An interview with Duane Andrews

An interview with Danny Django

1.  Describe the early years of your musical roots and how your talent was nurtured.

I started playing around age 9 on my mother's guitar. She was learning a lot of old country tunes and some Newfoundland music too.  I also had an uncle on my father's side who played a lot of instruments, guitars, a banjo, a dobro, a mandolin, an old accordion music and he was always whistling some old tunes, jigs and reels kind of thing. There was also an Aunt on my mother's side who was a like rural Newfoundland country diva. I recall being in awe of all this crazy equipment that her band would store in her house, electric guitars, amps and something which must of been one of the first drum machines.

Then when I was around 13 my older sister introduced me to Black Sabbath, AC/DC and the like and from there I went on to discover Hendrix of course. I got my first electric guitar around that time.

It was later in high school when I discovered Jazz largely through the radio. There were a couple of weekly broadcasts on the CBC that I would record from the radio onto cassette tape and listen to everyday throughout the week.  Then I bought a copy of Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" which I listened to every night as I went off to sleep for a long time.

I was fortunate to find a couple of excellent guitar teachers who really inspired me while I was still in High School and after I finished that I went to the Jazz Studies program at St. FXU in Nova Scotia. After I finished that I became really interested in classical music and specifically contemporary composition. That led me to France where I studied composition at the Conservatoire International in Paris and later at the Conservatoire Nation in Marseilles. 

It was in France that I heard a gypsy jazz guitarist named Moreno by chance one afternoon playing at a cafe in downtown Paris and that changed my life because it was then that I really heard Django's music.

2.  How would you describe your sound?

"Where Gypsy Jazz meets Newfoundland Trad". I've been lucky to find a way to bring together my two favorite styles, Django Reinhardt's Gypsy Jazz and the traditional music from Newfoundland.

3.  Describe the creative process of your latest CD, Crocus, from the initial inspiration to the recording of the CD.

In 2004 I released my first album. I got a super encouraging response from that album and found myself stepping away from the various other projects I was involved with and really devoting myself to this sound and especially trying to get a handle on Django's music which seems to be an infinite pursuit.

For the next album "Crocus" I knew I wanted to keep the same concept of finding new ways of bringing together the two styles of music that I was really into (Gypsy Jazz and Traditional Newfoundland music) and also to keep the same instrumentation (two guitars, upright bass and the fabulous trumpet of Patrick Boyle). However I wanted to really take the time and put in the extra effort to try and get things from good to great. 

The first album was done with a pretty casual approach which brought out a lot of good music. Technically we kept it all super simple and recorded the whole album over a couple of nights off the floor using one Coles ribbon mic going through a gorgeous Focusrite preamp on to one track on an Alesis hard disc recorder. That was it. No multitracking or mixing. I did bring it to Toronto for a nice mastering job too but basically the idea was to not let the preoccupation with the technology get in the way of the music.

However for "Crocus" I wanted to go deeper on all levels. I still wanted to keep the off the floor feel but figured it would be fun to close mic everything too and also threw up a couple of ambient mics so we'd have lots to play with in the mix.

I was also fortunate enough to get some great support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the provincial music association MusicNL so we had the financial means to spend the time and really dig deep to get the right performances.

I was also fortunate enough to have my old mentor from my days in the Jazz program at ST. FXU, bassist Skip Beckwith, come down and we got him on half of the tracks on the album which makes the whole thing that much more special for me.

I then took the tracks to the Sonic Temple in Halifax, a decision which came after asking my favorite audio engineer where he thought the best room was in Canada to mix an acoustic album and from there onto Joao Carvalloh's Mastering studio which is state of the art and built from top to bottom as a high end mastering facility.

4.  Do you own your own label and publishing company?

I'm totally independent these days and using the "artist is label" approach which a lot of people are doing these days. I am fortunate enough to have excellent group of people helping me out with management and promotion and such.

5.  How many CDs have you released as a solo artist?

I have "Crocus" released 2006 and "Duane Andrews" released 2004.

6.   Which CD has brought you the most success?

They have both brought success though it's like the first album set the snowball rolling and the second one has given it a big push down the hill. If you want to measure it on an awards scale the first album won 2 ECMAs (East Coast Music Awards), 1 MusicNL Award and received 3 Nominations at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. The second one won an Independent Music Award and ECMA and one of the tracks is currently a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition.

7.  What was it like to win the Jazz Album Award in 2007 at the  Independent Music Awards?

That was one of the brightest highlights so far for sure and cool a many ways. It's a really credible organization and with judges like Bill Frisell, McCoy Tyner and Dave Grisman involved it's super inspiring to have that kind of aknowledgement. What makes this one even cooler is that unlike other awards there's actually a year long marketing campaign that comes with the award and things like having the album carried in all the Borders book stores in the states is cool too.

