Daniel Owens

My musical history begins when I was five years old, learning the piano, and playing recitals. When I turned twelve I began to self-teach myself the guitar by exercising my innate ability to have out-of-body experiences and thus, have an objective view of my guitar development. It worked pretty well. And, no drugs needed!

In high school I began to compose my own material, play in various rock/punk bands, and perform extensively. In college I began to merge my piano, guitar, and vocal skills to create my own songs in a sort of singer/songwriter fashion. But, I wasn't exactly sure where to take it because I always knew I wanted to sound novel and familiar all at once, and I wanted to make sure I was playing in a genre that was altogether "me." That's the balance that I'm always wavering on. So, I listened a lot. I listened to all eras of pop, classical, jazz, rock, folk, soul, R&B. I listened to my music instructors who guided my discovery of harmony. I listened to all the great lyricists and song writers of many generations. In the end? Well, my head exploded. No, just kidding. In the end I know, with lucid certainty, that I am a songwriter who wants to fuse pop, soul, rock, and electro-acoustic sounds to create songs that are both accessible and refined. I like that description a lot.

So now, at 25, in San Francisco, in 2008, I find there is plenty to write about. And mostly, I want to write about circumstances that are relevant to our time, as we struggle and work hard to enjoy our lives and remain motivated and excited about what is happening and what is to come. I aspire to inform, inspire, and heal through my music just like all of my favorite artists.

I'm currently performing throughout the Bay Area, and I just released my first full-length album entitled Stargazer. I would place it in a rock/folk genre although it does weave into jazz, pop, and other alternative elements. If you want to engage in a polemic about this, I'm not really down for that. But, you can try. The album is a stripped down approach in regards to the instrumentation (acoustic and electric guitars, bass, piano, and drums). However, I always find enough room to create an expansive sonic space in regards to harmony. That's the forte. I like to test the parameters of harmony and I get upset when I hear popular music that is so dull and trite. Boooo! Luckily, there is quite a vast amount of music that feeds my soul.

The emotions I feel from music usually trigger me to imagine lyrics; not the other way around. That's just me, however, and I know there are various ways to compose. I don't think there is one right way to do things as a musician/songwriter. In fact, there are just 2 ways to do things correctly. No, I'm kidding again. To be serious, I do believe that a large majority of the musicians who gain clout and exposure are the ones who believe in their own music thoroughly without any reservations. This is why some artists gain fame without really having a keen sense of technique or harmonic knowledge. They just create what innately comes to them, they believe in it, they shake their booty, and this dynamic drives them to showcase what they do. I do things a little differently because I create music that has a depth to it. I create it with the expectation that it will endure; stand the test of time; make eternal waves; etc. etc.

Current goals for Daniel Owens: Perform extensively. Record extensively. Compose extensively. Study, study, study....