Author: Dan and Faith

Hello!

Here in New England, we’re just coming out of a fairly brutal stretch of weather with high temperatures and high humidity. This is something that we expect to have happen occasionally in New England, but not for weeks at a time. We had 12” of rain here in May, and 4” in June, so the 1.4” of rain we had had right up until the last couple of days of July was a bit of a shock, especially given how humid it was. But thankfully we could water the garden every couple of days. It has so far rewarded us with a few hot peppers, a handful of cherry tomatoes, enough pickling cucumbers that we can now do a batch of refrigerator pickles, a bunch of broccoli, and the zucchini has gone from 0 to 60 in no time flat! We have already frozen two full gallon bags of chopped zucchini, as well as 5 batches of our vegan zucchini-based alfredo sauce. We expect the tomatoes to shift into overdrive any day now. The peppers and cukes always take a bit more care to get them going. Kale and celery are doing fine, too. We had a nasty time with a bunch of potato beetles, but a serious larva-picking round has helped the plants recover, along with a whole lot of weeding. There’s always more to do in the garden! But we’ve got some stuff happening out on the road, too.

It’s always a treat for us to return to a great stage that we’ve been to before. Friday, August 8th, we’ll be back at Luthier’s Coop in Easthampton, MA, a funky place that’s part musical instrument sales and repair shop, part restaurant, and part music venue. We’re on from 7-8pm.

We love playing farmers markets! The Becket Country Store Friday farmers market in Becket, MA is a new one for us. Come by on Friday, August 22nd, shop the market and the store, and hang out for some music. The market runs 4-7pm.

The Keene Music Festival is a Labor Day weekend tradition in Keene, NH. Multiple stages around the city will be hosting music all day Saturday, August 30th. We will once again be hosting the Singer Songwriter Stage at the Toadstool Bookshop from noon to 6pm. Stop by to listen, browse the bookstore, and check out the new Chapters Cafe inside the store. We have a fantastic lineup this year! Several folks returning, and several who have not played our stage before. Here’s the schedule:

• 12:00 Pat Daddona
• 12:45 Merry Trudeau
• 1:30 Rick Quimby
• 2:15 Tom Maynard
• 3:00 Carl Beverly
• 3:45 John Ferullo
• 4:30 Josh Hall
• 5:15 Tom Smith
• 6:00 Dan & Faith (hey, that’s us!)

The festival is rain or shine, so bring along some good weather vibes!

We have another great music review and interview! Buzz Music, a women-owned indie music blog out of Los Angeles that describes itself as “a cultural voice, an artist incubator, and a launchpad for the next generation of creatives who refuse to play by outdated rules,” says this about Dan’s song Se Llama Juanita from our Who We Are album: “What makes the song so effective is its sincerity. Dan & Faith do not rely on sensationalism or politics. Instead, they invite listeners into Juanita’s story, asking them to feel what she feels and see the world through her eyes. It is a subtle but powerful approach that underscores the importance of storytelling in today’s cultural landscape.” You can read the rest here!

Our apologies if you swung by the Acworth Village Store last month for the Saturday dinner and music. The store has been short staffed, and had cut back their hours. This meant no dinner and music on Saturday evenings, which we found out when we got there to set up! They have the staff now, and hope to resume their Saturday dinner and music soon. We hope to play there before the end of the season, and will let you know if and when we get a date for that.

Our albums Who We Are, Then and Now, Seeking, and Simple Grace are available from us at shows and on our website, through Bandcamp, or you can find them at iTunes and most other online music stores. Our music is also available streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.

As always, you can find additional schedule information on our website. For additional content, follow us on Patreon. For more frequent news updates and information, check out our Facebook fan page.

Like tending the garden, live local music needs care to keep it growing. Nurture your local musicians and venues!

Dan & Faith

Hello!

