Daron Malakian
Daron Malakian
Daron Vartan Malakianis an Armenian–American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter and second vocalist of the rock band System of a Down and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter of the band Scars on Broadway. Like the rest of the Hollywood-based band System of a Down, he is of Armenian ancestry, but he is the only member to actually have been born in the United States. Daron Malakian is known for...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGuitarist
Date of Birth18 July 1975
CityLos Angeles, CA
CountryUnited States of America
Every song I've written is luck, I think; it's luck - 'How did that just happen?'
In Glendale, where I live, there's a street called Broadway. The bottoms of the light posts have swastikas on them.
I don't think when I'm doing music. Things just happen. I've even taken my clothes off while performing. But then I'm so shy that I can't even take my clothes off in the dressing room, even though it's just the other guys in the band in here with me. It's really weird.
If I was money-motivated, I wouldn't have joined a rock band with three other Armenian guys.
There's no rule that says you have to make records constantly, like clockwork, to continue being who you are.
I don't understand some of the music I hear on MTV or the radio, because they don't mention the times we live in. They have nothing to do with nothing.
My dad is my biggest influence on me as a musician, even though he's not a musician.
You put too many songs on your record, and it ends up like a family with too many kids: some of them get neglected.
As a writer I kind of go crazy. I even had, like, at least 20 or 30 more songs to bring into the band. But we had to stop and get into the studio at some point.
As a musician, I don't think I'm the greatest guitar player. I'm a bigger fan of the drums than I am the guitar; I just happen to play guitar. I play drums almost every day at my house. I wrote a lot of songs behind the drum kit, just having the music and vocals in my head and playing the rhythm.
People's attention spans don't run too long these days.
I like structuring verses, choruses, but sometimes the verses might be a tango and the choruses might be death metal.
I'm not very happy. I'm frustrated with human beings. I'm the guy who just wants to smack people in the face and say, 'Wake up!'
Politicians use religion, and they get their troops riled up with religion.