Why?

While driving to South Carolina to pick up the new EP, Susanne and I were talking about the purpose of Besides Daniel. We started asking ourselves the "why" questions (why are we driving out here to get these CDs, why are we doing all this planning and hard work?) Lately, we've been so focused on the "how" questions (how are we going to pull this off?) and the "who" questions (who will be willing to come on the road with us, play at our CD release show, host us on tour?) We found ourselves digging into the reasons behind all the planning, playing, and promoting.

Why do we play music? What are we aiming to create? Why toil in an industry that has no clear path and no definite promise of success, regardless of how hard we work? In order to answer these questions fully, we feel it is necessary to move eventually into a full time career of creating music for our friends, fans, and family.

During our conversation, we were able to articulate one definite goal as we approach the incredible task of playing music worthy of an audience's attention. It is impossible to define such an abstract question as "why" without touching on our beliefs about this world and the significance of the people we hope to inspire, engage, and entertain. We believe that every person alive is remarkable and immeasurably valuable. Because we believe this, we hope our music will highlight the importance of relationships and encourage people to value those closest to them. We play music because we want to inspire others to love. Maybe that is a cliche--perhaps our answer to this question is as abstract as the question itself--but alas, we will embrace the mystery of our task. We are artists...

On June 6th, we are planning an evening celebrating the completion of a work that has been brewing in us for over a year now. We hope you can find a way to come to The Redlight Cafe on Saturday, June 6th. Bring your friends, have a few drinks, and hear some great music from us, Besides Daniel. Two more fantastic local Atlanta bands, also good friends of ours, Oh Dorian and Joshua Fletcher will share the stage with us. The night kicks off at about 8 pm. Our new 5 song EP "the Clay, the Seed, the Stone" will be available for purchase as well!!!

-Besides Daniel
http://www.reverbnation.com/besidesdaniel

Thoughts on art & artists...

Disclaimer: these are thoughts that have had brewing in my head lately. These are not so much a dogma as they are a hypothesis. also, I am in no way claiming to be a "true artist" but am only commenting objectively, only as a human being. I do aspire to create real art though....

let me know what you think.

In this world that we now find ourselves in, it is only among real art that any solace or meaning is found. The artists are the spirit of humanity, without them we are but machines. The poet, the psalmist, the writer, the thinker, are all like preserving salt in this decaying world, reminding us of the irrational, the beautiful, the impossible, and of the hope we forgot we had for these things. Commerce, education, technology, politics, these are all the by products of the dreamer-artist, these are systems that had their origins in the artists mind. No institution we have today in our complex society would exist if it were not for the ingenuity, and singular vision of the true artist. All the fashionable and functional artifacts we employ everyday in our modern world are the fruit of a pure aspiration to create, laboring to a greater end, unmoved by compensation or individual gain-moved solely by the mystery of pulling the abstract into this physical world.

-Danny

Just finished recording!!!

This is how Danny looks when he is excited.

All the tracks are done! Mixing & Mastering will be done within the week, Photos will be done soon and finally album art! Woo hoo!

We celebrated with $1.00 hot fudge sunday from McDonalds. Yeah!