Posted on 06/13/2002 8:08:44 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
Conventional wisdom would tell you that Jennifer Daniels was born a few decades too late.
Nevermind the endless comparisons to neo-folk sirens like Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Chapman and Jewel, this Chattanooga-based singer/songwriter carries with her a demeanor that seems a bit antiquated in today's top 40.
Daniels, along with her husband/guitarist/writing partner Jeff Neal is in person much like the music (according to her Web site, dubbed "alternative folk") she has been performing for the last decade: honest, direct, polite and disarmingly warm.
It's a manner she learned early on.
A native of Lookout Mountain, a suburb of Chattanooga, she was born into a family that gave her an appreciation for music and put a premium on substance.
"I wasn't allowed to listen to pop music as a kid, except for Dan Fogelberg (laughs)," she says. "I guess they liked him. As I got older, my dad would let me listen to anything as long as I could prove to him that it was edifying. Having to discern music in that way certainly gave me a thoughtfulness into lyrics, but also into the way music is presented and what was being communicated."
That sensitivity, along with a world-view founded in her Christian upbringing, has long been the hallmark of her writing. Make no mistake though, while she is Christian, Daniels says what she attempts to convey isn't meant to browbeat anyone.
"I hope it makes people think about reality and their own spiritual existence, but we're not preaching from the stage," she said. "I don't even think of my music as being Christian music. I am a Christian who plays music, there's a difference. I just want what I do to affect people on some level, regardless of their faith."
Unfortunately, it's that resolve that's put her into a state of market limbo. Having generated major label interest over the years, both she and Neal quickly found that going corporate wasn't for them. That disillusionment prompted the creation of TNtrees, an independent label that Daniels founded in 1998 to produce and control her own music (including her first release, Fist of Flood in 2000). Despite the work that comes with running your own publishing company, she says it's a positive exchange.
"We've really avoided the big label route after hearing some terrible stories about artists not having control and labels being intrusive," she said. "We know that we're comfortable where we are. Even though we've been a bit overwhelmed as of late, we know it's worth it."
If they're a bit overworked, it's understandable. While keeping a constant touring schedule of four to five dates a week from Texas to Maryland is one thing, maintaining a marriage in the process is another entirely. Despite the implication the rock and roll marriage carries with it, these two seem safe from any Fleetwood Mac-style meltdowns.
"I don't think it happens much," Neal said. "But if there's a bit of personal tension during a break or before we go on stage, then you can't help but have that when you're up there. We had to learn to get up there and play regardless of the situation."
The material on Daniels' newest release, Dive and Fly, is a testament to that openness. Recorded last winter in Atlanta, the album marks their first co-writing credit ("Daylight Running") as well as the first time they've recorded with a full band.
"We've done three solid years of fulltime, and as we've toured as a duo, we've really developed as musicians and performers, so I hope that the album is reflection of that development," Daniels said. "They've really taken on an individual sound, and I think the record shows that."
Having a core of Atlanta studio assassins at their disposal may have brought a new dynamic to the creative process, but can the folk traditionalist handle a new approach?
Presenting an album that jumps from Irish melodies ("Dive and Fly") to full-on folk rockers ("Day to Live") to erethral pop ("Planting Shoes") with a conviction that satisfies even the most earnest of coffee shop expectations, they're comfortable with the effort.
"There might be some purists out there that won't like the fact that there are rock and pop songs on this record, and that the electric instruments are there," she said. "But, you know, we don't always talk in one tone, we don't always whisper or yell. We speak in a full range, and that's what we've tried to do is express this material in a full range of emotion and dynamics."
Jennifer Daniels' new album, Dive and Fly, is available now and she can be seen at Barley's Taproom and the New City Cafe from time to time. Visit jenniferdaniels.com for further info on the record and tour dates.
©Copyright The Daily Beacon 2002. All rights reserved.
Jun 14 Jammin' Java, 803-254-5282 9pm Columbia, SC
Jun 15 The Evening Muse, opening for David LaMotte, 704-376-3737 9pm Charlotte, NC
Jun 21 Borders Books (for real this time) 407-772-0635 8pm Altamonte Springs, FL
Jun 22 Borders Books and Music 407-647-6923 8pm Winter Park, FL
Jun 23 Comfort Inn Ballroom -"A Day for Java Jen" benefit for Jennifer Goldacker who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. email koolbeanz@koolbeanz.com for info 4-9pm Cocoa Beach, FL
Jun 23 Sand Lake Borders Books 407-251-6643 1pm Orlando, FL
Jun 28 Music on the Square, www.musiconthesquare.com, 423-753-5401 Jonesborough, TN
Jun 29 The Grey Eagle, opening for Chris Rosser, 828-232-5800 9pm Asheville, NC
Go out and support Jennifer Daniels - it's great music!
Aside: I'm a Christian (who HATES most modern Christian music) but why has "preaching" become the worst possible thing a person can do these days? I always hear people assuring everyone that they don't "preach," or hear people slamming others, saying they're "preaching," or here people apologize for sounding like they're "preaching." It's another weird phenomenon of modern times.
Sounds good & I'll listen to the clips at lunch if I can!
Her Aug. schedule shows this:
Aug 02 Six String Cafe, co-bill with Jason Harrod 8pm Cary, NC
I wish her the best!
I'm hoping that she can withstand the "corporate" road.
No relation to Mr. Charlie Daniel that I know of...nor Jack for that matter. She is trying to make it big - TNTrees is her record label. Jeff & Jennifer produce, write, and perform all their own material. They work really hard and have so much talent. Jennifer has an awesome range in her voice (listen to the song Ohio, that's my favorite) and Jeff plays a 1933 mandolin among other instruments. On the Dive & Fly album, they recorded with Shawn Mullins' band (Lullaby).
If you happen to see Jennifer at a show, go up and talk to her. She's a great person and very personable and easy to talk with.
Once again, Many Thanks!
Whoops...missed that part the first time through...
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