DAN WAINWRIGHT
Dan Wainwright - Cabin In The Woods
Released - 2024-06-26
Purchase Here - https://danwainwrightmusic.bandcamp.com/album/cabin-in-the-woods
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This album I started to write immediately when the first self-titled one was finished. "You Don’t Know About The Bees" was written after my first live performance, after somebody decided they could tell me what I should or should not say on stage.
I would say there’s a general kind of theme on the album of me kicking back against any form of control, be that government, work, or personal. The album is a shout from deep in my soul for independence and freedom. A path I am firmly on now, by the grace of life, as it goes.
There’s a song here, "Old Country Songs," which is a tip of my hat to the music that set me on the path to myself. And the final song on the album, "Sleep Now," is about being able to take in all the work at the end of the day and being proud of yourself. Or maybe it’s about a death or a type of death. It’s hard for me to understand all the meaning to the songs as they’ve served a purpose for me to continue expressing myself.
I can’t see this album as a product. It’s more of a living and breathing thing. One of the songs was worked out mostly on stage, "Walk Alone." One song, "Pickin’," existed as a practice for me to learn to fingerpick better.
"Walking Boss" is a traditional cover, and I wrote a song of my own in a similar vein called "Work To The Bone" (one of my personal favorite songs). "Work To The Bone" has historical references to railroad workers and the colonists, but it’s very much directed at the music industry. It’s through this power to speak the truth that I have been coming to know my worth as a human being. This album very much encompasses the end of one chapter, and the songs have served their purpose. It’s time it was released for the sake of setting the songs free.
I recorded the album in under three hours on the twenty eighth of April in a Cabin In The Woods, a place where I took my songs to settle a score with my own soul.
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Dan Wainwright - Dan Wainwright
Released - 2024-02-29
Purchase Here - https://danwainwrightmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dan-wainwright
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I spent two years honing the way I wanted to present my self-titled album. The recording part, though, took just an hour. Singing was never my forte; I usually hid behind my production skills. While I've always been a musician, the ukulele wasn't part of my repertoire until now, despite featuring in some of my earlier works.
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I delved about a decade into the world of acid house music after a successful stint with my old stoner rock band, Groan. Despite enjoying the electronic scene and Groan gigs, my heart was always in psychedelic rock. My side projects, my true passion, fell apart just as they were ready to take off. Frustrated, I found myself searching for an escape from my current musical path.
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Realising I wasn't leading the life I wanted, I had a breakdown that pushed me to quit DJing and electronic music. I needed to live authentically, pursue my true songwriting passion, and escape the damaging grind of my previous profession. Though I yearned to play and sing, self-doubt lingered. That night, unable to sleep, I grabbed my ukulele and improvised through songs I'd written over the years. I felt alive, but seriously committing to the ukulele seemed absurd.
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For the next two years, I played and sang every day, immersing myself in the works of artists like Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Charlie Parr. Inspiration also came from the Grateful Dead's improvisation and Billy Strings' approach, but I filtered it through a solo folk singer approach, a ukulele, and a touch of my lightly scouse accent.
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I aimed for something new and authentic, a project where I had nowhere to hide. Recording in one take, avoiding overproduction, and embracing authenticity became my ethos. I sought a soulful and unique tone by running my ukulele through a tube amp. I wanted it to stand alone, full and interesting, capturing both its beauty and the surrounding stillness. I desired the music to unfold naturally, without my mind dictating it.
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No laptops or barriers between me and the music – just a desire to connect and become one with it. The result is something I could never have predicted for myself, but when I play, I know it's as vital as breathing for me.
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Though I've made a lot of music before. I consider this is my first real album.
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