Well, the time has come for the improvised late-night lullabies of goodnight, los angeles to make their way in the world. We’ve been working for a long time to make it a beautiful and interesting album and for the visuals to be equally entrancing. Now the melodies and the mushrooms are going to have to do the work. I’m really proud of this record and the list of people to thank is long, but I at least want to mention Sara Mulford, John Mark Nelson, Jim Grant, Kevin McNally, Yazz Alali, Sarah Ann Nelson, Daniel Ficca, and Jim Wilson. I hope you enjoy it on a late night, whether you’re in LA or somewhere very far from here. Peace, Dan.

Stream/Buy, “good night, los angeles” now!

The new single from my album of improvised piano lullabies, good night, los angeles, is a song called “ventura.“ The tracks on the album are all named after streets that are important to me in LA. And each of them has a video attached to it that depicts a native Californian mushroom species lin its natural (or imaginary) habitat. The “ventura” clip features the famous (infamous?) Psilocybe semilanceata. These beautiful animations are by Sara Nelson, who is a scientific illustrator by day. But by night, apparently she paints freaky pictures of psychedelic mushrooms.

Stream/Buy, “ventura” now!

Here’s the second release from good night, los angeles, titled “laurel.” I think this is the one where I realized I was completely free chordally from pop music. These songs could go anywhere, harmonically – and that was very liberating.

Stream/Buy, “laurel” now!

I’m very happy to tell you that I’ve just released an EP of the first tracks from my upcoming instrumental album good night, los angeles.

The EP is called good night deervale, moorpark, tujunga,

The album was born from a weekly artistic practice: late Sunday nights when everyone was asleep, I would sit down at the piano and make up a simple, melodic instrumental piece of music on the spot. Then I’d share it on Instagram with the caption #goodnightlosangeles. I ended up making nearly 200 of these songs. 

The songs were like late-night improvised lullabies. It was a calming and meditative practice for me to make them – and when I posted them online, people told me again and again that they themselves found the melodies calming and meditative. A lot of listeners asked me If I would make a playlist of them. 

So late last year, I compiled my favorites into an album for a January release. Then the wildfires hit my town. For a time I hesitated. I didn’t want to appear tone-deaf – especially given the album’s title. But now I can’t help wanting to move forward and share this music with you. 

I’m from Minneapolis, but I’ve lived here in LA since 2010 and good night, los angeles is a love letter to my adopted city. I want to dedicate it to the musical community I’ve become a part of here, and to anyone who needs a late-night improvised lullaby to calm their heart and transport them to the peace of those quiet nights here in LA.
– Dan

Stream/Buy, “good night deervale, moorpark, tujunga” now!

What a soulful, joyful, funny, complicated, challenging, satisfying labor of rock band love it was to create this batch of songs! Thank you all for listening to our music for all these years.
– Dan

Stream/Buy, “Little Bit of Sun” now!