Sound Colour Vibration (Music | Art | Film | Technology | Science | Culture)

Sound Colour Vibration interviews Canon Blue (Daniel James)
Conducted by Nick Bernal
August 2011

Nashville-based Canon Blue is the indie vehicle of songwriter and musician Daniel James. In 2007 Canon Blue released the debut album Colonies, which the multi-instrumentalist made with the help of his laptop and a little remixing by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor. This month, with the help of some friends, Canon Blue offers Rumspringa. Members of the Danish experimental pop group Efterklang produced the album with Daniel James in Copenhagen, while the Icelandic band Amiina, known internationally as Sigor Ros’ string section, worked their talents on his arrangements. With Rumspringa Canon Blue presents an album rich with orchestral pop that plays off of a breezy Nordic ambiance. Listen to Canon Blue’s “Indian Summer (Des Moines)” and read SCV’s interview with Daniel James via email below. – Nick Bernal

http://soundcloud.com/rallye-label/canon-blue-indian-summer-des

SCV: In regards to Rumspringa how has your musical process changed since Colonies?

Daniel: I think the main way its changed is in how many people were involved with the recording.  Colonies was pretty much me working away on a laptop in my bedroom by myself.  With this record I wanted to do the opposite so I drafted in as many people as I could to play on it.  So there is definitely a huge spirit of collaboration on Rumspringa that I didn’t have before.  I still write the core of the songs on my own and develop them, but at some point its really nice to bring other people in and have their ideas involved. 

SCV: In what ways has collaboration affected your songwriting?

Daniel: I think its made me more open to giving up control and seeing benefits in having outside ideas brought in.  I think its always important to have someone sort of steering the ship, but there are a lot of interesting places you can take things if you’re willing to be open.  So I think overall, its made me see value in taking risks and just trying things out and seeing what happens. 

SCV: Rumspringa has a cinematic boldness to it that seems to come from outside of the music. For you, what forces are at work here?

Daniel: For me that’s a pretty broad question and I think topics like these are usually better communicated in person over longer periods of time.  So much can get lost in translation and there’s so much baggage with certain words.  But I believe in the possibility of a holistic redemption that is something we can all be working for.  That every decision and choice we have is either working towards that or away from it.  I recently saw the movie Tree of Life and theres a quote at the beginning that’s something like “there are two ways through life, the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one to follow.”  I think that’s the main theme I try to stay aware of in my life and I think is the voice in back of the head of the album. 
 
SCV: I understand as a young teen religious dogma prevented you from listening to a lot of music. Still, you managed to sneak by with a small foundation of inspiring records. If a 14 year old Daniel were to secretly listen to Rumspringa in his bedroom, what do you hope he would get from it?

Daniel: I would hope he would be challenged and opened to a wider worldview and into a more all-encompassing idea of redemption and grace.  But I think first and foremost I would want for him to get something out of the musical ideas.  For me, the music and sound itself are way more immediate and have way more of an impact than any sentiment or lyrical theme and I hope he would like it. 

SCV: The thread of geography that connects the track names on this album and the songs themselves feel well traveled along open road. Have you had any experiences en route that brought this out on Rumspringa?

Daniel: I’ve been touring off and on for most of my 20′s and especially the past 3 years or so.  Its definitely a different experience writing while traveling as opposed to being at home in a studio.  So much of what I do tends to be influenced by my environment or the headspace I’m in so when I’m on the road that is constantly changing.  I think that can explain the different moods and ideas going on in the songs. 

SCV: How are you touring this album?

Daniel: Right now I’m touring it as a 4 piece.  I got a little ambitious with the recording of the album using lots of different instruments and players that aren’t easy to come by for touring purposes.  So theres been a little bit of reinventing and reinterpretation of the album with this setup, but I find that to be more interesting anyway.  I’ve never been a fan of bands that sound exactly like their recordings.  I like to think of the live show as a way for the songs to further evolve and continue to grow. 

SCV: After your tour with The Boxer Rebellion what sounds can we look forward to Canon Blue exploring in the future?

Daniel: I’m not sure at the moment.  I’d love to get back into writing again.  I have a few ideas for another batch of songs, probably and EP, so I imagine I’ll dive into that next.  I’m also working with some friends on a new project in Nashville that’s more orchestral based. 

SCV: What separates Daniel James from Canon Blue?

Daniel: I hope a lot of things.  I’m not really interested in being perceived as an artist.  I think its a slightly dangerous place to be in where you define yourself by your work or when your life revolves around such a self-consuming medium.  Obviously, some element of that has to happen in order to create and to project whats in your head into something that can be seen or heard.  But overall, I think its much healthier to be involved with and have interests outside of making art and that’s something I hope is true in my life. 

SCV: Have you given any thought to projects or collaborations outside of Canon Blue?

Daniel: I would love to find more ways to work with Mads and Casper from Efterklang.  The dynamic we had seemed to work really well and I think theres a lot of room left to explore some more ideas. 

++++

Canon Blue is currently touring Rumspringa stateside:

08.26.11Cincinnati, OH – Fountain Square
w/ Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, The Sleeping Sea

08.27.11Nashville, TN – The Basement

10.17.11Endmonton, CANADA - Starlite Room
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

10.18.11Calgary, CANADA - Republik
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

10.20.11Vancouver, BC – Venue
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

10.21.11Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

10.22.11Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

10.25.11San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

10.28.11Los Angeles, CA – El Rey
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

10.29.11San Diego, CA – Casbah
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.01.11Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.02.11Denver, CO – The Bluebird Theater
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.05.11Dallas, TX – Club Dada
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.06.11Houston, TX – Fitzgeralds Downstairs
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.08.11Tallahassee, FL – FSU Club Downunder
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.10.11Knoxville, TN – Square Room
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.11.11Atlanta, GA – Vinyl
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.12.11Charlotte, NC – Visulite Theater
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.13.11Charlottesville, VA – The Southern Cafe and Music Hall
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.16.11Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.17.11Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live Downstairs
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.18.11New York, NY – Webster Hall
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

11.19.11Toronto, ON – Opera House
w/ The Boxer Rebellion

www.canonblue.com
www.temporaryresidence.com