darling one year - a music review
by Steve Ackerman
Daniel Gannaway revisited...
When it comes to music I usually tend to lean towards the harder side for my musical enjoyment. Since the late 70's I have consistently enjoyed hard rock, alternative and heavy metal. The 80's and 90's were no different. I have noticed that lately, mainstream American and UK music have become stale these last 5-10 years leaving me wanting something more. Last year, it was in the July '03 issue of AllAboutSurf that I heard Xavier Rudd, and I was blown away. Here was a young Australian musician with an energetic sound and style that sparked an evolution in my life.
 I had never heard or wanted to hear anything I wasn't already accustomed to. Kind of like a kid who doesn't eat vegetables. It wasn't because they tried it and didn't like it but because it wasn't meat. Where is the beef? I realize now that I had been ignorant and closed-minded. That was then and this is now!
I have been blown away recently by all of the great new sounds I'm hearing. Stuff from the furthest reaches of the world. I still can't believe how much I had been missing all these years. Lately, I have been looking closely at alot of independent artists out there, and man, there is alot of great sounds coming at me. With the advancements of the Internet and the electronic frontier, the web has become an immense new vehicle for the spread of fresh and innovative ear candy just waiting to be heard...
This brings me to Daniel Gannaway. I first heard of Daniel when we were putting together our darling one year [2004] AllAboutSurf June '04 issue earlier this year. I had the privilege of chatting with him and listening to all of his albums during our production. I found him to be a gifted, down-to-earth individual with an extraordinary talent for songwriting. He has a genuine ability to pour his thoughts, his views and his feelings deep into his music and it is simply inspirational. His music has an intense indie folk/rock melodic harmony and is written in a way that makes you think about the message he is sending rather than cramming it down your throat. Daniel's songs are written about concepts that affect the world that surrounds all of us including love, people, politics, the environment and much, much more... His music, as I said is truly ear candy at it's finest.
 Daniel Gannaway grew up in Gisborne, Auckland and Aotearoa [New Zealand]. Growing up in New Zealand, Daniel and his friends were into many different genres of music. From the Stones to Led Zep, Pink Floyd to Dylan, Cat Stevens to Joni Mitchell, he enjoyed just about anything that played. During the '90s Daniel spent much of his time traveling to many places around the globe. "I lived in the UK and Amsterdam back before any musical inclination. I've traveled a bunch, though not always for music. Now when I look at the influence that all the travel has had on my music, it has permeated into the way in which I view the world, I see that things have a way of coming around."
When he decided to pick up the guitar, he was living with friends in Upstate New York. He was learning to play to music from bands like U2, Dave Mathews, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains... Daniel was quick to note, "It was hopeless, I was just ruining peoples ears, I gave that up and started junking around with my own writing, little ditties. I mean I'd been writing stuff, y'know train of thought stuff for a while by then."
 "It was my friend Richard that dragged me from my room in Sydney, pushing me to play anywhere I could, even in front of people in living rooms. FINE BY ME [1998] came out of those experiences really."
One of Daniel's first public appearance was at the Temple Bar in Auckland, NZ, almost at the same time
FINE BY ME was released. He remembers the event vividly, "I was nervous, I was sick beforehand. I have to thank Myles for pushing me into that first Temple gig, and Karen [owner of now closed down Temple Bar] who asked me to play again. It was a shame that the Temple had to close due to Noise Control. I wrote a song called Inner City Temples in protest [a free download on my website]."
"When I last returned to Europe, it was because I had a graphic design job in Amsterdam. This tied in wonderfully with me wanting a change of scene for inspiration and for playing live again after kind of disappearing pre Bound and Suburban [2001]."
"Europe is an amazing place. I nearly recorded an album for Italy with an italian producer, certainly we were on the way. It's still basically a go ahead - just temporarily on pause. I think it will happen. People there are so passionate, it can take you aback a little. I mean I come from a country which kind of, I don't know... it's got a strange attitude sometimes. Sort of a 'tall poppy' thing, actually 'F**k the gardeners' from flashback [1999] is about that, yet we've got so many talented people. I think it's changing, New Zealand is recognizing it's worth."
 "Right now, I've not played live since London. Just getting out darling one year has been a huge feat. I still struggle with nerves to play music live. It's prevented me from being more out 'there' in the live scene. It's something I'm working on."
Daniel filled me in on some of his favorite spots, "I would have to say 12 Bar Club in London, just the chimney alone is like 1600s or something. Club Acoustica in Sydney was so much about the performer, a quiet room y'know. Another cool place in Sydney was the Hopetown where I once opened for Carla Werner, she has an amazing live presence. A place in northern Italy I can't remember, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, it was madness, set up by my friend Martino. He taught me some italian, always saying I didn't sing xmas carols ha! And the snowboarding... I have to include the Temple, because Karen provided such a great environment for musicians and poets in Auckland and NZ."
