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

Hello!

It’s finally garden season! After we returned from our midwest travels, it was time to get the garden prepped and planted. Tomatoes (2 varieties, cherry and large), kale, sweet and hot peppers, pickling cucumbers, broccoli, zucchini, celery, potatoes, parsley, basil and rosemary are now all settled into their places in the garden and pots. Mother Nature did her part by sending us 3+ inches of rain to water everything in! Lots of weeding ahead of us this summer, but everything is in place. We also have a lot of fruit set on our peach trees, and quite a bit on our pears. A happy thing, especially since we weren’t 100% sure the peaches would blossom this year (they were quite late). We’re guessing there was a lot of rain after the apple trees blossomed, as there isn’t a lot of fruit set on the newer apple trees, but they’re all at least looking healthy.

It’s also farmers market season! We kick off our market season on Friday, June 13th at the Hartland Farmers Market in Hartland, VT. This little market has a bit of everything: produce from local farms, artisans, food vendors, and music to shop by. The first time we played this market, we met some folks who have become our dear friends. You may not find new best friends at the market, but you can find some cool stuff and hear us! Music and market both run 4-6:30pm.

Since 2010, co-founders Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards have organized an annual non-profit walking concert tour of Massachusetts towns and trails in support of arts and culture throughout the state, known as the Massachusetts Walking Tour. Every day, they hike along the planned path, carrying full packs with camping gear and musical instruments. Each evening, they and their walking companions give a free concert for the people in the towns they pass through, with invited local musicians and poets opening for the walkers. Since 2015, we have joined them as an opener one night of their walk, and have done day hikes with them a few times as well. This year the walk is along the Mystic Link Trail through the towns of Reading, Winchester, and Tewksbury. We will be opening for them on Friday, June 27th, at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reading, MA. The show starts at 6pm. You can find their full schedule of hikes and concerts here, and you’re welcome to hike with them as well as attend the concerts.

The South Acworth Village Store’s Annual Music Fest and BBQ on Saturday, June 29th is a fundraiser for the South Acworth Village Store in South Acworth, NH, a wonderful little community general store. This is always a great day of music, BBQ, and craft vendors on the banks of the Cold River in back of the store. The music runs from 11am to 7:30pm. We’re kicking off the festival at 11am, so be sure to get there early, bring sunscreen, bug spray, and a picnic blanket or lawn chair. Other acts include Meadowlark, Lonny’s Heroes, Babaray, Hypnic Jerks, Blue Collar Band, Cosmic Triumph, and Pointless Culture. The festival is family and pet friendly! The festival is rain or shine unless the weather turns particularly nasty. Check the Facebook event linked above in case of foul weather.

Reviews for songs from our Who We Are album continue to come in! This month we have several reviews of Dan’s song Se Llama Juanita, cowritten by Joe Jencks. Planet Singer, a London-based magazine that includes articles on vocal health, reviews of new music, and singer’s gear and tools, had this to say about us and the song: “Drawing from their deep well of empathy and artistic integrity, the New Hampshire-based pair tackle the timely and complex topic of immigration through a song that’s as emotionally moving as it is socially relevant.”  The complete review is here.

WatchElevate.tv is an online news source for entertainment, tech, culture, business, fashion, food, lifestyle, science, travel, sports and more. They describe Se Llama Juanita as, “… letting the human story speak for itself rather than forcing conclusions on listeners.” About us, they note, “The thing that stands out about Dan & Faith is their authenticity. They’re not trying to be the loudest voices in the room or the most provocative. Instead, they’re offering something that feels genuine in a music industry often criticized for manufactured emotion.”  Check out the rest of the review!

The Bandcamp Diaries, a spotlight on independent music, said, “‘Se Llama Juanita’ is a clear example of strong modern folk craft. The energy is real, and the vocals feel close, like a friend sharing a story across a campfire.” See what else they said!

The Daily Music Roll, an online music magazine specializing in publishing music blogs, artist interviews, music news, and music reviews on various genres of music, describes our album Who We Are as “a breath of fresh air, blending the authentic spirit of folk music with modern sounds.” Regarding Se Llama Juanita, they state, “The music carefully invites people to understand the hopes and hardships of immigrants seeking safety and a new life.”  The rest of the review is here.

And Just Fame is a virtual space for artists, musicians, writers, creatives, meditation and yoga practitioners, for insights into inspiring transformational ideas. They advertise themselves as one of the most read Indie Music and Entertainment Online news magazines in North America and Southeast Asia. Their columnist JJ Hermi says of Se Llama Juanita, “The story we encounter is no longer just about one woman, but rather symbolic of an entire community—people who have faced injustice or been denied their basic human right to live with dignity and choice.” They continue, “[W]e are left with a lingering sense of urgency—a call to action to help those around us, to feel empathy, and to replace judgment with deeper understanding.”  And here’s the rest!

For our Patreon patrons, we’ve posted the video of us performing Dan’s song, Railroad Town, along with a writeup about the town in the song, Bellows Falls, VT.  And we’re working on some additional new songs that we’ll be getting posted over there over the coming months.  If you’re not already a patron, we’d love to have you there!

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.

Support live local music wherever you find it! Both the musicians and the venues will greatly appreciate it.

Dan & Faith