Almost A Dirty Dozen with DAN RODRIGUEZ – May 2021
According to a recent press release: “After a round of great success tapping into the more pop-driven side of his artistry on his 2018 EP 25 Years, well-traveled veteran singer, songwriter and self-proclaimed “Troubadour Family Man” Dan Rodriguez gets back to his Americana soul roots on his rollicking new single and video “Passenger,” set for release May 14. An honest assessment of where he’s been and where he’s headed personally and professionally at age 35, the track takes a slightly humorous yet pointed and introspective look at the good and bad choices he has made in his life, taking stock and confronting those angels and demons – with an eye towards committing to being a better person.” We get Dan to discuss new music, influences, and more…
1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?
“Passenger” is a pretty open book that is open for interpretation, but overall it’s about realizing a mistake as it’s happening and finding the balance between actions and intentions.
2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?
I’ve played music my whole life. I don’t see any defining moment that changed everything. It’s more like a series of thousands of tiny moments that all pointed in the same direction.
3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?
When I was first learning how to play guitar, I learned a lot of John Mayer and Jeff Buckley songs, and I would practice my blues licks to BB King songs and other blues jams. I wanted to do the dude with a guitar thing, and later found more of my voice in songwriting, and here I am today doing both.
4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?
Willie Nelson. I just think we’d have a good old time doing just about anything, and a song would be incredible to work on together.
5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?
I always call it Americana/Singer-Songwriter/Soul. That about captures it.
6. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?
Being a dad is the best job there is. If I suddenly lost all ability to play music, I think I’d be pretty good at that job.
7. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?
Every moment in time that I’ve experienced has shaped who I am and brought me to this moment. Some things weren’t great, but who am I to wish for anything different than the life I’ve been handed? I’m just going to do my best to live up to my one opportunity at this life.
8. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?
“Abbey Road” for SURE. I would probably mess up the session somehow if I were a part of it in any major way, but I CAN play a mean tambourine.
9. Due to the current world situation with COVID-19 / quarantine / shelter in place, what have you discovered you miss the most from your life before the pandemic struck?
This one is fairly obvious for any musician who has toured, but being on stage with the energy of a full crowd in the room is something that I miss deep down in my core.
DAN RODRIGUEZ LINKS:
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Category: Interviews