. The predecessor to the ICONIC London Calling, Give ‘Em Enough Rope is – in my eyes – everything that makes The Clash one of the most important bands ever. I LOVE this album; punk 4eva.

1980s: The Cure – The Head On The Door. A favourite of my mum’s, a favourite of mine. Bouncy, light, provocative record – instantly sold. Also, Robert Smith is the coolest dude ever. Fact.

1990s": Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. A first listening experience I genuinely don’t think anyone could ever forget. Production? NUTS. Lyrics? NUTS. Instrumentation? NUTS.

2000s to now: The boom in accessibility, advancements of electronics AND the fact that I grew up in the 2000s/2010s means I can’t nail down records the same way I can in the past. Justice’s self-titled album is pretty much flawless dance music, same as I Created Disco by Calvin Harris. Maybe The Black Parade? Maybe American Idiot? Even 2024’s Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road. I can’t decide, and it kind of feels like picking a favourite kid, ya know? Sorry!

What's your favourite song by an SA artist or band?

At the moment, I’ve been listening to almost exclusively Any Young Mechanic, particularly ‘There’s A New Place On The Market’. The storytelling and imagery is so cool and I adore Sam’s voice. Also shout out The Fuss, obviously.

Favourite music-related memory?

Hmmmmm, all of them to be honest. When I was 12, my dad took me to see Green Day. I think Billie Joe has always been the person that makes me feel like I could be a rockstar too, so I’ll always remember the way that night made me feel. Also, my best friends and I (the band TOWNHOUSE) got to open for Origami Angel last year, and as an only semi-reformed emo kid, to stand on the stage and scream only an hour before ‘The Title Track’ was played on that same stage was absolutely mental.