The Serpent is a fiery psychedelic folk song that asks the listener to consider what kind of community we could be building together if we weren’t being forced to live in the divisions of class, race, sex and anything else the powers that be can throw our way to keep us apart. Dan Graul speaks to the worship of money and the selfishness that plague our society and surmises that our future can be anything we want it to be, but we must choose to actively participate in the creation of that future.
The Serpent is out 9/29/23 across all streaming platforms.
Times We Had is a nostalgic and dreamy piece of psychedelic folk pop that was written standing on my front porch when I had just moved to Los Angeles. I was staring at a blank sky with all the stars drowned out by vast amounts of light pollution. It was like a metaphor for what was going on inside me as I took my first steps along my journey to who I have become since then – still living in Los Angeles but much more confident in self, and again seeing the stars on a much more regular basis.
The Sky At Night EP contains Constellations and Times We Had. These two songs have always felt like sister songs to me. Constellations was written on my Mom’s back porch in Missouri at a time when I was about to move away and feeling empowered and emboldened, as if the universe was presenting itself to me. Times We Had as written from a much more uncertain perspective but was born from a similar place.
Constellations is a folk pop musical meditation inspired by an evening of stargazing in rural Missouri. Dan Graul wrote the song on a clear Summer night, sitting on his Mother’s back porch in some time at home between gigs. The song lacks traditional verse chorus structure, instead opting for a stream of consciousness style lyric that winds it’s way into a playful acoustic instrumental that soars off into a universe of reverse guitar feedback. Check out Constellations on all music streaming services on 2/17/23.
Feel Your Way commands its listener to stop overthinking and jump into the beautiful groove! Dan Graul’s newest release is a jaunty psychedelic pop song, with an anthemic chorus and R&B/Soul inspired vocal harmonies. The track culminates in a Pink Floyd inspired jam, where the band guides you through the spacey darkness of their collective consciousness before slapping you back into the funky, feel-good flow that begs you to bob your head and catch the vibe. Dan collaborated on writing the track with Will Norris, who initially brought the chord structure to the table and provided the groundwork that inspired an uplifting, truthful lyric and rollicking, fuzzy guitar hook. The collaboration continued when the two brought the song to pianist Rebecca Graul and drummer Jonathan Santin, who helped with fleshing out the arrangement and building the collective jam that brings the tune to its close. They recorded the track at The Compound Studio in Long Beach, CA with producer Antoine Arvizu. The song was originally released on Northern Stranger’s album Where The River Goes. The new release finds the song remastered by Graul and updated with a bolder, more modern polish.
Dan Graul is set to release a new single around the Autumnal Equinox.
The philosophy and musical influences of Dan Graul are on full display with Dreams/Love And Light. The track travels space, time and genre; hitting notes of country/folk attitude, psychedelic rock swagger, reggae groove and spacey new wave synth, set to a funky beat. Dan spins tales of personal past fears and dreams, and proclaims in an anthemic, affirmative chorus “don’t be scared, all things must change – you’ll never be prepared.” Ultimately, a solid dose of self understanding and forgiveness “the past is gone, when we move on – and find the love and light” brings the message of hope home and the lyrics give way to wailing, psych guitars.
The track will be released on 9/23/22 on all digital streaming platforms.
Little Blue Planet is an anthemic love note to Mother Earth, wrapped in a psychedelic folk pop arrangement and delivered with a ton of heart. Dan and Rebecca Graul co-wrote the song based on the concept of “borrowing the love of the Earth” and all the implications that follow. The love is only borrowed, after all and must be returned one day. The duo recruited their friends from Half Tongue Tribe, a Pagan Rock/Storytelling project that Dan developed with writer/artist David LebBarro, to fill out the vibe and add to the vocal/percussion arrangements. Adam Chavira contributed flute, clarinet and saxophone; and Will Norris lays down the appropriate amount of country thump on the bass. The track releases in celebration of Earth Day on 4/22/22 to all digital streaming platforms.l
You can live a lie or you can live YOUR life. Dan Graul’s new single Miles And Miles follows the emotional journey of questioning the status quo and making the choice to forge your own path. For Dan, love was the only possible starting point of that journey. Now he’s bringing positive vibes and radical ideas to your ears; and asking you to choose love and human connection. The psychedelic Americana track blends a folky retro rock aesthetic with a modern attitude and bite.
Celebrate the unknowable questions! Our existential dread is not good or bad, the Mountain tells us that it simply IS. And it is something we can all share together. Dan and Rebecca Graul spread the gospel of the Mountain through a folky stomp groove on their new single. Mountain Song (Ay-Yo Ay-Yo) wraps heavy subject matter in a joyful, raucous arrangement that includes notes of rock, country/folk, psychedelia and pop.
Once upon a psychedelic day in the Morongo Valley near Joshua Tree CA, Dan and Rebecca found themselves face to face with a mountain on fire. They looked out over the smoky landscape and wondered if this mountain, which they called Captain Larry, could fear something like fire. To their surprise, the mountain answered back with the dry wisdom only an ancient perspective could bring. “The fires come, the fires go. That song is old.” Captain Larry shared thoughts on question after question with a sing-song tag of “Ay-Yo Ay-Yo,” as if it were, and always had been, all so simple. By the time sunset arrived, the smoke had cleared away to reveal the mountain in full majesty. The real life picture in front of Dan and Rebecca’s eyes, as well as the murky illusions inside their own minds, had gained much clarity and focus.
Connect to your wildness within! Trust your animal instincts! With his new single Dan Graul reminds you to tap into your primal love warrior and find your place as a part of the world.
We Are Wild was originally featured on Dan Graul’s solo debut Make America Love Again, released at the end of 2020. For this new incarnation of the track, Dan was able to bring back together most of the original lineup of his band Northern Strangers. Rebecca Graul collaborated on the songwriting for the track and is also featured on keys and backing vocals. Lee Harcourt smashes the drums and Will Norris lays down the bass. The rhythmic duo drive the track with a funky, melodic groove. The band cut their teeth playing Pink Floyd albums live around Los Angeles in the 2010’s and We Are Wild finds them riding their psychedelic influences forward into the modern indie rock sphere.
