Recently, I had the opportunity to interview the Nashville based rock band, Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes. The band consists of members Daniel Ellsworth, Timon Lance, Joel Wren, Marshall Skinner, and Ricky Perry.
Read our interview below to learn more about the band, as well as their upcoming music releases.
Q: You guys have released two albums thus far, Civilized Man and Kid Tiger, with the first part of your third album being set to release in the fall of this year. Do you guys like to experiment with your sound or do you like to keep it consistent by sticking to the bands roots?
A: It’s actually the second part of our third album (I know, that’s confusing). Chapter One released in January, and that was the first chunk of songs. Chapter Two will be releasing April 27th. We love experimenting with our sound. I think it’s what keeps us going. If we were doing the same thing all the time, we’d all get super bored. We’re always trying to get inspired by new music, experiment with new sounds, experiment with where we record and who we record with. We do keep our writing process and the way we create music fairly consistent, so there is a thread in the overall sound and energy of the music from album to album. But as a general rule, we don’t like doing the same thing twice. All of our favorite bands experiment with their sound from album to album and we’re just trying to follow suit.
Q: Fashion is being released in three parts to reflect the process by which the album was crafted. How did you all come to the consensus to release the album in this unique way?
A: With this album, we were very intentional with taking our time. Our first two albums were recorded very quickly, which was great, but we wanted to do it differently this time. It was recorded in a series of week long sessions over the course of a year and a half with producer/artist/musical wizard Kyle Andrews. We would record a chunk of songs, go back and write more, record another chunk of songs, go write more, and so-on. We wanted to release the songs to the world in the same way we recorded them. We also just liked the idea of experimenting with the album rollout process. We’re in a crazy time in the music industry and everyone is trying different things when they release music. There’s no right or wrong way anymore – everyone is blazing their own paths.
Q: In 2014, Esquire Magazine named you one of the 15 Bands to Watch. How does it feel to get that kind of recognition and what does something like that mean to you?
A: We always appreciate any kindness thrown our way. That one was great. But also this interview is great. It’s all meaningful in one way or another, and we try to be appreciative for all of it.
Q: I have viewed some of your music videos and they are very different and innovative from other music videos that I have seen. How do you come up the concepts and do you already have a vision in mind of how you want a music video to be once you complete a song?
A: Thank you! That’s a great compliment. We’re an independent rock band, which means that we are always making music videos on a small budget. That forces you to have to really get creative with the process and think outside of the box. We’ve been lucky in that we’ve gotten to work with some insanely talented directors over the years. Concepts come to us different ways. Sometimes we know when we hear a song what general direction we see a video going, but lots of times it’s a matter of sitting down with the director, brainstorming, hearing their ideas, and coming up with something that is do-able within budget constraints.
Q: What are some of the things that inspire the songs that you write?
A: Oh man, that’s a big question – and maybe unanswerable. I think, if you’re doing it right, it’s everything. Love, sadness, politics, art, sex, existence…it all inspires, even if we don’t realize it’s happening. A lot of times, I won’t even know what a song is about until after it’s written. That’s the beauty of inspiration – it’s a mystery.
Q: What has been your favorite city that you have played on tour?
A: We love Chicago. It’s always a great time and it’s one of our favorite cities to hang out in. We also love Seattle, Columbus, New York, Minneapolis… and of course nothing but love for our hometown Nashville.
Q: Who are your musical influences?
A: As a band, we listen to everything and try to let everything influence us. Some of our biggest influences are Wilco, Paul Simon, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Band, Talking Heads… but also plenty of more recent stuff like Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Local Natives, Phoenix, Bjork, Spoon, Anderson .Paak, Beck…we could go on forever.
Q: What is your favorite song to play live?
A: For a long time it’s been our song “Waves” – but out of all the new stuff I’d say probably “Wonder Woman” or a new track we have coming out in April called “Headfirst (It’s All Happening).”
Q: What do you want people to take away from your band/music?
A: We want people to feel lifted up and inspired. We want people to leave our shows feeling better about the world. We also want people to dance. Always dance.
For more information on the band, visit: http://danielellsworthandthegreatlakes.com/
Elizabeth Granato
Editor in Chief