"I also remember playing support on two nights for Tony Joe White at The Power Station, big sound, he was so laid back and cool onstage. I took my godmother to meet him after 'cause she was a huge fan. It was amazing just to be able to do that."
Lately Gannaway has been expanding his music palette, "I've got Uncut's 'Summer of Motown' on repeat. Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross etc. Just awesome, Detroit Motor Town, what an era. I love Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, I love just about any blues. I dig Kelly Joe Phelps, Lucinda Williams and Ani Difranco."
 And the list goes on, "I love Tool, Helmet and Porno for Pyros. My wife just introduced me to a bunch of Hawaiian music, like Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, plus Spoon and Pinback. I've got some crazy stuff by Sheila Chandra and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I love electronic music, that's why I loved living in Amsterdam and going out to music there, 4am jumping around, crazy sounds happening. I'm a headphone freak so the electronic aspect is big to me. There's too much... I mean there's so much great music out there, by listing some, I miss others so worthy."
"Music is so cool y'know. It's like surfing. You've got all these crazy wayward talented people a part of it. It's just this rich fabric. So much creativity that sometimes it gets lost for awhile, and then later we rediscover it and go, 'how come we missed this?'"
 I have been blessed, having had the chance to get to know Daniel, to learn what drives his talent. Since, I have listened to his albums with a great deal more appreciation and on a deeper level than before, especially his first album, FINE BY ME and the fourth, Bound and Suburban. The other discs are great as well but these two were my personal favorites.
Every time I listen to his music, I find myself immersed in the rhythm. I find myself tapping my feet and wailing along (I only wish I could sing). No matter what kind of mood I'm in or what he is singing about, my spirits are instantly uplifted. His music provides a sense of warmth and energy to anyone willing to listen. The songs have a way of drawing you into them and providing true inspiration to your soul. Your senses begin to soar with this intense energy that wasn't there just a few moments before.
"It's like walking alone on the beach at night and seeing Jim Morrison and Jeff Buckley strumming and singing at the water's edge." -- Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com
I could not agree more with Jennifer on that note...
I was totally stoked when Daniel emailed AllAboutSurf to let us know about his latest release. I was excited to listen to his newest masterpiece. Just a few days ago, it arrived. I quickly ripped the package open and shoved it into the CD player, I tell you, I haven't taken it out of my CD player since. It was incredible, he has really done it again. Another work of art to add to his long resume of accomplished works and he just keeps getting better with each one. So many artists release good albums then flop when they try to top it. Daniel Gannaway just keeps raising the bar with each and every release, to him the sky is the limit, and I really think he'll get there.
 The Press Release that accompanied the CD says: "Daniel Gannaway's latest offering, darling one year [2004] is an emotional roller coaster of intense, indie folk/rock, with the slightest hint of electronica." I thought that was a very good, yet brief summary of the album. It is however, definitely an accurate statement. I'll go over the new album a bit deeper for you...
Darling one year was recorded in Amsterdam and London and completed in New Zealand earlier this year. Daniel has had an extensive knee injury for part of this year, as a result, it has really given him the opportunity to immerse himself into his music. Bass player, Michael Brennan [the Feds, and Seven Dials] accompanied Daniel along with the percussionist, Stan Leboy on this magnificent darling one year journey.
 "Gannaway's acoustic guitar is always constant, winding through distorted vocals, effected guitars, drums and looped sounds" in each of the new songs. "A welcome new chapter in this talented singer songwriter's ongoing story." The strong indie folk/rock influence is clear and present and the flood of emotion Daniel has put into each these songs, make this release a fresh and very much welcomed musical offering. This, coupled with the intensity of the lyrics, you really get a sense of just how much of himself that he really has put into this album. I definitely have a new favorite in my collection.
This is the part of the article I that found to be the most difficult, each and every one of these songs I found to be a monument in itself. A perfect blend of lyrics, emotion and rhythm in each one. 'Student debt sucks', 'Gotta drive', 'Laughing free', 'See the light' and 'A small thankyou' are the songs on the album that are charged and sure to get your feet moving and the blood pumping.
 Use these tunes with caution, the first time I listened to them, I had headphones on. After a while I looked around, I found that I had an audience (yet another one of my most embarrassing moments)... 'Darling one year', 'Chain' and 'Ecstasy lovers' start off gently, gradually gaining momentum, with a rocking rhythm near the end sure to get you moving... The last group of songs on the album to mention, 'Julie', 'In the North Sea' are softer songs, perfect for winding things down and setting the mood... I've listened to this album dozens of times now, just trying to decide which songs I liked best. I have to say, honestly this is just one of those albums that every song fits in that category in one way or another...
If your looking for some refreshing new music for the soul, I whole-heartedly recommend this album as a must have for your collection.
Steve Ackerman
All About Surf |
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