Familiarize Yourself

I remember Dan Henig and his music from its earliest incarnations in high school, 42nd Parallel. We both hail from Ann Arbor, MI and it was a wonderful surprise to reconnect with him here in Chicago a couple of weeks ago when I found out he transferred colleges. He has always had a knack for writing catchy and addicting music, but his solo work has evolved and matured beyond being just a fun band to go see on the weekends. He’s become an artist to pay attention to, someone who isn’t just playing for his friend’s entertainment in the basement. He’s playing for himself, means it, and he is going places. Check out the interview and music below.

Enjoy.

FYW: When did you start playing and why Columbia?

Dan: I started messing around on the guitar in 8th grade but didn’t get serious about my music until I was 16 years old. I love Chicago, but Columbia also looked like it was a good place for modern artists, not like other music schools. I didn’t want to learn how to be the next Mozart, I wanted to nurture my modern music. I’m majoring in Music Composition, Contemporary Urban Pop- it’s a fairly new program.

FYW: Who or what are you influenced by?

Dan: My life mostly. Where I’ve been, the people I meet, the relationships that either go well or terribly… I’m a huge people watcher. Sometimes I’ll just sit somewhere extremely busy blaring my iPod on shuffle writing about what I see in front of me. It could be anything from roadkill on a busy street in Michigan to an old man in the subway hitting a bucket with a stick on the El. A lot of that… real life, that ends up in my songs.

FYW: I hear you’re working on some new recording with a producer in Michigan, tell me about that.

Dan: Tim Patalan is a great guy who really knows his stuff. He’s done work for Jeff Buckley, Lovedrug, Taproot, Sponge, Brenda Kahn and many others. It’s been a crazy experience. I started out with an internship at his studio after he heard my first work when I was 17. Ever since then he’s been challenging me to write songs that are better than the ones before. He makes the recording process, which many know can be quite frustrating, really enjoyable and mind-expanding. I’m pretty sure he’s a genius, I just try to learn everything I can from him.

FYW: Anything else you want our readers to know?

Dan: Well, I’m an acoustic driven pop guy with a tinge of folk. I try to make memorable songs that mean more than what might first meet the ear. I broke my neck last year in a rugby match back home in Michigan. I took it as a sign to devote my life to music and stop wasting my time on things that aren’t as important to me. Ever since then I can’t see myself doing anything but making music.

FYW: One last question! Who are you listening to right now?

Dan: Imogen Heap, Fleet Foxes, and Phoenix. Love it.

For more information and sounds find Dan at Myspace and at danhenig.com