Telling a compelling story is, in many cases, what separates a fine piece of art from one that transcends generations and defines a time or people.
Blues and folk are incredible examples of this. The most lasting songs of both genres are made up of simple musical progressions serving as back-drops for rich stories describing the joys, calamities, triumphs and struggles of the general population at that time. It’s music for regular folk to relate to and learn from.
Gold Coast based singer/songwriter Dan Duggan’s music does exactly that. What’s up next for this emerging folk force? We’re honoured to give you an exclusive look.
Take a peek into the future of Dan Duggan with an exclusive peek at two of his unreleased demos, due to hit the airwaves later in 2017.
With only a small catalogue of songs currently available on his Unearthed page, Dan is showing great promise already. However the budding songwriter has more up his sleeve, and was kind enough to give Happy a glimpse into his future by letting us listen to two unheard demos.
Be Brave and Rosie are both deeply emotional songs covering themes such as love, partnership and personal circumstance. Here’s what Dan had to say about each track:
“Be Brave is a deeply emotional song that touches on the themes of love, true partnership and support. The story comes from chancing upon an old letter written to my father by my mother many years prior – they were deeply in love, but struggling financially. This letter, and now song reminds me of what remains important.”
“Rosie is a song about owning your circumstance, whatever that be; self created, a product of bad luck, or poor decisions. A touch aggressive in it’s narrative, and perhaps a little bit of a self portrait of a time where things were not working out so well for me and a few people in my life.”
Both are beautiful, breathy tunes that wouldn’t be out of place on an album like Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska or Steve Earle’s Copperhead Road. They’re simple and understated, giving that same sense of time and place that both of those incredible records do.
Duggan’s voice, a unique mix of equal parts Ryan Adams and Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon, gives his songs that small town, Americana feel, best suited to long drives and a quiet beer on the back deck.
His guitar work is simple yet effective, giving his admittedly relaxed songs the driving force needed to weave the stories he wants to tell. It is the perfect accompaniment to his brilliant lyrics and husky voice.
In 2015, Dan released his debut EP Blackheart Sassafras, which saw the first single Rock Bottom reach number one on the Unearthed charts.
With a rapidly expanding set of recognisable songs already in his arsenal (and two legendary tracks on their way), Dan is certainly one to watch.
