Published: March 21, 2009 12:59 AM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight March 2009 Edition
Dan Holt
Dan Holt
He was only eleven years old when he heard Muddy Waters for the first time and at that pivotal moment Dan Holt knew that music was his only choice. With a deep respect and love for Blues Music, Dan comes back to his roots that he loves so much. In this in-depth and candid interview, Dan shares his experiences, journeys, and adventures that have made him the man he is today.
Isaac: Hi, Welcome to your interview with Junior's Cave. Now that 2008 has officially ended, what are your reflections of the year 2008 for you as an artist?
Dan: 2008 was a year of rebuilding my career after a few years away from the business. After my last album, 2005's "More Than This," I felt like I needed to step back and recharge my batteries a bit. I felt a little disillusioned by the path of my career and felt like it was time to get back to the blues after a series of more singer/songwriter oriented records. "New End of the World Blues" kind of came together slowly over the course of the first half of the year. At first, I was unaware that I was even making a record. I was just writing and recording for my own amusement but eventually it began to take shape. Now that the record is complete and I've played a few gigs, I feel more excited about playing music than I have for a long time and I can't wait to get out on the road later this year.
Isaac: What has drawn you to wanting to make music?
Dan: I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't want to be a musician. As a kid of about seven or eight, I remember watching Grand Funk Railroad on television and thinking, "THAT guy doesn't seem like he'll ever have to get a job." A few years later, at the ripe old age of 11, I heard Muddy Waters for the first time and from that point no other career choice really made any sense to me.
Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?
Dan: Growing up I was completely changed by the music of British bands like the Kinks and the Yardbirds. Especially the Kinks. I still learn something new about songwriting every time I listen to one of Ray Davies' songs. I was also very influenced by Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins and a host of other great blues singers. I remember listening to Muddy Waters' "Hard Again" album for the first time. Before that moment, I had no idea that music could be like that.
Those core influences never seem to leave you, but music is obviously a fluid thing and I continue to be influenced and moved by new music on a daily basis. Recently, my music has been influenced in a big way by blues legend John Hammond. Seeing him perform live and listening to his recent records made me want to take my music back in the direction of the blues. It's not just his playing and singing but also the way he carries himself that is so powerful for me. You get the sense that playing the blues is his lifeline, without it he'd be adrift. I understand that feeling. Some of the other artists that have been on my radar in the past few years include the White Stripes, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and Amy Ray.
Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?
Dan: For most of my career, I've functioned somewhere between obscurity and notoriety and that's not always such a bad thing. One sad byproduct of the modern music business is that too many artists have become more obsessed with the arc of their careers than with their music. I've certainly spent my share of time chasing the music industry in hopes that it will let me play along. If there's anything that I've learned along the way, it's that good work tends to find an audience. That doesn't mean that all we have to do is work hard and we'll be famous. But it does mean that the most important aspect of my career is making good records and playing good shows. The business side of things certainly requires more attention than I'd like it to but, I never let it get in the way of what I'm trying to do. It's important to remember that there is a simple honesty in performing music that transcends the ideas of careers and business.
Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?
Dan: If I could pick anyone living or dead, I would choose Muddy Waters. I'd have loved to have played in one those great bands he had in the 1950s. Just for the chance to watch a band like that function from the inside would be incredible.
As far as working with people who are alive, I guess I would probably choose John Hammond. Although our styles are radically different, I think there's a lot of similarity in our approaches. Jack White from the White Stripes would also be exciting to work with.
Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?
Dan: The short answer would be "blues." The longer answer is a bit more nuanced than that. Over the years, it seems that blues music has become very compartmentalized. Do you play "Chicago blues?" "Memphis blues?" "Delta blues?" The answer is yes and no to all of those questions. My influences include classic blues artists in all of those styles as well as artists from many other styles of music. As a blues artist, it is my responsibility to write and play from my perspective, to cast my blues from my own experience.
Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from your previous releases?
Dan: Over the years, I have developed a tiny but steady following who always seem to take an interest in the songs that I write and the music I play. I can't begin to articulate the level of gratitude that I feel to all of the people who've bought my records over the years.
Isaac: What can fans expect from your latest CD, you are working on currently? What is the inspiration behind the CD?
Dan: I am actually not currently working on a CD; I'm promoting my newest record, "New End of the World Blues," which originally came out in October of 2008. Because circumstances in my personal life prevented me from promoting it as much as I'd hoped, I am "re-launching" the album this spring with a bunch of online promotion and am booking tour dates for summer 2009 and beyond.
Before this record, I had made several albums in a row that were in a bit more of a "singer/songwriter" vein. Sure, there were a few blues songs on them but, I haven't really presented myself as a straight blues artist since I left the acoustic blues duo Five Believers in 1997. Having said that, the blues has always been a big part of what I do and is my starting point as a musician and songwriter. I learned to play guitar, write songs and sing by playing the blues and this album was all about getting back to where I started.
There are blues records that for me are touch stones. Records that are an essential part of any blues collection. Muddy Waters' "Hard Again." Buddy Guy's "DJ Play My Blues." John Hammond's "Wicked Grin." It's impossible to picture any of the songs from these albums appearing anywhere else. The music on these records forms a cohesive whole that goes beyond a mere collection of songs. That is what I was trying to achieve with "New End of the World Blues" and I think for the most part I was successful. It is easily the best record of my career and I am very excited to share it with fans new and old.
Isaac: Where can fans locate you at online?
Dan: My website is http://danholtmusic.com and anyone who's interested can purchase my music online via the links below:
Dan: As I mentioned above, I am re-launching my album "New End of the World Blues" so, fans can expect some touring and promotion with that focus. I am really excited about the music I am making right now and looking forward to sharing it on the road.
Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans?
Dan: When I'm not on the road or making records, I spend most of my time with my wife Charlotte, our one month old daughter Abigail and our cats Murray and Maggie.
Isaac: Final words...
Dan: With all of the upheaval in the economy, this is probably a strange time to aggressively re-launch my career, but I think music is always a necessary part of our lives and that is probably even truer during hard times. I hope people enjoy the music that I make and appreciate when they take the time to check it out.
