Dango Rose – Banjo Poems

By starrymag | April 4, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Honestly, it expands and evolves over time. Yet, Banjo Poems specifically pays homage to my traditional old-time roots.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Currently, I’ve been listening to The Barr Brothers, The Wood Brothers, Velvet Underground, Ani DiFranco, Joe Pug, Darlingside, Paul Simon, Natalie Merchant, The Avett Brothers, Lunasa, Phoebe Bridgers, Sigur Ros, Sufjan Stevens, Bright Arcana, Sam Burchfield, Roo Panes and Bill Callahan.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Night Resumes.”

 

A) This song is actually thirteen years old. It was written on the civil war fretless banjo in a small room in Nederland, Colorado just below the continental divide at the onset of winter. I harken you to take a listen, for the simple verses tell a sweet yet solemn tale.  “Freight Train Rumbles Through the Clouds.”

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I’d say the simplicity and vulnerability of it really….

 

Q) The banjo you play on is from the Civil War! How did it land up in your hands?

 

A) On Christmas Eve in 2003, I decided to drive to Missouri to pick up an upright bass in a small town called Grubville. As the fates would have it, the Civil War fretless banjo had just been delivered to the restoration shop, for an old man had just passed away and the antique instrument was found in his attic. I got back out on the road that evening, in a blizzard, with an heirloom of the Civil War and a new upright bass.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Songwriting in many ways is akin to a craft, so showing up each day to the table creates the framework for the good work to be done. Yet on another level, it requires creating the space for the muse to come through. With this comes connection to nature, spirit and the great mystery.

The melody is incredibly important.  Because then it simply becomes a matter of fitting in poetry or story into the allotted number of syllables the melody allows for.  Sometimes it happens all at once…. Yet other times, it’s not so simple.  Some songs take weeks, months, even years to fit the puzzle pieces together.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) More and more as time goes on…. Yet Banjo Poems was produced by my longtime production and songwriting partner – Evan Reeves. This album was recorded in 2008 and at that time, I wouldn’t say I was really producing.  I’d say more-so that this was the beginning of my producing.

 

Q) What are some themes you explore on your new EP Banjo Poems?

 

A) Again, this EP is new in the sense that I finally decided to release it. Yet, all recorded music is essentially a snapshot of a moment in time back in the winter of 2008-2009. What I’ve become more aware of now is the importance of releasing it and letting it go.  Some songs stand the test of time, some do not.  My hope is that the themes and stories of this album remain just as relevant now as they did in the 19^th It was timeless in its creation because of the heirloom instrument in which the muse was channeled through.

 

Q) What songs off the EP challenged you the most creatively?

 

A) “Pollinated” was the most challenging on this EP because it’s a very vulnerable piece about abortion. I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable with the vocal take on that one either. Yet even so, I’m glad that I decided to release it.

Q) What tracks hold a special significance to you and why?

 

A) “Asleep with the Light On” holds a special place in my heart because it sparked the inspiration for writing the album and become a fan favorite for Elephant Revival. Also, it was a favorite for the kids down in Oklahoma, so that’s kind of nice too.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from checking out the EP?

 

A) I hope that it expands a sense of space and time or that it transports you back in time, historically speaking.

 

Q) With concerts currently on hold, what do you miss most about being on stage?

 

A) Well, truth be told…. I was on the road for seventeen years and my band went on #Hiatus in 2018. So, I had a bit of a head start on this new paradigm of no shows.  Yet, what I miss most is the mindfulness.  This comes from the space of being a bass player.  My focus in performance was for the bass to be a conduit light to come through and to emit this outward to the crowd.  This was done by creating a visualized field, connecting sky and earth with the electric upright bass acting as the conduit.  It was an incredible visualization / meditation that I was able to perform 120 nights per year.  I didn’t realize how grounding and meaningful that truly was for the well-being of my soul.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) How about Ani Difranco. I was fortunate enough to perform with her at Newport Folk Festival years back. Or it may have been Winnipeg Folk Festival, possibly Edmonton….  I can’t remember.  The point is that her new album Revolutionary Love is incredible.  To be able to reinvent yourself so many times like she has over the years, and to point to the themes that she is pointing to now….  It is truly breathtaking.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) I’ll be very honest with you…. This is how I feel about it:

“Thank you, algorithm, my supreme ruler, my higher power, my new invisible god.  I will make a sacrifice in your honor; you can incorporate my better nature into your pristine equation. It is yours now for the keeping. I will bow down to you always, I will surrender my will, not to the light of the universe but to you Algorithm, the one who knows and is the purveyor of all things.”

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you. I am honored and humbled for your listening ears.