Calling Minneapolis home, Draper Daniels’ music is heartland rock & roll, with lyrics extracting human emotion and passion. Corey Benson of Curbside Productions writes “We've all felt the way Mike felt when he wrote the words, and it hits me personally as a commentary about the world today… The title track on If You Can Whisper, has entered my personal top 100 list of songs”.
A year and a half after releasing If You Can Whisper, Draper Daniels has nearly completed recording their third release, Back to Talmoon. The 14 song record is in it's final stages of mixing and will be out December of 2006.
At eight years old Mike Danielson picked up a guitar and soon began dreaming of the day he would write and record his own songs. Spinning ahead 42 years finds Mike a man of strong social conscious and integrity, and his music reflects that conviction. Growing up in urban Minneapolis, Mike soon became friends with schoolmate Jeff Draper. They found they both had a deep passion and talent for music. Jeff’s classical style nicely compliments Mike’s songs and gives their identity a deep texture. The two performed with several local Minneapolis groups until in 1995, they broke away playing as an acoustic duo, and Draper Daniels was formed. In 2004, after building an impressive original library of more than 40 songs, they felt it was time to add a rhythm section to their composition. Mike’s second passion is hockey, and at a league game in St. Paul, he met Phil Haire and soon began talking beyond the game and learned that Haire played bass, also having a strong passion for music. Hailing from Plymouth, Massachusetts, Haire’s musical background started while he was in the Navy and stationed in Guam during 1967. A janitor came to him and asked if he wanted a guitar he had found left behind in the barracks. That took Phil down a path that landed him in Minneapolis in 1982. Phil’s experience led him through several Twin Cities bands before getting a call from Mike. What Phil failed to tell Mike is that he was a part of a co-dependant rhythm section. So when the trio were ready to record Odessa, the choice for drums and percussion was an easy one, Scott Skaja. He had spent the past playing in 5 different bands with Haire, making the chemistry in and out of the studio a great experience. Scott’s route to Draper Daniels started at the age of 13 when he began playing in his father’s group. His path brought him to Minneapolis where in 1990 he began playing with Haire. The two weaved their way through several local pop and blues groups eventually finding their way to Draper Daniels in 2004.
Draper Daniels has developed a plan for their music that will take their sound beyond the upper Midwest. Currently with Back to Talmoon, promoting it independently on many fronts. The music has certain specific commercial appeal, and Draper Daniels is ready to move forward. Being late new-comers will provide appeal to a certain crowd, and that level of maturity will also keep us grounded, responsible and level headed through the process.
Steve Brown of Johnny Clueless and Hello! Booking has this to say... "Their recordings highlight Draper Daniels stellar guitar playing and mature textured vocals. Although this Minneapolis rootsy folk rock four-piece clearly has their own identity, these familiar sounding recordings somehow conjure up the feel and the heart reminiscent of other popular midwest artists like John Prine, John Hiatt & The Jayhawks."
Draper Daniels is currently putting the finishing touches on their latest recording, and will start touring in support of Back to Talmoon in January of 2007.
We're looking to record a new full length CD in August, but we need your help! Download your favorite songs off of itunes or order a CD right off of our page so we can afford to make it happen. You are the best fans a band could ask for :)
