Great music affects people in different ways. It may relax or excite some, while causing others to dance or sing along. Then there’s the music that is thought provoking and forces you to open your mind. Daniel Levi Goans’ BrotherStranger is one of those albums.
Daniel Levi Goans is a folk musician from Greensboro, North Carolina, who claims Bob Dylan as one of his influences and you can hear Dylan’s influence in his music and lyrics. Daniel escaped to an old wooden library on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay to write BrotherStranger and he gained inspiration from the beauty of nature and a couple of novels he read on this lyrical journey.
Goans is a profound songwriter who should not be taken lightly. His music will open your mind and enlighten you. His voice completes this masterpiece of elegant music and lyrics. As his Facebook page states, “Goans leaves a peace in the footsteps of his voice, a suggestion that while beauty is often well hidden, it is freely found.” We had the opportunity to set up an interview with the folk singer/songwriter after announcing that he would be featured in IMR’s Indie Acoustic Issue. Here is what he had to say about his inspirations, the writing process, and what’s next in his career.
Who is Daniel Levi Goans?
I am a folk singer and producer from Greensboro, NC. As for the rest, I’m sure I’ll be learning about that for the rest of my life.
What type of music did you listen to growing up and who has influenced your style of music?
I actually didn’t listen to a certain genre of music as a kid. My house was filled with various sounds from different sources. My dad worked with high school aged kids for most of my youth, so it was primarily whatever was popular to the adolescent teens of the late 80s and 90s and of course, a healthy dose of motown. Things shifted for me when I heard the Beatles’ White Album in 8th grade. I was stunned and inspired. Up to that point, music had provided a beat to move to and an unspecific, complicated series of emotions to sit in for 3-5 minutes. After getting more acquainted with the Beatles, I realized that I was a songwriter (or at least that I wanted to be one). Since then, I would cite Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Van Morrison as main influences, although I listen to music all the time and have been effected by many more.
BrotherStranger is your second solo album. How does it differ from your first release, Choice Cannonballs?
My first release was a more stripped down, less involved project. In 2009, the indie rock band I had been writing and touring with (The War) stopped playing and I found myself back in NC. I began writing folk songs and compiled enough to cut an album. I decided to self-produce it, but I had only one microphone, a few instruments, and about six weeks. In contrast, on BrotherStranger I had access to quite a bit more equipment, had a few guest musicians and was able to track for close to nine months. Also, the first album was recorded in a basement in NC and the second album was recorded in an old library on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay. I think the unrushed time and the beautiful, isolated setting can be heard in the sound of BrotherStranger. Choice Cannonballs is where I got my feet wet in folk writing and producing, while BrotherStranger is a more deliberate and extensive exploration of sound, songwriting and scope. Also, BrotherStranger is a concept record exploring the human experience and relationships both to others and the world around us, while Choice Cannonballs is a series of story songs inspired by my life, but not connected as explicitly in content. The instrumentation on the newest project is much more lush, percussion driven and ethereal.
What inspired you while writing BrotherStranger?
A few different sources come to mind when thinking back on what brought this album to life. First of all, the powerfully beautiful setting that I was in while recording set my imagination in motion. The wind whipping in off the bay, the creaking of the wooden walls of the library and the vast water right out of the window heightened my concept of being alone with the songs. In addition, two novels, John Steinbeck’s East of Eden and Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel, both deepened and complicated my thoughts about the songs. These novels both explore family relationships and the difficult truth that no man knows another man’s sorrow. The novels also capture the beauty of nature and uncrushable nobility contained in the human soul.
If you were to pick one song off the album that represents you best as a musician, what would it be?
The song “Albatross” probably best represents what I do musically. I think my wife would say “Family Name” though. Hard to say.
“Gates of Heaven” is a very relatable song about someone going through hard times, but then a lover ends up giving them hope. Is there a story behind this song or an inspiration?
This song is inspired by a particular situation that I’ve been witness to for many years, but I think it is also a story we’ve all experienced in one way or another. Hopelessness can be crushing and when we isolate ourselves it can distort our vision. Fortunately, hope is more substantial and beautiful than despair. Often as a songwriter, there is a temptation to wallow in self pity or paint elaborate pictures of our internal struggles or demons, but to write a song that acknowledges darkness in the world, but affirms hope in the face of darkness…that is what I aim to do.
I really enjoyed the track, “Guess I Better Take Off My Shoes.” The tambourine, harmonica, hand claps, and whistles give the song it’s own personality. What’s the meaning behind the lyrics?
This is a song about the interesting position we find ourselves in when our emotions don’t line up with reality. We often feel things that are not actually true. Because we can be so thrown around by our feelings, I find it helpful to try to keep a thankful heart. This song talks about keeping the good in our lives in mind even when we feel surrounded by difficulty.
What can someone expect when they attend a Daniel Levi Goans live show?
I perform as part of a duo with my wife Lauren Plank Goans. You can hear Lauren singing on a few of the tracks on BrotherStranger and, if you see us live, you will hear her hauntingly glorious voice on every song. In the live show we are exploring the space and rhythm of these songs by way of stomping our feet, sparse harmonica, tambourine and lots of vocal harmony.
What is next for Daniel Levi Goans?
First of all, we are releasing a new EP (www.daniellevigoans.bandcamp.com) on June 1! Secondly, we will be on the road for the next few months pretty consistently. We are fired up about performing a few times in NC this week. One of which, I am thrilled about. We are doing a show on Bob Dylan’s birthday to celebrate the many contributions he has made to music. We’ve got five bands performing and we will each be covering at least one Dylan song during our sets, and we will close out the night in a sort of “We are the World” performance of a few of Dylan’s tunes! Should be wonderful. For the rest of the summer we will be writing while touring up and down the East Coast. We hope to start pre-production on our next album this coming December or the first of next year.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars!
Album: BrotherStranger
Release Date: September, 2011 (Another Side EP will be released in June 2012)
Genre(s): folk, indie folk, singer/songwriter
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Members: Daniel Levi Goans, Lauren Plank Goans (vocals, tambourine, harmonicas)
Website: www.daniellevigoans.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/daniellevigoansmusic
MySpace: www.myspace.com/daniellevigoans
Twitter: www.twitter.com/daniellevigoans
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Post-Apocalyptic World of the Day: Lucie & Simon, a self-taught artistic duo out of France, have traveled the world photographing major metropolitan areas — such as Times Square and the Louvre — without signs of life. Their technique involves using a neutral density filter that allows for extra-long exposures, which removes moving objects like people and cars.
Don’t miss the rest of their series, Silent World, or the short film that pairs their images with music.
[twistedsifter]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3cqdlhj4Y1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg)
