Interview with Mark C. Daniel
Mark C. Daniel recently released his new single "Lucky One"
STRATA: Your music seems to hold some vibe back to those Hall & Oates and Bryan Adams days. Is that the era your musical influences came from?
Mark C.Daniel: Thank you STRATA for your interest! Not necessarily.... coincidentally, my drummer Mickey Curry is the drummer for both Bryan Adams & Hall and Oates, lol .. I’m a 90’s kid so I was most impressionable during the grunge/90’s alternative rock era. I really don’t pull from one era in particular at this point or at any recent points in my life. In short .. I love great songs and passionate playing .. any era and any genre.
STRATA: "Lucky One" video development has a theatrical feel to it. How did the idea for the video come about? How do you feel it fits the lyrical content of your song?
Mark C. Daniel: The video was development & choreographed by Alison Cook-Beatty and performed by her dance company Alison-Cook-Beatty Dance. I’ve known Alison ever since we were kids in grade school, we went to High School together followed by her attending Boston Conservatory while I attended Berklee College of Music, which are across the street from each other. I’ve wanted to work with Alison for ages and when I received the first mix of the song, I called her. I sent a copy and a few weeks later she invited me to a dance studio. I was absolutely stunned when she played the song and the dance started to take form. I then contacted an incredibly talented director I work with, Tim O’Hanlon and voila.. here we are! I’m forever grateful to Allison and her extraordinary dancers as well as Tim and his team. I’m overjoyed with the result!
STRATA: How is the music scene where you perform most often?
Mark C. Daniel: Great!! There are many talented artists and musicians in Connecticut..full of inspiration !!
STRATA: Will rock and pop music always reach back to what it knows, or is rock possibly developing a new sound?
Mark C. Daniel: good question .. I’m not very good at predicting the future however it would be nice to think all genres could continue an amalgamation toward something newer. Takes courage for artists to do this …Songs and songwriting are the vehicles.
STRATA: What part do you think producers will continue to play in music development?
Mark C. Daniel: depends on a genre.. some genre are highly dependent on Producers.. today, the term Producer could mean anything from “Big studio budget” Producer to “Bedroom, living in your parent’s house” Producer.. both of which can be highly successful both artistically and commercially.
STRATA: Reading over your press, it seems your direction is to release new music about twice a year. Do you write and release music for yourself or for your listeners or for the sake of both?
Mark C. Daniel: Music like all the finest things in life is always best shared. It does indeed come from a personal space, even a narrative, but we as humans require “a witness” someone or “someone’s” to share it with.
STRATA: For your listeners and your growing platform - what is Mark C. Daniel presenting in 2024?
Mark C. Daniel: the best songs I can write along with playing to serve the song… and perhaps a little “monkeying around”, Lol !
Thank you again STRATA!
Directed by Tim O'Hanlon Director of Photography: JT WhiteChoreography: Alison Cook-Beatty Artistic Director: Alison Cook-Beatty Dance@ACBDa