Dan Sharp going on nationwide tour

Dan Sharp. Photos: Supplied.

Honest, vulnerable, well-crafted songs that have the ability to impact people, is what Katikati's Dan Sharp promises on his New Zealand-wide tour celebrating the release of his EP ‘Water Went Away'.

The tour, which kicks off next week in Thames and finishes at the end of May in Mount Maunganui, is a series of intimate shows at venues all over Aotearoa.

The rising song writer - whose stirring music has been compared to the likes of Lewis Capaldi and Dermot Kennedy - is no stranger to the stage. He accompanied Thomas Oliver on his tour in 2020, one of the first music tours after New Zealand's lockdown.

'Thomas' tour was a real highlight of the year for me. Amazing venues, really appreciative audiences who had been starved of live entertainment.”

Dan went on to high profile appearances at Rhythm and Vines and Soundsplash, along with a support slot for Kiwi legend Dave Dobbyn.

Fans are already lapping up some of Dan's recently released songs, like ‘Louisiana', which he wrote in lockdown, inspired by a break up.

'Definitely a song of trying to figure out who you are and where you are going, after the life and identity you have built ceases to exist.

His new single ‘The Way That You Used To' was conceived as he was driving home in the middle of the night.

'I literally sang the chorus 'I don't think that you love me, not the way that you used to' into a voice memo on my phone. The next day my partner and I split up and went our separate ways, which was really hard. It took me a while to want to finish the song but it was finished in about an hour of sitting down and writing it.”

Many of his songs touch on real human experiences which audiences relate to.

'Songwriters find it therapeutic to create art about things they find difficult. I find the process helpful, while sometimes painful. Sometimes it takes a long time between an event and wanting to put out a song written about it, because it is so personal, so vulnerable. If the song is good and you believe in it though, you have to release it. I think the world is better for having really honest and heartfelt art.

After the success of his 2019 streaming hit ‘Kindle and Coal', he met Bay of Plenty based music promoter Mitch Lowe, who also manages Thomas Oliver as well as Mitch James and Written By Wolves.

'He graciously agreed to have me come over. I took my guitar and played him some songs...He liked my music and my hard-working approach to my career.”

Dan is known for his intimate appearances, just him and his guitar, and his trademark cap.

'I have had a number of different guitars. The most I had was nine at one point. I'm a lot more practical now. I have three really nice guitars and a Weissenborn and that is all I need for now. The hat is from the Memphis Blues Festival. The hat thing kind of became my brand and people recognise me because of the hat. It sort of stuck and I kept rolling with it.”

Dan's musical influences are diverse.

'I have a handful of 'inspiration artists' I return to over and over again when I need a creative boost. I love it when a sound, a lyric, a change in chord, anything causes me to feel something and I find that a lot in modernly produced music. Bon Iver is a big inspiration...Sasha Sloan, Patrick Droney, Foy Vance, Thomas Oliver. Just brilliantly written songs that are performed and recorded beautifully.”

He spent lockdown on his parents' orchard in Katikati, and made the most of the enforced down time to create new music, working out of a studio that his dad built on the family's grounds.

'A kitchen maker in Tauranga had custom wood sheets he was giving away, and I found some cheap insulation and soundproofing. After a couple of weeks of work we had a beautifully silent, soundproof and acoustically treated little studio.”

The studio has been used to record other local artists.

'It's rewarding to see the room Dad and I built helping others reach their musical goals.”

While the restrictions of Covid affected live music, Dan sees many positives, and thinks some of his best music has been written recently.

'Struggle - the basis of a lot of people's art - coupled with more time seems like a solid recipe for more art being created!”

Covid also brought back Dan's old school friend from Sydney, Laney, who is accompanying him on the tour.

'She is awesome live, has such a great presence.”

Dan says each show will be unique.

'I have friends opening up at pretty much every show. Some venues are places that typically don't have music, so already that makes things interesting. I want to create the vibe that if you saw me play one gig, you'd consider coming again to another on the tour because you know it won't be exactly the same.”

The last two shows in Auckland and Mount Maunganui will be huge he says.

'I have my band joining me in Auckland and Mount Maunganui and we are really going to push things from a production perspective to make those shows particularly memorable.”

Of his songs, it's hard for him to pick a favourite.

'I love a new song of mine called ‘Chaos Eye'. My song, the 'Way That You Used To' is definitely the most connecting song I have written...people seem to click with it.'

The songwriter has plenty more up his sleeve.

'Writing great songs is like trying to catch lightning … I wrote a song last week that is the best thing I have written this year and will be released later in 2021.”

Tour Dates

Dan Sharp - Water Went Away Tour

Thursday 15 April - Cafe Melbourne, Thames

Friday 16 April - Luke's Kitchen - Kuaotunu

Sunday 18 April - Okere Falls Store - Okere Falls

Friday 23 April - Tsunami Sound Studios, Levin

Sunday 25 April - The Yot Club, Raglan

Thursday 29 April - Night Market, Rotorua

Friday 30 April - Two Mile Bay Sailing Club - Taupo

Saturday 1 May - Raumati Social Club - Raumati

Wednesday 5 May - Poquito Cafe and Bar, Wellington

Thursday 6 May - Le Cafe, Picton

Friday 7 May - Wunderbar, Lyttelton

Saturday 8 May - The Perc Club, Dunedin

Sunday 9 May - Southland Musicians Club, Invercargill

Monday 13 May - Common Room, Hastings

Friday 14 May - Smash Palace - Gisborne

Saturday 15 May - Mata Brewery - Whakatane

Thursday 20 May - Sweat Shop, Auckland

Thursday 22 May, The Theatre, Waihi.

Friday 28 May - Totara St, Mount Maunganui

For tour information, see www.dansharpmusic.com

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