8. How did you become a performer in the 2004 MusicNL Rising Star Tour?

MusicNL has been a huge help in getting my music out there. All the provincial music industry associations across the country have lots of opportunties for musicians that can help on a practical level. That was my first block booked soft seater tour and was part of the plan that MusicNL has for developing musicians in Newfoundland and Labrador and people can apply for different opportunities that come up. MusicNL check out the people who apply and consider their level of development an decide who would be the best fit for the tour.

9.  What does your live set up consist of?

That seems to be a constantly evolving thing. The best I've found so far is a mic/pickup blend. I have an Audio Technica ATM35 clip on mic that goes into the soundhole and a Big Tone piezo type transducer in the bridge. I run both of those out into a D-Tar blender preamp which has a D-Tar eq inserted into it and then a blended signal goes out to the front house. I've been getting into using no monitors too when playing in quiet rooms which allows for more of the mic in the signal.

10.  What are some of your favorite venues to play?

I really enjoy playing outdoor festivals. It's a great way to get the music to new listeners because reputable festivals have developed a sense of trust with their audience and people are open to checking out something that they may not have heard of before.  Plus a lot of festivals these days have workshops going on too so there's a chance to collaborate with other musicians too plus you get to hear a lot of other cool music too.  Add to that that the fact that everyone is outside hanging out and it becomes pretty hard not to have a good time.

11.  What music organizations are you affiliated with?

I'm all about the business side of the music these days. I made a realization a while ago that if your playing gigs and charging cover or if your selling a cd...your in business! There's a lot of negative connotation that the music business has received and deservedly so in many cases but if you look at more as a way of helping you try to do what your doing anyway. There's the soul sucking commercial industry machine that produces a lot of bad sound in attempt to make profit but there's also a lot of valuable ideas and organizations that can really help too.

I'm currently a member of MusicNL, SOCAN, SoundExchange, the AFM, the East Coast Music Association, the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, the Canadian Folk Alliance, the North American Folk Alliance, the Guild of Canadian Film Composers and maybe a couple of more that I'm forgetting.

12.  Have you ever insured your music equipment?  If so, with what company and would you recommend them to other musicians?

I've been thinking about that more and more but haven't actually checked it out yet. I have heard that the AFM has some good things that way.

13.  What advice would you give musicians new to the road?

Get as heavily involved with internet as possible. On all levels of the music there's so many helpful things on there. People used to say that it is the future but it's pretty much the present. There's an excellent book called "The Long Tail" which is a current and relevant look at where the music industry is at on the web.

Also all the stuff everyone hears like set goals and think long term. It's amazing that it actually works!  

For more info on Duane Andrews visit:

www.duaneandrews.ca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1.  Describe the early years of your musical roots and how your talent was nurtured.

I listened to a lot of music when I was young. Music from the 1960’s. Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Lovin’ Spoonful,etc. My parents listened to this kind of music constantly, I loved it! In my teens I discovered the whole British Invasion thing, The Beatles, The Stones, The Who. I grew into liking about any of the good rock music to the present. The thing is, I could sing well, but I didn’t play anything. My father had an old Folk Guitar, so I picked it up when I was about 16 and started teaching myself. I was terrible but stubborn, eventually around 17 I bought my own cheap steel string, it was a red Hondo II. Now it’s here that you have to realize I was a big High School football star in Peoria, Illinois at this time. I went to Northern Michigan University and played about a year and realized it wasn’t for me, I had injuries and lost heart. I ended up going to Western Illinois University and went through about ten majors, and then thought, I can play guitar and sing well, lets try Music. So I went and auditioned. I played and sang “Here, There,& Everywhere” by the Beatles. They were impressed until they found out that I couldn’t read music. They let me in on probation. The first couple of years were a nightmare trying to learn how to read music, Theory, History, etc. I started out a musical preschooler but ended up kind of a star student. I did a year of Grad school in Music Theory/Comp but never graduated. Dr. Elizabeth Werhman was my mentor then, she believed in me while everyone else probably thought I’d lost my mind.

2.  Were there any events, people or catalysts that were musically influential?

When I was in 5th grade the conductor from the Peoria Symphony Orchestra came to our school and gave a talk in assembly form to the school. We didn’t have a school band or anything, but he talked about his job and his love of music. I was riveted by the whole thing. At the end of his talk he asked for a volunteer to come and conduct the members of his orchestra. Everyone wanted to do it, somehow he chose me, it was the high point of 5th grade for me. I went home and told my mother. She was proud and proceeded to tell me the story of her father, my grand father I never new, he died before I was born. He played Accordian and Guitar and wanted to be a Songwriter when he was young. He wrote a letter to Irving Berlin, and sent him a couple of songs he wrote, saying that he would love to come to New York and study with Mr. Berlin. With no seeming reply, he married, had 5 children and became a coal miner. Eventually, upon the death of his mother, he was going through her old things and came upon a letter from Irving Berlin from about 20 years earlier saying he liked his music and would love to meet with him to “talk about his future”. I guess Grandpa was one of the first Indie Artists. He published a couple of his songs on his own, but nothing ever became of it except for coal dust. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a musician, but didn’t know how, I wanted to be a songwriter like grandpa, but didn’t want any part of coal dust or any of it’s relatives.

