#Dan Blakeslee & The Calabash Club

[independentartistbuzz]

Indie 5-0: 5 Questions with Dan Blakeslee & The Calabash Club

With a suitcase of songs, Maine folk troubadour Dan Blakeslee ventured into the subways of Boston in 1995 to practice his craft. He has been making music and art throughout New England ever since, leading him to tour the U.S. performing with The Low Anthem, David Wax Museum, The Lumineers, Liam Finn, Brown Bird, Joe Fletcher, Jonah Tolchin, Will Dailey, Death Vessel and Kimya Dawson. Dan is unafraid to bare his very soul on stage, emptying a loaded cache of emotion and passion onto the stage for all to witness, explore and devour. We had the chance to catch up with Blakeslee for a very special Indie 5-0 you’ll find below.

1. Your new album, The Alley Walker, comes out August 18. Which song best personifies where you are in life right now?

The song that comes first to mind is "A Golden Turn". I have worked hard for my entire life with little to show financially, though I am wealthy in terms of happiness (very). I don't cut corners. And when it comes to my music and art I don't let anything out of the gate that I am dissatisfied with. They say the grass is always greener on the other side... I am looking to get somewhere in the middle. For decades I have wanted to tour overseas in Europe and other foreign lands and this is the album that will bring this dream to reality as a tour is in the works! 2. How long have you been playing with The Calabash Club & how does this album differ from your solo work?

The Calabash Club are Mike Effenberger, Nick Phaneuf and Jim Rudolf. We have been playing together for eight years. I used to follow them as they were the backing band of other NH area musicians. I would listen and watch them completely enamored with what they brought to the music. Years ago, after a performance, I was approached by these cats asking if I would ever need accompaniment... the answer was Y-E-S! I was overjoyed and I thank my lucky stars every day for them coming into my life--musical and otherwise! Our collaboration through the years has added such dynamics to my sound. I feel electricity coursing through me when we take the stage together and it happens to this day, each and every time. 3. Favorite Place You've Ever Played?

As you might imagine, there are many after performing 25 years. The stand out is Dream Away Lodge in Becket, MA -- It's a bohemian art-filled paradise in the Berkshire Mountains... shhh. Down low please. 4. Do you write music or lyrics first?

For the most part I generally write music first and then the words slowly take shape. Though there really is no distinct pattern, I never force lyrics or the music as I prefer to let everything flow organically, sometimes over weeks or years. I never put anything to paper unless I am overcome by a full body sensation. Then I stop whatever it is I am doing and get it down to a visual and audible form.

5. Since you split your time between making music and making art -- if you had to choose only one artist and only one painter that have had the biggest influence on your life, who would they be?

It's hard musically, there are so many stand outs and I'm a genre mixed person, but I'm gonna go with Michael Hurley. I first heard his music while I was staying with friends in Burlington, VT; they had his album "Blueberry Wine" on repeat the whole weekend. It sunk in... deep. I love Hurley's style of songwriting. He does whatever the hell he wants to do, doesn't catering to anyone, and his guitar work shows no boundaries. Visually, an artist I am hugely inspired by is Thomas Hart Benton. I first saw his painting "The Sources Of Country Music" about 20 years ago and was struck by the movement of the figures and the expressions. He captures emotion like no other. Spirited, longing, determined -- he somehow nails it with mere brushstrokes. I saw a documentary on how he created this mural and I was astounded by the amount of detail that went into this piece. Painstakingly making revisions, reworking sketches, and making 3D ceramic models before executing, it's definitely worth checking out!

Pre-order for the new album, The Alley Walker

https://danblakeslee.bandcamp.com/album/the-alley-walker

Find Dan Blakeslee and The Calabash Club Online:

Website:

http://danblakeslee.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DanBlakesleeAndTheCalabashClub?sid=0.12434627115726471

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DanBlakeslee

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/danblakesleemusic/

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/DanBlakesleeMusic

[indieminded]

Six Questions With Dan Blakeslee & The Calabash Club http://ift.tt/2yAagcs