Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Dan Harrison
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Riding around with my dad and listening to his burned CDs of classic rock/pop/
How did your passion for creating music begin?
My dad’s old acoustic guitar in his office, and I also had friends who started learning to play electric guitar around 11-10 years old, and I would mess around with it going over to their house.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
My most recent project, “As Far As I Know”, is a snapshot of who I am and the journey that brought me to this point in my life/career so far. Part life lessons/reflections, part heeartbreak, love, being young and everything in between, it’s as far as I know until now.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Modern country with rock and pop elements; Thomas Rhett, Russell Dickerson or Keith Urban mixed with a John Mayer and Springsteen.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Nashville songcraft; learning how to construct a song towards a hook or central idea and landing the idea efficiently, effectively, emotionally and impactfully.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
My Fender Stratocaster, Telecasters and more electrics, Gibson Hummingbird and Martin Acoustics, Logic Pro, and too many pedals and plugins to count.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Charlie Crockett
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
I think my personal experiences are essential to who I am as a songwriter and creative, just as they are to me as a person. Everything I do can’t help but be filtered through my experience, so I try to present my art and create from a place of authenticity; I love writing with other artists to help them navigate their experiences and emotions, and even if I haven’t been in the exact situations/experiences that they have, chances are I’ve had similar emotions, and that’s what ties music together/connects us all.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
That we are all in a shared, beautiful world and community, and our differences are actually not that different. That’s not to say we’re all the same, but we’re all human beings with valid experiences worthy of respect. To me, music at it’s best is about breaking down barriers and bringing people together. I think Country Music in particular is well-equipped to do this despite it’s regional origins/stereotypes, because it’s about celebrating real people, highlighting the extraordinary in the ordinary, and simple yet profound insights about life. It touches on all the feelings and experiences of life, joy, good tines, family, heartbreak, and finds the common threads that connect us all.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Success is not just about talent, it’s hard work, persistence and taking care of your personal and mental health. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and it seems like it gets harder the longer you’re on the road, but the reality is the longer you stay on it, the more momentum you build. It can be a hard lesson that takes time to learn, but once you do you can be unstoppable.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
The Ryman and The Grand Ole Opry, and also the Made In America Festival in Philly.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Past, it would probably have to be Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie Mercury and Chris Cornell. My two favorite guitar players and two favorite singers ever. Present, there are too many amazing ones to count, especially in Nashville. But some that come to mind are Eric Church, Brad Paisley, Hardy, Shania Twain.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
My website is danharrisonmusic.com, and you can find me on all social platforms @danharrisonmusic; although on X/Twitter it’s @dnharrisonmusic.
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
To have multiple major cuts and hits on the radio and establish myself as a songwriter, before forging my own path as a performing and recoridng artist.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That I may not be perfect, but I’m always striving to be better. I hope it inspires them on their own journeys.
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