Woof, it’s hot! We’ve gone from spring to the depths of summer, seemingly overnight. The heat means the garden needs watering now, where Mother Nature had been doing it for us for a while. We haven’t yet harvested anything out of the garden, but a couple of the broccoli plants are ready for harvest, and some the kale is now big enough we can consider snipping out a few leaves. There are a couple of tiny zucchini forming out there, too, and a few small hot peppers (shishito and jalapeño). Our herb pots outside the kitchen door have offered up some very flavorful basil and a couple of sprigs of rosemary. The local farm stands have had incredible strawberries that are delicious plain, in a smoothie, or cut up in our morning oatmeal. We’ve even been freezing some to enjoy next winter. And our black raspberries are just coming ripe now. We love this part of the year!

We had a grand time at the Hartland Farmers Market in Hartland, VT last month, and we’re back there again on Friday, July 18th. We were pleasantly surprised by the number (and quality) of the food vendors there this year! The locals come by to have an early dinner, shop the crafts and farm booths, and listen to the music. You can join them! Music and market both run 4-6:30pm.

The Acworth Village Store in South Acworth, NH serves up dinner every Saturday evening during the summer months.  If it’s not raining, there’s music to accompany the meal. We’ll be your dinner music (weather permitting) on Saturday, July 19th from 5:30-7:30pm! Picnic tables and stage area are out in back of the store. The food is good, and it’s a great community of folks.

If you can’t travel to where we’re playing, we have you covered. We’re joining our friend Jan Seides for her Any Sunday Songwriters online show on Saturday, July 20th from 4-6pm Eastern time. Jan invites two acts to join her in the round for this show, and we’ve met some excellent songwriters this way. We have some new songs that we’ve been sharing at our in-person shows that we’re likely to bring out for this. Jan asks that you join us live on the Zoom call, if possible. As she explains it, “We love to sing to your shining faces.” If you can’t catch it live, you can watch the recording any time afterwards on Jan’s YouTube channel.

We’ve gotten a couple more reviews of Dan’s song Se Llama Juanita from our album, Who We Are! Flaunt Magazine out of Los Angeles writes, “As artists, Dan & Faith have drawn acclaim for their refusal to shy away from the difficult social issues dividing America. On their latest single, ‘Se Llama Juanita’, they offer a deeply humane ode to those who come to other places just trying to find a better life.” Flaunt normally only reviews music from “name” performers who have a substantial amount of press already, but they appreciate the timeliness of Se Llama Juanita. You can read what they have to say about us, the album, and the song here.

1883 Magazine, which showcases emerging talent from fashion, music, film, travel and beauty industries, noted, “Despite traveling the country in a camper filled with instruments, Dan & Faith deliver work that feels anything but transient. ‘Se Llama Juanita’ stands as a quietly powerful reminder that music can cut through noise not by amplifying the volume, but by sharpening the focus.” Check out the rest of the review!

Last month, we posted a live performance video of Dan’s song, Railroad Town, on our Patreon. This month, we’ve posted a studio recording of Railroad Town to get feedback from our Patrons for possible inclusion on our next album. Want sneak peeks at our recording process? Early versions of songs? Come be a Patreon patron!

We’ll leave you with a recent podcast interview. Find Joy With Joyan is hosted by Joyan Chan, an award-winning coach, international speaker, and podcaster. We think Joyan’s description covers it nicely: “In this heartfelt episode, I’m joined by the soulful folk duo Dan & Faith, partners in both music and life. Known for their evocative songwriting and powerful storytelling, they share how they use music as a tool for connection, reflection, and social change. We dive into their creative process and the stories behind their songs. They also open up about the importance of curiosity, a learner’s mindset, and the beautiful dance of co-creating as a couple.” You can find our 39 minute interview with her on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Podcasts.

Our albums Who We Are, Then and Now, Seeking, and Simple Grace are available from us at shows and on our website, through Bandcamp, or you can find them at iTunes and most other online music stores. Our music is also available streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.

As always, you can find additional schedule information on our website. For additional content, follow us on Patreon. For more frequent news updates and information, check out our Facebook fan page.

Live music, no matter the genre, is something that AI can never improve on. Support the musicians and the venues that bring you their hearts and souls!

Dan & Faith