Feature: Daniel Young Decodes “Help Us Get Along”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your "Help Us Get Along" and the story it tells?
I think what I was thinking about the most while writing and recording this new album would be, trying to focus on living in the present and making the most out of every day, the tangible thing we know here on this wild planet. Most of these new songs were written within a couple months of each other and all of them felt cohesive, subjectively.
What has been one of your most favorite memories along the path to making "Help Us Get Along?"
My favorite memory about this album would be recording these songs with my friends in my studio. We set aside a weekend and gathered at Orchard Studio. My favorite part about making albums is recording live in the same room with the entire band. I love microphone bleed, and sitting 4 feet from the drummer while recording vocals/guitar. It makes it feel real and alive. There are minimal overdubs on this album.
How does "Help Us Get Along" fit into your overall artistic vision and what can listeners expect from you in the future?
This album is a little different than my other albums. I think it would still fit under my style of songwriting, but I was hoping that it would feel less like a singer-songwriter album and more of a band effort, and I think we reached that goal. The band was on fire and we weren’t afraid to try new things. We focused more on what we liked and not what we thought the audience would like, and it was freeing.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
I’ve been playing music since I was 14 and now I am 41. Music has always been a big part of my life. I love playing, recording, listening, and collecting music. I have a huge vinyl collection. That vinyl collection is my collection of textbooks.
I play music but, I also record music as part of my musical career. I bought my first analog tape machine when I was 16 and the rest is history. I have been recording ever since. I would look at photos in album covers to see where they placed microphones in the studio, I’d check out books at the library about analog recording. I was fascinated with it. I still am.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
What I love most about performing live is the connection that you can feel with the audience. It’s not there all the time but when it's there it feels like magic to me.
When someone comes up to me after the show and says, “That song means a lot to me and has changed my life”, or “I listen to your music when I am going through tough times”. That makes it worth it for me, and I am pretty sure I will keep writing songs and releasing albums until the day that I am no longer on this planet, and I hope those connections never fade away.