Singer-songwriter Dan Whitaker’s music defies easy assumptions, moving from dark ballads to intricate country jazz instrumentals to character-driven stories set on the road and in honky-tonks. Since the mid-‘80s he has created independent original music in Chicago and the Midwest in bands such as Dan Whitaker and The Shinebenders, The Gyps, Great Plains Gypsies, and June Bug Massacre. On U.S. tours and at home Whitaker has shared the stage with artists like James Hand, Shooter Jennings, Corb Lund, The Bottle Rockets, and more.
With his latest album out August 13, One More Story Told, Whitaker introduces the deep scope of his songwriting range and evolution to newer listeners for the first time. One More Story Told is an acoustic anthology of updated songs spanning 1985 to 2015, produced by Todd Rittmann (U.S. Maple, Dead Rider) and releasing via Empty Highway. Sparked by a revisitation of his older material as a way to reconnect with his audience online during the pandemic, One More Story Told sees Whitaker swapping his trademark Telecaster for an acoustic guitar. The result is a warm, engaging, ‘70s colored journey into a past made new again.
Whitaker told us more about the project, passing music on to his kids (or not), and the first time he smelled marijuana.
Does your album have an overarching theme?
One More Story Told is an anthology of songs I wrote with my earlier bands from the mid 1980s through 2015. In 2015 I decided to leave my rock bands behind to funnel all my energy to my long-running country project with my own name attached to it. Previous versions of these songs were generally performed or recorded in a rock format so for this album I decided to strip some of my favorites down to their essence and record them acoustically. Since I’ve mainly stuck to the country and western swing genre over the last bunch of years this album should sound fresh and different to my listeners, and hopefully show a side of me they haven’t heard before. I would say the overarching theme is change or growth, as these songs not only come from different periods of my life as a songwriter from age eighteen to pushing fifty, but are reinterpreted to meet my current mood and interests.
Do you have any go-to albums to listen to in the van?
“Sandinista” by The Clash and “Evil Things” by James Hand come to mind as often played in the van. For a while we were listening to lots of the Dim Lights, Thick Smoke and Hillbilly Music anthologies that cover each year of classic country music. I also like to mix things up with different genres and give my ears a break from listening to just country. Traveling together in the van is a good time to collectively experience a particular album or artist that we generally don’t in other situations. I like to listen to new releases too in hopes of finding one that is particularly memorable.
What’s the best way a fan can support you?
There’s two main ways for fans to best support me. If I’m playing in their town they can come see my live shows, tip and buy merch. Alternatively, if I’m streaming they can watch and interact with me on the streaming platform and tip there, too. The other best way to support my efforts is to buy merch and music from me through my website, or my Bandcamp.
What’s the first concert you ever attended? What do you remember about it?
The first concert I attended was in the Bay Area of California when I was 8 years old. I saw Return to Forever which was a fusion jazz group from the 1970s featuring Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. They played at a theater in the round and I remember the stage slowly turning around throughout the show. It was a big band with maybe 15 members, including a horn section. The drummer in particular was amazing to watch as he played through all these progressive beats while flipping his sticks up in the air and catching them without missing a beat. I’ve never seen anything like it to this day. It was also the first time I smelled marijuana being smoked.
What 5 albums are you going to make your kid listen to and why?
I have three kids ranging in ages from late teens to early thirties. The reality of the situation is I’m not going to and have not made them listen to any of my favorite albums unless they have offhand heard me listening to them. Kids generally don’t listen to music their parents like until much later, if at all. It’s best to just let them discover what they like on their own.
One More Story Told will be available on August 13.
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