Inspiration Floods Open Up For Canadian Singer

Erik Daniel new album is called Guilty Party.

Erik Daniel is a man with many hats. He acts, sings, writes novels, and works in health care.

In this interview, he talks about how he enjoys mixing contradictory sounds to make something new.

His new album, Guilty Party, is on the way.

If you’re a musician and also want to be interviewed like Erik Daniel, start the process using the button below.

L.S: Can you tell us about yourself?

Erik Daniel (ED): My name is Erik Daniel (Twitter: @erikdanielmusic), and I'm a self-taught indie musician based out of Vancouver, BC, Canada.

When I'm not sequestering myself in my basement studio, I'm either hanging out with family, working in the health care industry or writing (my second novel, Mystic Pursuit, is due later this year).

Perhaps not surprisingly, I also enjoy performing, acting in several short films as well as studying improv at Second City Chicago a few years back.

L.S: Where you’re from and what kind of musician you are.

ED: Born in Montreal, I grew up near Toronto (with my current residence in Vancouver rounding off my cross-Canada tour quite nicely). As a kid, I enjoyed listening to everything from 1960's rock (The Zombies, The Animals, etc), to standard 1980s stuff (The Police, INXS, Def Leppard), and 90's rock (Red Hot Chili Peppers and yep, ‘grunge’). With my own music, I try to create sounds and melodies that I find both familiar and new, and it's probably not too difficult to pick out the inspirations behind any given song. Moreover, I enjoy the process of blending seemingly contradictory styles to create something original.

L.S: How did you get into music?

ED: While I've always aspired to write my own music, it took over twenty years of false-starts and unintelligible noise before something finally clicked.

I'm not sure exactly what happened, but there was a moment last year while I was trudging through music theory (circle of fifths, chord progressions, etc.) and a melody hit.

Minutes later, I had it down and the floodgates have been wide open ever since. Of course, writing music and lyrics, instrumentation, recording, mixing and marketing are all arts in and of themselves, and as a one-man-band, I've been slowly gaining an education in all of the above.

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

ED: I suppose the ultimate barometer of good music is something that touches people on an emotional level, whether evoking passion, grief, motivation, or whatever else.

As much as I enjoy creative writing, I find that the right blend of music and lyrics can deliver a more potent emotional impact within three minutes than a two-hour movie or four-hundred-page novel.

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

ED: My strengths as a musician are probably my passion and an ability to get so immersed in what I'm doing that I'm scarcely aware of anything around me.

More often than not, it is during these moments where the answers to the countless minute decisions (ex. the volume of a snare or level of grit needed for a specific lyric) become abundantly clear.

Weaknesses are aplenty, but hopefully ever-diminishing, and include my overall musicianship and sound mixing abilities.

L.S: What are you currently working on?

ED: I'm just about to release my debut full album, Guilty Party, out June 24th, and am already knee-deep in songs for the album after that.

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

ED: When I write anything, whether music or a novel, I strive only to entertain myself.

For some reason, it feels quite evident that trying to express one's self creatively to suit the expectations (perceived or real) of others will always spell certain doom. So, I just try to stick to the belief that if I like what I'm doing, even if I'm the only one, then I can live with the consequences.

L.S: What are you most proud of to have achieved as a musician?

ED: I suppose I'm most proud of taking the first vulnerable step of believing that what I was creating was of some value to the ears of others.

I think there's a certain requisite audacity for anyone who has the nerve to stand up and stand out, and freely expose their creations to judgment and scrutiny.

L.S: How do you promote your music?

That's a big one. I'm still learning as I go, but focusing on establishing and building a social media presence is pretty high on the list. Also happy to hear any other suggestions.

L.S: Favourite musician? Why?

ED: Paul Simon, no question. His massive catalogue of incredibly beautiful, diverse music.

The poetry of his lyrics – how seemingly throwaway verses are always deliberately and intricately constructed to convey a thought or a feeling.

I'm also inspired by his willingness to abandon his prior sounds or influences, and follow his musical heart fully into whatever direction he's feeling pulled at the time.

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

ED: I would just say that anyone who has something to share shouldn't let anything keep them from doing so, most importantly their own self-doubt.

We're fortunate to live in a time where anyone, anywhere can create something meaningful and send it out into the world. And when your music resonates with one person you don't know, living an ocean away, the feeling is incredible.

L.S: Can you recommend one musician you’ve worked with that The Musician can interview next?

ED: Unfortunately, the only musician I've worked with thus far is myself, and I've already done it.

L.S: You can share their Twitter handle.

ED: Not (at the moment) applicable. Thanks so much!

@erikdanielmusic; www.erikdanielmusic.com.

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