The thing I missed most about not being able to log in and update my blog was being unable to share great music with you. So I’m taking this opportunity while everything’s working to tell you about Daniel Champagne.
Daniel’s just a young whippersnapper at 23, but he’s got more musical intuition than many older performers. It’s little wonder really as Daniel picked up the guitar at five and began writing songs at 12. Barely in to his twenties he’s just released his second album The Gypsy Moon (Volume 1), a collection of what he calls road songs which hints at more to come.
“Making The Gypsy Moon … was a really long and drawn out process,” he explained. “I had all these songs with me for ages but no time off the road to do anything with them so they mostly just sat in the back seat gathering dust for a long time.”
Eventually he picked those songs up and took them to Pirate Studios on the south coast of New South Wales, Daniel’s original stomping ground, where he reunited with producer Dave Sparks, who collaborated on Daniel’s EPs and debut album. “Once I got back in the studio with Dave it just felt right and I knew it was going to work. It all fell out pretty quickly from there.”
The Gypsy Moon (Volume 1) features the single “Heart Like This”, which got me excited enough to talk about him in the first place. This is such a gorgeous track, the right combination of emotion and melody with beautiful guest vocals from Mikaela Atkins. The album’s out now, and Daniel’s currently touring it around the country. Here are all the places you can see him playing over the next few months.
26–28 April 2013 – Apollo Bay Festival, Apollo Bay
2 May 2013 – Beav’s Bar, Geelong
3 May 2013 – Caravan Club, Oakleigh
4 May 2013 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
10 May 2013 – The Loft, Warrnambool
11 May 2013 – Culburra Beach Festival, Culburra Beach
12 May 2013 – Bottlerocket, Nowra
15 May 2013 – Indi Bar, Perth
16 May 2013 – Mojo’s Bar, Perth
18 May 2013 – Singing Gallery, McLaren Vale
19 May 2013 – Semaphore Workers Club, Adelaide
23 May 2013 – Front Gallery, Canberra
24 May 2013 – Mudgee Brewery, Mudgee
25 May 2013 – Taste Cafe, Canowindra
26 May 2013 – Beyond Q, Canberra
30 May 2013 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore
31 May 2013 – Bangalow Bowling Club, Bangalow
14 June 2013 – Mumbulla School Hall, Bega
15 June 2013 – City Diggers Club, Wollongong
16 June 2013 – Brisbane Jazz Club, Brisbane
20 June 2013 – Townsville Folk Club, Townsville