EP review: DAVE HANSON – Live!

 DAVE HANSON - Live!

www.davehansonmusic.co.uk Six String Social Records [Release date 31.03.17]

Dave Hanson was the guitarist with folk pop band the Dunwells and he’s now gone solo, releasing his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Almost Horizontal’ last year. Less than a year later he has followed that up with this five song live EP, which features four songs from that album plus a cover of Santana’s ‘Evil Ways’. His musical palate is far removed from that of the Dunwells, encompassing soul, blues, reggae, rock and pop, all mixed together to provide an enticing musical sound.

He has been touring relentlessly including a tour around Caffe Nero’s where he was their ‘Artist Of The Month’. The EP has a fantastic sound and Dave Hanson is backed by a very talented bunch of musicians, including backing vocalist Becka Ward, who really comes into her own on ‘Midday Sun’.

His guitar playing is quite simply stunning, whether it be the laid back reggae playing on ‘Midday Sun’ or the impressive version of Santana’s ‘Evil Ways’, Dave Hanson impresses you. The playing is blues based, yet has a nice touch of soul in it.

Pick of the EP for me is ‘Blind Faith’, where the autobiographical lyric and music sit so well together. ‘Joanna’ deserves to be blasting out on the airwaves as it is a catchy little ditty and perfect for a summer’s day.

Dave Hanson continues to impress, proving he can successfully transfer the songs recorded on his debut releases into a live setting. Do yourself a favour and grab this EP and his debut album, you won’t be disappointed.  ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

Some quick Q’s with Dave Hanson…

How did you decide which songs to release on the ‘Live!’ EP and how did you get such a good live sound on the CD?

We recorded the entire 2 hour show and intended to release an album, but I was having such a good time onstage that night that I forgot the lyrics to a load of songs so we had to release an EP!

I suppose the CD sounds good because everyone is having fun playing the songs. You can really hear that in the performance.

You have a good band backing you. How did you hook-up with them and will they appear on any future releases?

I’ve slowly been putting together the band for the last year – right now we’ve hit on a magical combination. All the musicians are at the top of their game and it just gels really well. We’ve got Steve Hanley on drums, Martin Longhawn on Keyboards, Sam Quintana on Bass and Matt Baxter on Guitar. Plus Becka ward singing backing vocals. They’ll definitely feature on any new material I release.

Have you been pleased with the response to your debut album ‘Almost Horizontal’ from both fans and reviewers?

I’ve been really pleased with how well it’s been received. I had a lot of positive reception from Music Press – Maverick Magazine actually gave it 5 out of 5 stars! And I still get lovely messages from people telling me how much they enjoy listening to the songs!

What made you want to go solo and leave the relative safety/comfort of being in a band like the Dunwells?

Well the Dunwells wanted to go in a different musical direction to me – and although I miss being in that band and the fun we had on and off stage, I’m now playing the music that I always wanted to play.

What was it like playing the Caffe Nero’s and did you see a increase in interest in your music?

The Caffe Nero tour was amazing to do. I love coffee so that was a perfect place for me to spend my days….Nero have been so supportive of my music. It was great to play in new cities that I haven’t performed in before and spread the word about my music!

What have you got planned for the rest of the year and beyond?

I’m releasing Almost Horizontal – my debut album – on Vinyl. It’s something that people have been asking for. We’ll be announcing a tour for September in the UK. In the meantime the best way for people to keep up to date is to visit my website - www.davehansonmusic.co.uk and sign up for my mailing list.

Message for your fans...

I think my music sounds best when the sun is shining and it’s played LOUD!


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