Daniel Gannaway
photos courtesy of Daniel Gannaway
source AllAboutSurf.com
by Veda Dante
posted 2004-05-15
Maori Bay - Pic: Daniel Gannaway
After it's finished - what's next?
Two things are definitely on the boil. The first is a side project with Mike and Warren from 'The Feds'. We're creating some kind of rock/pop amalgamation between our collective styles and have written some great songs so far. The two of them are brilliant and it's really satisfying working in a completely different fashion from when I'm on my own. Secondly, I'm trawling through my archived news section. I have probably an album's worth of purely social/political songs that I've mostly given away from my website in a real raw demo form. I'm looking at them again to see what could work. I'd like to re-record them differently from how they were to me at the moment of writing and posting. It will be a challenge to retain the intent that they had at the immediate time. I'll just have to see how that goes.
FINE BY ME - 1998 - Album Cover Art
- Pic: Dharlia Gannaway
You also set up your own label a few years ago - how's that going?
Well, it's not easy, but I knew that when I chose this route back when I put out 'FINE BY ME' in 1998. I had this idea that I wanted to record an album with a 4 track in a stripped out bedroom overnight. It felt true to what I was doing at the time, I'd only been strumming a couple of years, playing in my bedroom wherever that was. My friend Richard stepped it up a little for me after that by getting me out to people's places playing for my dinner [laughs]. But 'FINE BY ME' was not a commercially driven idea, nor have any of my albums been since. For me it's always a personal creative endeavour. This of course can mean a sacrifice somewhere. For me it's been a process of working hard to save money towards the album ahead. I've completely self financed everything from the word go. Sometimes it means doing work that doesn't really rock my soul, but to get my music out is the biggest thing, it's my art and I always try to remember that. I think it's a real achievement to get out 4 albums so far, and to be working on a 5th. I'm proud of putting out what I want, how I want, but it is a harder road sometimes.
FLASHBACK - 1999 - Back Cover Art
- Pic: Daniel Gannaway
Naturally, my dream is to be able to earn a great living from my music where I can devote myself 100% to it, not having to work any other job. It's the thing I'm most gifted at, and the thing I think I give the most back to the world through. My label is now called 'Truly Independent' and it's a name that just seems to affirm what my music is about for me and also the wider indie community that my music is a part of - CD Baby, Audio Lunchbox etc.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Ok...I'm enjoying immensely a bunch of music I bought through 'in music' the company that now distributes my music here in New Zealand. Let's see... 'The Notwist'-Neon Golden; 'Shannon Lyon'-Wandered; 'M.Ward'-The Transfiguration of Vincent; 'The Handsome Family'- Singing Bones; 'Spoon'-Girls can tell; 'Lambchop'-is a woman. That stuffs all imported into NZ, but you wouldn't believe some of the material being put out here. We've got a real ethnic diversity in New Zealand, particularly from Polynesia.
Arataki - Pic: CT
I've just been cruising to Soane's new album 'Tongan Chic', and Nesian Mystik's album 'Polysaturated' is a favourite. Scribe is another musician writing some really positive stuff. I've barely scratched the surface of the current local music scene, although I hesitate to say we're being led into this whole dubious TV ratings scam that is 'Pop Idol'. Meanwhile great original music is overlooked.
Hey, thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
Oh, no worries. Big thanks to ProMusicNews.com and thank you to anyone that supports music, particularly indie music. And if you bought one of my albums, thank you again.
http://www.danielgannaway.com - Daniel's website
http://www.cdbaby.com - buy Daniel's music here
http://www.audiolunchbox.com - d/l Daniel's music here
http://www.vedadante.com - writer/photographer - Veda Dante's website
http://www.dharlia.com - surfer/photographer - Dharlia Gannaway's website
http://www.richard-freeman.com - surfer/photographer - Richard Freeman's website
http://www.supersession.co.nz - visit the shaper of the boards Daniel rides
http://www.surf2surf.com - surf reports throughout New Zealand
http://www.surfingnz.com - NZ Surfing Magazine
http://www.fedsmusic.com - rock!
http://www.truemajority.com - Ben Cohen [Ben & Jerry's] explains the Federal budget
http://www.surfrider.org - non-profit org dedicated to protecting our oceans...
