For those of you who don’t know him (get out from under your rock), Daniel Wesley is a BC rocker with reggae beats. No, he’s not new to the scene. This DIY type has been around, doing what he loves, pleasing many local crowds, and recently, his latest self-titled effort, has been gracing the list of top selling albums on iTunes Canada. Listen to some of his latest along with his oh-so-popular “Ooo Ohh” on his myspace page.
So let’s start at the beginning. How did you get in to music?
Music was always a big part of my family’s life. When I was 15 or so a friend’s band was playing and they handed me the video camera and said, “Hey film us playing.” I had so much fun filming but I wanted to be up there doing what they were doing. A little while later I started my own band.
You’ve been in a lot of bands: The Dropouts, General Mayhem, Audiophile, and Replica. What’s it been like from those days until now?
Well, those bands never really amounted too much! We just kicked around and played Langley where I grew up and then came to Vancouver every month to try and get some fans. It was all mainstream rock. I did punk for the first couple of years and then rock became the way I was going. I got so tired of what we were doing. It just seemed like the genre was so limiting. So I just started writing some songs that were slower tempo and had more of the reggae vibe. Eventually I started Daniel Wesley and I’m really happy that I did.
You’ve been the Do-It-Yourself type. What was it like producing your own albums?
It was fun. I don’t know if I’m the best producer of my own stuff. It’s probably better to produce someone else’s stuff. When we were doing it back them, the guys would come in to do their drum and bass parts, and I would have four days to do everything else.
Now that I’ve worked with a real producer for the first time, it definitely shone a light on me showing me what else is out there and what can come from collaborating. I learnt a lot and grew a lot from the process.
Was it tough letting someone else taking the reins?
It wasn’t so much letting someone else take the reins, I was super involved and me and Dave worked really closely together. I think when you have someone that you trust and who is capable of making the things you do better, enhancing them, once you get to that point, it’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t work.
You had a lot more time and money to put your last album, how did that affect the sound, your process, and you as an artist in general?
It was a great to have a budget and time. Before I would plug a guitar amp in, pick up a guitar, press record, and start tracking songs. This time it was what guitar goes best with this song and with what amp, and let’s work on the tone.
Having the time to experiment vocally and figure out harmonies also brought different colours to the songs.
If you had the same time and money and other resources available to you to produce the album solo without someone else producing it for you, would you do it solo?
I’m really thankful for what I did with Dave and I want to work with him again. It opened my eyes. I was always stubborn about working with people. I thought, I can do it myself and I don’t need help. Working with Dave made me realize that when you work with people, different things can happen; they can be positive or negative, you don’t know.
I think I’ll probably produce an album myself again in the future but I don’t think in the near future. It’s kind of a new rush, something I’ve just fallen on and I’m going to follow it. I definitely wouldn’t change having a producer on this album.
What did you listen to growing up?
A wide range. Punk was something I really got into. I can list bands but it doesn’t really matter. I think I always went after song writers, bands that had great songs. I like it when you can hear a song on a radio and know it’s that band. Or put an album or mix tape in…I can’t believe I just said mix tape! Those don’t even exist anymore! Anyways… that was the stuff I was attracted to: people that had their own sound and did their own thing.
I’m not the most amazing guitar player or singer but I feel like I’m a really good song writer. So that’s something that I always look up to.
Where does the Caribbean influence come from?
As I got older I got to travel a little bit and the happy vibe kinda of got me. I’ve never really thought about what I’m doing. I’ve never sat down and wrote a song. It’s always been about feeling it.
I think artists take from what their experiences are. I’ve gone to some really beautiful tropical places and written songs in some of them.
What bands are you listening to a lot of these days?
I’ve been listening a lot go Aggrolites. I got the new Pearl Jam album and I think its killer. That’s one man who isn’t afraid to try new things. I love that each album they do is completely different. I like the last two albums they put out.
Also a guy name Mason Jennings from Minnesota. I think he’s one of the best singer/songwriters around. The guy’s amazing. He’s got a new album About a Man. It’s his first album that he did electrically; all of his albums are acoustic.
Is there a song in particular, aside from any of yours, that you think people should go out and listen to right away because it’s amazing?
“Free Time” or “Lucky Strike” by the Aggrolites.
Any artists you’d like to work with in future?
I don’t think you can ever plan collaboration. There are lots of people I’d love to write with but I think that kind of stuff just happens. Hopefully an opportunity like that will come up in the future. I’d be super happy to do one. I’ve never been into collaborating. After this album working with Dave, it opened my eyes to working with other people.
Specifically, if I could write a song with Mason Jennings, it would be amazing. I think he’s the best song writer around. He’s the Bob Dylan of today.
Of all of the songs you’ve produced, do you have a favourite?
“Ooo Ohh” has obviously been a really helpful song for my career and I love the way it was recorded. There’s a song on my new album called “Time For Leaving” that I connect with really deeply and I think it’s one of my favourite songs that I have ever done.
What is it about that song that you connect so deeply with?
It’s a little more mournful, it’s different. My vibe is usually pretty happy but I always try to have one or two songs that are a little more moody so I can always go down that avenue if I want to. In the last few years I’ve played with a lot of different people and people have come and gone and I think it’s important to remember why you do certain things and learn from them. That song reminds me of all that stuff.
So what inspired the rock remake of Ginuwine’s “My Pony”?
[Laughs] I don’t really like playing that song anymore live, I feel like it’s overdone. It just happened that I was at sound check and I started jamming and playing the chords and singing and it kind of happened. We ended up recording it 3 weeks later on the album.
Is that the same scenario for “Lonely Life” and how it sounds like Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants”?
That one isn’t a cover song but people have tapped into the Ace of Base song but I never had that song in mind. Lyrically that line shows up in that song too but I wasn’t paralleling that song, it was just a coincidence.
I know you’re last album just came out but do you have any future plans, any ideas for your next album?
Yeah I’ve been writing a lot and I have eight or more songs that I really like that are a little edgier and a little more upbeat and rockin’. I can’t stop writing. The day I stop writing is the day of given up. It’s a part of me; I have to keep doing it.
I don’t see the next one too far on the horizon. This one took awhile coming out hopefully I won’t make everyone wait as long for the next album.
Well thanks a lot for taking the time to chat with me! Take care and I look forward to seeing you live in Vancouver!
You too, thanks for the call!
Visit his website to learn more about him, his discography, and where he’s playing next.
