Daniel Admon

I am someone who likes a good “statement of purpose” song. A song to have in your emotional back pocket when things aren’t going very well, and it feels like Questlove of The Roots is taking a long, long (did I mention the long?) drum solo on your brain. What’s that friend? You can’t think of a song because of all the drumming? Okay, how about:

I am patient,
slightly bruised but I’ll survive.
I know I’ll make it.
I’ll never stop while I’m alive.

That to me is what this recording is all about. Daniel Admon, with his gentle voice and talented songwriting is asking the hard questions about struggle, fear and finding your place in the world. Two examples from the song, “I Need You”:



How can I know what is fiction,
What is real ?
How can I know what I should feel?

And:

Even if I want to renegotiate,
I’m just a switch in a machine.





There are echoes in these songs of artists who used their craft to ask questions of life. Artists like Roger Waters of Pink Floyd (fans of their song “Wish You Were Here” will find much of interest here), George Harrison, and John Lennon.

One of the reasons I’m reminded of Lennon was that he was such an emotionally honest songwriter who never shied away from putting his doubts and fears into his songs. I was thinking about that when I was listening to “Scared,” my favorite song on the album.

Don’t worry about the times,
they’re always changing.
Being scared just means you’re here.

And:



Take your time, face your fears.
Don’t let the troubled times keep you from going.
But don’t ever think that if you’re scared,
you are alone.
Every one of us is scared and wants back home.

I know that there are always hard times, and it’s a comfort to have friends around for support. The wonderful thing about music is that it too can be a fine friend, helping you to get through. And if you find yourself going through one of those times, or just want to listen to some lovely well-crafted songs, I would recommend giving “Keep Dreaming” a listen.

I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Admon a few questions.

IMR – Could you tell me a bit about your early life and how you feel it made you the artist that you are now?

D.A. – I was born in Israel and was fascinated with music since I heard the Beatles for the first time. I became a big fan, and after school I came back home and started playing the guitar to Beatles songs for hours. And after I knew all the Beatles songs by heart, I started being interested in writing my own songs. That’s when I started realizing all the wonderful writers such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bob Marley and many more. I moved to London recently to peruse my music dreams and that is what the album is all about.

IMR – On your Facebook page you list John Lennon along with a few others as an artist that you admire. What, if any influence has he had on your songwriting and performing?

D.A. – John Lennon is the artist who made me want to be an artist. He had the perfect combination of genius songs with an agenda and something to say. When I first realized I wanted to be an artist, I wanted to be like John Lennon.

IMR – It says on your site that the musicians who played on your record hadn’t heard your music before they added their contributions. Did you share your lyrics with them?

D.A. – The album was supposed to be a very simple guitar/vocals album, but when I got to the recording studio, there were musicians in the studio and I asked them to take part because they played all those wonderful instruments from around the world that seemed very interesting. They listened to the songs as I recorded them, and then went into the studio and just played what came to their heart without any direction from me or rehearsals.

IMR – You also list movies as a big interest. Could you describe and compare your love of movies and music and how they influence each other?

D.A. – I love the combination of music and live footage. They both complement each other so well and enhance each other. The best scenes have music that makes them powerful and it also works the other way around. I am fascinated by film music composers such as Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman and James Horner to name just a few.

IMR – How would you say being an artist has affected your identity and your day to day life? I enjoyed your album, and if I had to pick a favorite from it I would choose “Scared.” Could you talk about how the song came to be, and do you think that maybe finally realizing that we will always be scared can maybe go a little ways toward dulling that fear?

D.A. – The song “Scared” came to life as a result of my own experience (which I think most of us share) of fear of doing things. Fear of the results, the reaction of others, fear of change, etc. That song was meant to remind me that never mind what happens, fear will always be a part of our life and shouldn’t be a reason for not doing, and that I’m not the only one who is scared. I think that knowing that you are not alone in your feelings can decrease the fears.

One of the things that being an artist helped me with is the fact that I didn’t have to think so much about what I wanted to be when I grew older.

Album Name – Keep Dreaming
Release Date – December 2011
Location – London, UK
Genre – Folk/World Music
Members – Daniel Admon (Words, Music, Guitar, Vocals), Shanar Kaufman (Mandola), Shari Ben-Canar (Bansuri) - Indie Music Review