Country music fans don’t have long to wait for the release of Six Songs to Midnight, Dan Davidson’s latest album. It takes place Friday, Feb. 25 with 350 CDs already snapped up in a pre-sale campaign.
“This album is more about a thank you for fans. I wasn’t trying to push a single, but I felt that as I close a chapter in my life, I’d like to recognize the fans who supported me,” said Davidson.
The album features four older tracks and two new cuts. The older tracks are Roll with It featuring the Road Hammers; the duet Really Shouldn’t Drink Around You showcasing Australia’s Hayley Jensen; I Do, a heavily spun track on Sirius XM; and Role Models, one of Davidson’s most popular “drunken love songs.”
In addition, the two new charts are Blindspot, a friendly conversational number, while Don’t Judge a Beer by Its Label delivers a laid-back vibe and a deceptive song title.
“Blindspot compares suddenly falling in love to the mechanics of car crash. It happens so fast.” As for Don’t Judge a Beer by Its Label, Davidson says, “It’s not what you think. It’s about taking care of each other and shaking the outlook of us versus them and finding common ground.”
His foray into the music industry goes way back. At 19, the St. Albert hometown boy joined rock band Tupelo Honey. For 12 years, he played a prominent role including lead singer before shifting to a solo country career for another six. COVID brought about a restlessness, and the prominent singer-songwriter-producer-recording artist has been kicking around a change of musical direction since writing the breezy 2021 summer number, He Met a Girl.
“I’m inspired by 80s Americana and 80s pop blended into country. As I’ve grown as a producer, I can now better make what I hear in my head. I feel I’m on a wave. I’m consumed about making tons of this music,” Davidson explained.
To give a clearer description he describes the new sound, “as Don Henley and the Eagles playing country. It’s the mental zone I’m in right now.”
The seasoned singer-songwriter aims to release the first as-yet-untitled hybrid album later this year with the intent of shopping for an American or international label. And if the wind blows in the right direction, it could very well become a breakout album.
“You have to keep taking shots. All artists want a big radio hit. But in this market, you can’t focus on one thing. You need a lot of prongs. That means running contests and working more on a grassroots level. You can never lose sight of the people who love your music.”
The attraction of shifting gears came partly from the difficulty of smaller players receiving few spins on the radio and the difficulty of standing out on crowded streaming services.
“For me, it was about turning off all pre-conceived notions and doing what feels right. It’s caring about what I do and making great songs,” he said unapologetically. “It’s a wild industry, but making this new music is an obsession, a challenge, and I’m conquering it. I spend so much time on it because I don’t want my voice lost out there. It’s like golf. You hit one good shot and you’re a golfer.”
The father of two is thrilled about performing in Europe this summer. The first stop is June 4 at Beaumont-en-Véron, northwest of Paris, before appearing at Manchester’s Buckle and Boots Country Festival June. 6.
“In France, they like to line dance and they’re very hardcore country. But in the UK, it’s more pop focused and you have to adjust your set.”
So far, he has netted 10 Alberta Country Music Awards, six Canadian Country Music Award nominations, and several Edmonton Music Awards and Western Canadian Music Award nominations.
“All I’ve wanted to do is make music and travel for a living and if I’ve done that, I’ve cracked the code.”
