Read part one of the interview here.
Here we continue our conversation with Daniel Smith, also known as Danielson, an independent musician and businessman based in rural New Jersey who’s done much to foster creativity and community for Christian performers through his record label, Sounds Familyre. Smith has just released his first album in five years, Best of Gloucester County, which you can order here or from your favorite online retailer.
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Before we get back into the interview, I’ve got some thoughts about the record itself, which I’ve listened to quite a few times before its release. As noted in the last portion of our conversation, this has been a transitional record for Danielson in many ways. In addition to reassembling a team of supporting players, the band is standing in the shadow of 2006’s imposing concept album Ships. Rather than try to escalate the sound into more “epic” territory, which would quickly degenerate into self-parody, Danielson scales things back and gets about as back-to-basics as he can. Since he’s working with a smaller sonic palette that doesn’t change much from song to song, the album has a jammier feel; it takes me back to the 2001 Danielson Famile masterwork Fetch the Compass Kids.
Though there’s still some of the heady, theological musing that made up the majority of Ships, Gloucester healthily revives the overt humor of past Danielson days. “Lil Norge” is a bouncy ball of pure fun co-starring Swedish pop singer Jens Lekman, drawing good-hearted laughs out of culture clashes between Swedes, Norwegians, and Americans, and the aforementioned “People’s Partay” basks in its small-town idiosyncrasies with clever couplets and wordplay. It’s a light-hearted song about learning that all you need for celebration is other people, God’s most precious creation, and discovering the joy of belonging to a loving community.
The lighter moments are complimented by heavier rock, which, while less aggressive in their production than Ships, continue the perennial Danielson vibe of cosmic rebellion. By emphasizing purity, humility, and faithfulness, the music is more subversive than any ho-hum controversy-mongering in the pop music world. Though there are some detours into ambling soundscapes such as “Olympic Portions” and “Hovering Above That Hill,” each song eventually finds its way to a satisfying pop-rock hook or lyric that sticks with you through your day.
Best of Gloucester County may be seen as a one-off or “lesser” Danielson work by some critics expecting another Ships, but this is a record reminding us that life isn’t just about busy peaks. Rather than cling to immature desires for constant adventure and stimulation, our life experiences can be richest when we pay closer attention to our gauche and unfashionable immediate surroundings. And with that rambling out of the way, let’s return to the words of our featured artist:
Instead of jumping around from contributor to contributor on each new song, the album has a primary lineup, like back in the day when it was the Famile. How did you bring together all your supporting players?
Well, it’s been a couple years in this time of figuring out, “Well, who’s my band now?” I just started to ask around and to meet and start rehearsals with some various players who were recommended to me or people that I’ve worked with in the past. And we’ve had various shows on and off throughout these past couple years, where we’d go to L.A. for two shows or got to Spain, just do different short weekend trips, and we did a short tour for the Trying Hartz release a couple years ago.
So we kind of used all these shows and trips to get to know each other musically, and a band formed out of that–just playing live, being on the road together. I just love playing with these guys, and so it was just very natural, from everything clicking and getting to know each other, when it came time to record, everybody was in place. It was really awesome, but it did take that amount of time. It wasn’t the kind of thing where players that I’ve never played with just show up to the studio. We had a couple years of getting to know each other musically first.
And some of them you had already known–with Sufjan Stevens, obviously, there’s much recorded about your guys’ work together, and Josh Stamper works for Sounds Familyre, so were there a few people you were meeting for the first time?
Well, a couple years ago, my friend Brian McTear, who’s a producer in Philadelphia–I’ve worked with him quite a bit. He helped make Ships; that’s how I met him, actually, and we’ve gotten to know each other better and better since, and he introduced me to Patrick Berkery who’s been a drummer in the Philadelphia area for years, and we just hit it off. And then Evan, I got to meet him–he actually filled in on some Ships tours, so I’ve been working with him for a while and met through Vito and Monique from The Welcome Wagon. He’s an amazing player and composer as well. And then my friend Andy, I’ve known for some years now. He’s local around here–or, rather, lives around here, but he’s actually from England. And so, everything’s settled in place, and we’re just trying not to over-think it.
