Dan Michaelson - First Light (2017)

In 2001 Dan Michaelson was living in Reykjavik, Iceland. Pondering the practical applications of his Fine Art degree and fussing over a handful of demos he had made in England 6 months previously, he returned to London, moved into an abandoned Jewish tearoom and theatre (which also housed the Lithuanian Social Club in the basement) and committed himself writing songs for the foreseeable future. The first fruits of this were heard on 2005’s DonkeyStock, one of three records under the name Absentee.

Between 2006-2009 the band recorded two more albums of (reasonably) articulate alt country tinged rock before each member took separate directions in search of something new. Shortly after, Dan started work on a solo album. Icelandic producer Valgier Sigurdsson (Bjork, Bonnie"Prince" Billy, Sigur Ros) came to stay in London, producing the tracks Michaelson had written. This quickly led to the formation the Coastguards, a beautiful collection of musicians willing to keep the creaking ship Michaelson afloat. The culmination of these efforts was called Saltwater, released on the Memphis Industries label in March 2009.

"Your ears naturally tune into Michaelson's skill at putting words to the parts of relationships that usually stay silent. The cruel asymmetry of romance is addressed exquisitely, recalling the resigned grandeur of the Go-Betweens' Robert Forster " 4/5 The Times

"a set of frighteningly good songs 4/5 The Stool Pigeon

"a voice deeper and darker than most extended overdrafts - Michaelson is on endearingly poetic form" NME

"Michaelson gets as close to a prodigy of Leonard Cohen as is tastefully possible. I’m spellbound" Plan B

After spending the remainder of 2009 on tour, a core group of Coastguards emerged through a combination of enthusiasm and pure, old-fashioned stubbornness. Inevitably the solo project gradually grew back into a band. Those Coastguards began work on a second record in January 2010.

Produced by Dan and released on his own short run, screen printed release label Editions, 9 songs were recorded in the first half of 2010 to make up the second album "Shakes". Inspired in equal parts by the soul and country classic songwriters, Shakes was met with widespread acclaim and even managed to spawn a 6music single of the week in the shape of Love Lends A Hand.

"an intensely felt and sparsely drawn study of the beginnings and ends of relationships" Time Out
"Spellbinding, genuinely heartbreaking songs.." The Quietus

In 2011 change beckoned and Dan found himself settling for a time in the small town of Marfa, Texas.. A community of artists, writers and musicians drawn to the town made famous by the Minimalist artist and architect Donald Judd. The time here inspired Dan’s third album Sudden Fiction (2012), focusing on "Doing the most possible with the smallest amount" The result was a bare bones collection of songs as sparse and atmospheric as the Texan desert itself. Sudden Fiction featured in both the Rough Trade and Mojo Albums of the Year polls.

“Michaelson is a master” The Times
“100% Proof.” Mojo
“Michaelson is a master of bleak atmosphere” Q
“one of the finest contemporary chroniclers of the highs, lows and all points in between of emotional engagement” The Quietus.

Having taken this Minimalist theme to a conclusion, 2013 release Blindspot reunited the Coastguards on a record that included sweeping cellos and French horns amongst the trademark vocals and acoustic guitar. The single Sheets managed to find its way to the airwaves despite not being particularly radio friendly, eventually reaching Pitchfork, where it received dizzying praise.

“the kind of thing you cling to in a storm: sturdy as an oak creaking with a certain humanity” PITCHFORK

“Michaelson’s baritone possesses the grain and dirt of life” MOJO

August 2014 saw the release of Michaelson's much celebrated album Distance, a record written in Montauk, New York. Focusing in on the aftermath of failed love and the reconciliation of the past with the now, Distance received rave reviews and soundtracked some of the hit television series Shameless US starring William H Macy.

"A miniature masterpiece, highly recommended" 4/5 The Guardian
"Forlorn americana to rival The National" 4/5 NME
"Melancholic gold" 4/5 Mojo

Following this, Dan teamed up with Johnny Flynn to score two series of the Bafta Award winning BBC4 series Detectorists staring Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook. He then moved on to produce the much loved Old Magik album for Steven James Adams. By the end of 2015 focus was drawn back to his own song writing and Dan began work on his 6th studio album. Memory was released Memory on 6th May 2016 and received high praise including:

Guardian 4/5 "Magical, melancholy songs"
Telegraph 4/5 "A miserabalist masterpiece"
Independent 4/5 "An understated delight"
Mojo 4/5 " Croaking like a ship’s hull coming apart"
Uncut 4/5 "The laureate of emotional desolation"
Q 4/5 "Emotional rescue"
The Line of Best Fit " a genuine innovator and artist"
NME "A magnificently melodic masterpiece from London's answer to Leonard Cohen"
Dan Michaelson is currently on tour.

Track List:
01. Careless
02. Sand
03. Someone Else’s Dream
04. Stone
05. Careless (Reprise)
06. Old Kisses
07. But I’ll Never Be Lost
08. First Light
09. Don’t Let It Pass

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