An Inspired Chat with Dan Brigstock of Derby

We recently had the chance to connect with Dan Brigstock and have shared our conversation below.

Dan, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: When was the last time you felt true joy?
At our last Paytron Saint gig, we played a new song we’re working on for the album—currently titled Hey God. I’d been wrestling with the drum part for a couple of months, which is pretty rare for me, and for whatever reason it finally clicked on stage that night. Everything just flowed. Coupled with an incredibly receptive crowd, it was definitely ‘true joy’.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dan Brigstock, a Derby-based musician, recording and mixing engineer, and all-round music obsessive. I’m involved in a number of projects across the Midlands scene, but my main focus is Paytron Saint, where I play drums and handle all of our recording, mixing, and day-to-day management.

Alongside that, I run Drumscore.com, an educational platform providing drummers with high-quality learning materials, and I also support local artists with everything from music admin to recording their first tracks. Helping less established bands find their feet is something I’m really passionate about.

Right now, Paytron Saint are preparing to release one final single before we dive fully into writing the next batch of material for an album scheduled for late next year.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That I needed permission to do things. As a kid I always felt like I had to wait for someone to say “yes” before trying something new — whether it was taking on a strange project or learning a completely new skill. Now I know you can just do it. If something inspires you, you can give yourself permission.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Around 2016, a musical project I’d invested a huge amount of time and energy into fell apart for various reasons. I pulled together something new fairly quickly, but that also dissolved a couple of years later — and at the time it really felt like a full stop on my live-music career.

During lockdown I shifted my focus, teaching myself how to record and mix, and getting involved in a few online collaborative projects just to keep that creative spark alive. By this time i was nearly 40 so I had no real intentions of doing the band thing again….Then, in 2022, Dean got in touch to say Paytron Saint were looking for a drummer. That message completely changed the trajectory. It felt like a second chance I didn’t realise I was waiting for.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Definitely — but it didn’t used to be. For a long time I found it scary to express my honest thoughts and opinions. I’m a lifelong people-pleaser, so I’d often soften myself to avoid upsetting anyone. Over time I realised that not only is it impossible to please everyone, but you also lose a bit of who you are when you try.

These days, the public version of me is the real me. I’m much more comfortable being honest, sticking to my morals, and letting people see what I actually care about. It’s a lot freer — and a lot more sustainable — than pretending to be a watered-down version of myself. I guess it’s something that’s come with age.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely. I’ve learned that the things worth doing are the things you genuinely believe in or enjoy, regardless of who’s watching (or in a lot of my cases, listening). Praise is nice, but it’s often just one person’s opinion, so it can’t be the reason you put the effort in. If you care about something, you naturally give it your best. It’s a bit like that saying, “If you enjoy your job, you’ll never work a day in your life” — when you’re doing something that matters to you, the effort feels worthwhile on its own.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Jason Bridges
Heidi

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Is the public version of you the real you?

We all think we’re being real—whether in public or in private—but the deeper challenge is

Highlighter Series
Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?

We asked some of the most interesting entrepreneurs and creatives to open up about recent

Highlighter Series
What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?

Coffee? Workouts? Hitting the snooze button 14 times? Everyone has their morning ritual and we