Hello, and welcome back to Quick-Fire Questions!
The idea of this feature is pretty simple: we take one amazing musician, ask for five minutes of their time, and then try to find out as much about them as we possibly can in the 300 seconds we get with them. What could possibly go wrong?
This time, we’ve gone head-to-head with the ever-fantastic Dan Owen. If you’ve never heard of him, you’re really missing out: his songs are gorgeous, he’s amazing live, and he’s got one hell of a set of pipes on him:
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He’s not bad at all, is he
As a matter of fact, we think that he’s pretty great. Now, we would tell you a bit more about him; but, seeing as that kinda goes against the whole idea of an interview, we’d much rather let the man himself do that for us. So, with that in mind, here are the results of our five-minute chat with Dan, exclusively for One on One‘s Quick-Fire Questions:
How would you describe your music for people who don’t know you?
‘A very loud singer, an acoustic guitarist, a harmonica player. I like to tell stories in songs.
You’re just about to head out on a UK tour – which part of it are you most excited about?
‘London is always great. Finishing in my hometown, Shrewsbury, with my biggest headline show yet is pretty exciting as well.
Is there anywhere on your tour that you’re particularly looking forward to playing?
‘Amsterdam is always amazing. Good crowds and energy.
What’s your favourite song to play live and why?
‘Hard to say – it could be different every night. It really depends on the crowd and the feel of the room. Hideaway has to be up there, though!
What’s the best thing about playing live?
‘There are loads of good things about it. Getting to travel around meeting people is always great. I’m still surprised that people show up to see me, so it’s an amazing feeling to play to a sell out crowd.
Your new single, Hideaway, is something of a departure from your usual sound; was this a deliberate move?
‘Yes, it is definitely more uptempo and rageful. It was time to put something out that wasn’t a slow ballad, but there are more of both to come!
Out of every song ever recorded, which do you wish you’d written?
‘Bob Dylan‘s 115th Dream.
If you could be in any band, which would it be and which instrument would you want to play?
‘Drums in Biffy Clyro.
What’s your pet hate?
‘I guess I don’t like having to explain the precise meaning behind my songs. I like to leave them relatively open to interpretation. Songs have been ruined for me when I have heard artists explain their meaning and it has been totally different to what I was reading into them.
What do the next few months hold for Dan Owen?
‘Finishing this tour off comes first. Then we have the music video for Hideaway coming out, as well as the acoustic version of the song that I have been playing live. Then, I’ll be polishing off the album (which is just about finished now!), and then thinking about releasing another song…