3.  How would you describe your sound?

That is kind of a dangerous question. No matter what I say, it won’t be completely accurate. It’s evolving and changing as we speak. I will say that my ear wants to hear the guitars and bass in my songs. My initial goal when writing is to write something that can stand on its own with me singing and playing an acoustic guitar. That to me is the purest element of the songs sound. Then I try to take that purity and marry it of to an arrangement that adds color and meaning congruent to the lyrics. Some people call these hooks, etc. I don’t see them that way. I’ve never sat down and tried to create a hook. Whenever I think of the word “hook”, in that sense, it always reminds me of someone getting “the hook”, being yanked off stage for a poor vaudeville performance or something. That’s not what I’m struggling for. I’m in constant pursuit of that perfect marriage between the song and the sound.

4.  What is the feel of your latest CD release,  Cosmic Wheel?

I think the CD is many things at many levels. Some of it is a search for some sort of a cosmic circus sound. Some of it is a struggle through some of the hard changes and lessons of life. The rest is a search for purity in world where it can be hard to find it.

5.  Where did you record your latest CD and who was involved in the recording and production of it?

I record in my basement on a Boss BR-1180CD. I write all the songs, arrange, record all the parts through tracking and mix them the best that I can, and let the CD manufacturer do the mastering. My wife does all the artwork, she’s great! Wow, it doesn’t get much more Indie than all that now does it?

6.  How involved are you in the recording process of the projects you have
worked on?

I am the recording process lock, stock and barrel.

7.  How did you record the acoustic guitar parts? What mics did you use and
where were they placed?

I used an Octava M-319 condenser mic about 3 to 4 feet from the sound hole to pick up the Martin 12 string and Martin D-35 Shenandoah I have.

8.  What does your live set up consist of?

I play a Martin 000 Concert Acoustic Guitar with Fishman Electronics, an assortment of Harmonicas, through a Seinheiser mic and a Yamaha EMX62 sound system.

9.  Who does your booking? Are you under management?

I do my own booking and have no management. I’m completely independent. It would be nice to have to free up time to create more.

10.  What are some of your favorite venues to play?

I love playing colleges. I also like the smaller intimate places to try new stuff.

11.  What music organizations are you affiliated with?

I’m a member of BMI.

12.  Would you agree that music is a language?

It’s funny you should ask me this. I tell my music students this all the time. I teach Guitar, Bass, Piano, violin, Ukulele and maintain a 50 student a week work load. Music is not only a “language” in my view, but a universal language transcending time and culture. People around the world can play a Bach Minuet in relevance to there state in the world. They can and do enjoy the Beatles or Duke Ellington or whoever (Danny Django in some cases). These folks can write and perform music that I might enjoy, or be able to play as well. As it is with our human condition, music is the only real universal language in that the person hearing it can “get” something from the language with out a lot of knowledge. People that don’t speak English aren’t going to buy a 50 minute recording of you I speaking English in most cases, likewise we would become quite bored after a couple minutes of Dutch dialogue I’m sure. In reference to that same condition, I think we have the potential to do a lot of good throughout the world by communicating in this way.

13.  When you compose, do you write to communicate or to express an emotion?

Both, the communication can be quite layered and so are the emotions. 

14.  Are there people who have helped your musical career?

Yes, my wife who stayed with me despite how moronic I must have looked trying to figure out rhythm in my dorm room and who is very supportive of my music. Dr. Elizabeth Werhman who believed in me back in college when few other people did. My parents bought me the Martin D-35 way back when from a music store that was going out of business. I’ve got a lot of friends and family that support me.

15.  What are your plans for the summer of 2007?

Right as we speak, I’m trying to finish my new CD that is to be titled, “Touch The Sky”, it should be completed and in stores in March. From there, it will be time to work on promotion and touring. Eventually, I would love to tour up in Canada.

16.  Is there a venue that you play regularly at?

I play Common Grounds in Denver a lot.

17. What are your musical goals for the next five years?

Reach a wider audience, tour more like Europe, The U.K. Canada, maybe Japan. I often think of the quote I remember from Pete Seeger. He saw himself as a “continuation of all the songwriters throughout history, some of them have wrote songs that millions of people have heard and some have written songs only a hand full of people have heard.” I believe my job in that succession is to write the best songs that I can and remain true to my character.

For more info on Danny Django visit:

www.dannydjango.com