R13 Have you found it hard to prioritise your work as a producer and your own music?
Daniel: I shift from one to the other. Lucky for me I am not shifting from music to gold mining. I am shifting from one responsibility to music to a second responsibility to music.
R13 What was the inspiration behind the film, 'Here Is What Is'?
Daniel: It started out as an innocent invitation for the camera to capture the unfolding moment in the recording studio. The more we filmed the more I fell in love with the movement of the fingers on the instruments. We live in a time with a lot of fast edits, I’m happy to celebrate the dancing fingers of Garth Hudson, the dedicated drum strokes of Brian Blade and at a moment of self celebration, my own fingers on the steel guitar.
R13 What inspires your music?
Daniel: Life inspires my music, it seems that no matter what rises or falls certain values never change. The best values live at the centre of music.
R13 Presumably you're now in a position where you choose whose work you will produce, how do you judge what is worthy of your time?
Daniel: I respond to invitation, try me.
R13 You've described the production process as "elusive", what's the mystery behind it and what would you say is the attraction of the job?
Daniel: I never thought about it as a job. In regards to the mystery of it all, I love harmonic interplay. It’s hard to describe what resonates with people, but first I like to trust what resonates in me. Once I get past my education and my advice to the people at hand I just follow my own instinct as a musical force.
R13 What do you think of the Canadian music scene these days?
Daniel: I sense a confidence in the air coming from Canada. I am not completely aware of what’s going on, but I like Martha Wainwright.
R13 Most of the artists with whom you've worked are relatively established, would you ever take a chance on new bands?
Daniel: Yes, his name’s Rocco Deluca
R13 What's the most inspiring piece of music you've heard recently?
Daniel: “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, which I heard on a TV commercial for an insurance Company.
R13 Which 5 pieces of musical equipment could you not create a record without?
Daniel: My steel guitar, my bass guitar, my electric guitar, my acoustic guitar and my piano.