Dan Sindel returns with a compelling new chapter in his musical journey, presenting the official video for his latest single “Burning Bridges,” taken from the album “They Only Love You When You’re Winning,” released on May 28, 2025. While not a premiere, this re-upload on the Progressive Rock Journal channel offers something unique: three exclusive Q&A responses from the artist, providing insight into the song’s creation, stylistic choices, and the visual concept behind the video.
Watch the official video for “Burning Bridges” via the YouTube player below:
“Burning Bridges” showcases Sindel’s ability to blend melodic sensibility with sophisticated rhythmic structures. The track is layered with shimmering guitars that interplay with atmospheric synthesizers, expressive vocal lines, and a driving rhythmic foundation that adds both depth and momentum. The official video, directed by Sindel himself, amplifies the song’s themes: the complexity of personal relationships, the allure of superficial recognition, and the solitude often accompanying success. Its minimalist yet elegant aesthetic, combined with carefully controlled lighting and color palettes, creates a contemplative atmosphere that mirrors the emotional tension of the music.
Q1 – Sonic Alchemy & Guitar Power: “Burning Bridges” bursts with gritty psychedelic hard rock energy, evoking the
power and precision of icons like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Blue Öyster Cult, and Deep Purple. Can you walk us through
the creative process behind this track? How did you approach the riffs, arrangements, and dynamics to capture that
raw, immediate rock energy while keeping the layers and textures so compelling?
The answer is simple. “All of my music shows up to me in a dreamlike belladonic haze, a soporific trance.” Just kidding. I’ve just been listening to music my entire life and draw upon the influences as everyone other musician does, and doing the best to find my own voice without being plagarisistic. That is the tricky part, coming up with something that isn’t a blatant rip off. My favorite bands are considered to be “classic progressive rock” (or whatever label is accurate), i.e., ELP, GENESIS, YES, THE WHO, PINK FLOYD, LED ZEP, DEEP PURPLE, JETHRO TULL, BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, etc. Mostly the bands that came out of England in the late ’60s-’70s, although I like just about everything if it’s got soul.
Q2 – Lyrical Fire & Emotional Edge: The lyrics confront betrayal, survival, and cutting ties with the past — themes that hit hard and resonate universally. How much of “Burning Bridges” comes from personal experience, and how much was about channeling that archetypal rock spirit of rebellion and resilience? What feeling or message did you most want listeners to take away from the track?
Burning Bridges is just that. It’s an anthem that I think speaks for just about everybody out there. It is part of the human experience, whether you like it or not. I think we’ve all been burned by a friend or somebody that we’ve trusted. And it’s a really shitty feeling to be betrayed. My approach to writing music is based on reality and everyday things, no dungeons and dragon’s type of stuff, lol.
Q3 – Animation as an Extension of Sound: The video is fully animated by you, transforming the track into a complete
audiovisual experience. What inspired you to animate the song yourself, and how did you ensure that the visuals and
the music worked together to create such a striking emotional and sensory impact?
I animate all of my music videos. It’s a hobby that I’ve kept around ever since being a kid. I learned basic cell animation when I was about 11 years old and have stuck with it ever since. It’s fun, and I hope people that watch it can find the intrinsic sarcasm that is built into it. I like cartoons. Drawing robots and creatures, to me, is just cool. I really hope people enjoy it. It takes tremendous time and effort to work in the time honored craft of animation. NO AI was used whatsoever, that is cheating. If you watch my first music video release “Stepping Stone” on YouTube you can see the clips I created when I was just an 11 year old kid. I had the original Super 8 film reel digitized and thought it’d be ok to use that for a music video instead of some random dude lip syncing with a guitar in his hands. Lol know what I mean? Well hey, it’s been an honor being part of the Progressive Rock Journal once again and if anyone reads this come on over to FB or IG and say hello. ~ Dan
Purchase “The Only Love You When You’re Winning” on Bandcamp: https://dansindel.bandcamp.com/album/they-only-love-you-when-youre-winning
Tracklist:
01. Ambition 02:51
02. America! America! 04:30
03. Blindsided 04:11
04. Burning Bridges 04:26
05. Freedom 04:30
06. Spellcaster 03:58