Blacksmith Charley Dagger Talks to The Musician

You'll enjoy his deep voice and the subjects of his songs.

Blacksmith Charley Dagger is loud as they get. You can check his Twitter account to see what I’m talking about. When you listen to his music, you encounter a guy with a deep voice. Despite his loud ways, he can be a softie (I mean he’s got a song where he sings about his mother).

This is the first ever The Musician interview – with the man who thinks is the greatest lyricist in the world.

Hope you enjoy! If you’re a musician and also want to be interviewed like Charley Dagger, start the process using the button below.

L. SOJINI (L.S): Can you tell us about yourself? Where you’re from and what kind of musician you are.

Blacksmith Charley Dagger (BCD): My name is Kenneth Francis Flaherty. I was born in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NYC in 1972, close to Biggie. Currently, I reside with my wife a two daughters in Connecticut. I’m a lyricist.

L.S: How did you get into music?

BCD: I got into music because I love words, love arranging words, and found lyric writing favorable to my personal sense of aesthetics over essays, short stories, or novel writing. I like to collect, compact, and condense language and ideas into poetry.

L.S: What do you think makes good music?

BCD: Good music is the music you listen to over and over again. Even the corny stuff. But who am I to judge?

L.S: What are your strengths and weaknesses as a musician?

BCD: In my mind I'm the greatest lyricist. I have to believe that. But the only instrument I have ever played is the trumpet, averagely, in 4th grade, a long long time ago. But I write the words, let the composer compose, and many times the final product is better than I imagined it could be. That’s teamwork. I start and finish every project, from the first word to PRO registration, album art, distribution, and accounting. In other words I do everything within my power to complete the task at hand, and defer to the experts whenever necessary.

L.S: What are you currently working on? 

BCD: I have so much material that my focus today is marketing. For the past decade I raised two girls, built a music catalog, and now I am working the social media side of things, mostly.

L.S: How do you approach music? As in, what’s your philosophy when it comes to making music?

BCD: My music philosophy is to be the owner of your music. There is money in music if you own the masters. If not, then not. Or at least not as much. Be yourself too and don’t follow the crowd even if it is more lonely and scary.

L.S: How do you promote your music?

I promote my music by using the LIFTT approach, like my morning exercise. LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter. That’s my 5, my social media poker hand.

L.S: Favourite musician? Why?

BCD: My favorite musician changes according to my mood, or the mood. But I like 90’s Grunge, Alice In Chains, STP, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam. Also, I like the music my mother and father played growing up in Brooklyn: Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann. I love Donna Summer, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, The Bangles, Chaka Khan, Lisa Fischer, Lil Kim, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande. Those are my ladies. There’s so much more though.

L.S: What’s your advice or message to fellow musicians?

BCD: My advice is to take the pain and keep working. Don’t complain. Don’t think you deserve more. Just be the best you can be and keep working. And know when to rest. Find joy in the process and be grateful that you have the ability to work. Not everyone does.

L.S: Thank you for talking to The Musician. Remember this is your home. Whenever you have something new to share, hit us up anytime. You can even drop your links here.

BCD: Thank you for listening to me today.