Is the whole lineup going to tour with you, or will it be modified?
I sure hope so; I mean, Sufjan won’t be making it. But in terms of the rest of the players, we’re trying our best to make sure that it’s as close to that lineup as possible.
How did you connect with the guests on the album? It seems, between getting Jens Lekman to guest, who’s Swedish, and signing the new Sounds Familyre band I Was a King, and I believe your wife is from Sweden, it seems like you’ve got a lot of connections out there.
Well, my wife is actually from Norway. And I Was a King is from Norway. [Interviewer kicks self repeatedly.] And the connection with Jens Lekman was–years ago, I was on tour, and we played a show in Sweden. And a friend of mine from Secretly Canadian said, “Hey, there’s this guy named Jens Lekman who’s opening up for you; see what you think.” And it was great; he was just up there by himself with a mini-disc player; I just loved his music, it was awesome. So I met him briefly there and then met him again some years ago at the Pitchfork festival when we were playing through there.
But my wife Elin and I just had this idea for years to have this kind of love song between a Swedish boy and a Norwegian girl, and then eventually she moves to America and meets me, and he was just so perfect. We just love his voice, and he’s got a great sense of humor, and he agreed to do it. We’ve been talking about it for quite a few years, but it finally happened, and it just fit perfectly on this record.
Can’t wait to hear it. One other thing, with the actual distribution of this album, what’s behind the decision to go with the Sounds Familyre label rather than Secretly Canadian this time around?
Well, first of all, the Secretly Canadian guys are just fantastic and so supportive and amazing. But I think it’s just a new season for us; it’s always felt a little strange that we asked friends of mine to be on my label, but I wouldn’t be on it. [laughs] But for Elin and I, there was very much this feeling that it’s time to put all our chips into the vision, because the Sound Familyre label is a vision of community and friends and art all kind of wrapped in one, and the Tri-Danielson vinyl was the very first release years ago, and it’s just time now to put all of our focus into that vision, including our own music.
I usually don’t try to do anything; that’s an important point for me. I would say, more and more, it’s about trying less and just trusting my gut–trying to decrease the amount of time it takes to make a record and really trying to decrease the time that my brain can start coming in and start over-analyzing and questioning myself. So really, just trying to keep things as immediate as possible. I’ve always tried to do that, and I’ve just continued to try more and more to stay out of the way in that sense, and this record–there was a lot of waiting and this not knowing what’s next, and all of a sudden, it happened, and that’s was really exciting.
Growing up, the model for Christian musicians, and correct me if I’m wrong, appears to have been limited to what your father [Lenny Smith, who is an accomplished songwriter suitable for this series as well] was doing, writing praise and worship songs. But it’s obvious that the Danielson project in all its forms is coming from a different place. Can you describe, for the people who are new to your music, what approach you’ve taken to writing Christ-centered music?
Well, it’s not even that deliberate. You know, I’m a Christian, and my everyday life is based on hearing God’s voice and trying to do the few things that he wants me to do today, whatever they may be. And through that doing, hopefully I’m learning how to love and how to be like Him–allowing the Christ in me to come through; “As I decrease, He increases.” So in that lifestyle, whatever I’m singing about–well, you know, I hardly ever say say “Jesus” or “God” or anything like that, because I’m not preaching. My lyrics and my words are just reflections of the day-to-day spiritual journey. And that’s why I don’t consider it Christian music, ’cause I don’t have an agenda; I’m not selling anything. I’m just sharing my life and just trying to be as honest and real from that place as I can. And, to me, that’s what an artist should do; an artist should just be true to who they are and who their being is every day.
Yeah, I guess once you introduce a utilitarian element to it, it kinda destroys the artistry, then.
I also don’t really have anything to say about what other people do, because I’m not here to judge anyone else, but I just speak from what I feel comfortable about being connected with and what I don’t feel comfortable being connected with.
And that is why the man is the real deal; the fruit of the Spirit is strong with this one. Big Hollywood and I are very thankful for his time. As one final note, be sure to check out the tour dates for his upcoming concerts. You may just catch me at either the Lancaster or Pittsburgh shows. Or both.