Self-proclaimed “alt-folk rock” songwriter Dan Tedesco is taking rock ‘n’ roll to strange, new places. Well, how to release it, at the very least.
Tired of relying on social-media algorithms to reach an audience, and annoyed with the traditional process of releasing music, the Midwest singer-songwriter began the Dan Tedesco Music Channel in 2020. It’s set up similarly to a patron page, but it’s more intimate and is a different take on the album format in general.
“An artist can spend thousands of dollars and years of their life creating a new batch of music and, once released, it’s old after a week or two,” Tedesco says. “The industry, at large, is caught straddling the past and the future. Change takes time – but there is no time like now.”
Tedesco calls his re-imagining of the album format “releasing horizontally instead of vertically.” He doesn’t release albums and EPs in their completed form. Instead, songs are delivered one at a time, featuring distinct liner notes and artwork. Tedesco gives an inner view of how he creates throughout the release process.
Sounds like an interesting idea, but does it work? Also, how exactly does it work? In this Something Else! interview, Dan Tedesco explains. He also gives us a glimpse at his latest release Morning Bells, a significant departure from his earlier more straightforward singer-songwriter material.
ERIK RITLAND: How would you describe your music? Who are your biggest influences?
DAN TEDESCO: I’d describe what I do as some form of alternative folk rock. There will almost always be a degree of social consciousness and storytelling in my lyrics, although more recently they’ve become much more impressionistic as opposed to narrative based. Sonically, I’m drawn to very organic instrumentation, but am fascinated by juxtaposing those sounds against electronic/non-organic elements – drum loops, synths, etc. I feel like that relationship mirrors my generations experience overall. Influences run the gamut – Dylan, Springsteen, Tom Waits, Tom Petty, John Coltrane, Radiohead, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Tool, Rush, Van Halen, Wes Montgomery, the Who, Beethoven, the early stuff from Queens of the Stone Age. It’s really difficult for me to only list a few major influences.
ERIK RITLAND: Briefly, how does the Dan Tedesco Music Channel work?
DAN TEDESCO: The DTMC delivers by way of weekly broadcast (aka email) every Monday night at 8PM CST, linking to various pieces of content. While the broadcast is the direct point of communication, it really acts as a pass through to the heart of the channel. Each week, I always provide a link to something called the DTMC Archive, where everything lives after its initial release on the channel – my entire back catalog, complete with lyrics, credits and artwork; the entire video catalog of From a House in Iowa sessions, my 2017 Chasing the Lightning documentary, amongst other things. This archive gives people a way to go back to various content they may have missed along the way. One big point is that there’s no need for a username/password. You join the DTMC and, beginning with your welcome email, can start checking out music and other content literally within two clicks.
ERIK RITLAND: What does a release schedule look like on the Dan Tedesco Music Channel? What kinds of interactions do you have with your fans? Do fans interact with each other?
DAN TEDESCO: I schedule my releases following something I’ve dubbed “horizontal vs. vertical,” which references the timing of each track. Instead of dropping an entire album/EP in one day, I stretch it out to one song a month. For example, Morning Bells, a three-song EP, will run for three months – February through April. If it were to be a full-length album, say 10 or 12 songs, that would release over the course of 10 to 12 months. I believe this model fits more in line with the level of modern-day attention spans and the absolutely insane amount of content being thrown at people, essentially 24/7. As far as interactions, I receive emails regularly from fans talking about various pieces of content on the channel – songs, videos, stories, etc. I also receive comments on different videos from my weekly From a House in Iowa sessions that are hosted on the DTMC.
ERIK RITLAND: What are some successes and struggles you’ve had with the Dan Tedesco Music Channel? Have you ever been tempted to go back to the more traditional formats of releasing music?
DAN TEDESCO: One of my biggest concerns upon the initial launch was ensuring there was enough content to satisfy the subscription fees. What I’ve found over the last year and half is that there may, at times, be too much content. A few people who have left the channel have done so simply because they couldn’t keep up, and felt it wasn’t worth continuing to pay for a membership if they didn’t have the time to really dive-in. The other challenge, which is not really any surprise, is the price vs. other subscription fees. I think it’s easy to mistakenly compare the DTMC to Spotify, Apple Music, etc. and their respective fees. However, the music channel is about much more than simply streaming songs. Ensuring that message is clear to anyone interested in checking out the music channel is paramount.
As far as successes, I consider the whole platform to be a success. It’s been a long time coming for me to get it all together, and the fact that even a handful of fans, let alone nearly 100, have jumped into it with me is something I’m incredibly grateful for. It’s even developed an audience internationally, which I didn’t expect to have happen as quickly as it has.
ERIK RITLAND: How do you still use traditional social media and streaming platforms?
DAN TEDESCO: Traditional social media, which is a funny phrase to me because I guess social media has been around long enough now that it can be referred to as “traditional,” is something I use to continue to keep my audience updated as to what is happening on the DTMC, as well as with my tour schedule. To my mind, streaming platforms = modern day radio. In that sense, I’m using them to release singles from projects for discoverability’s sake, and for those who might not want to make the full commitment to the DTMC.
ERIK RITLAND: How many albums/EPs have you released on the DTMC since its inception?
DAN TEDESCO: Three if you include the current Morning Bells EP. In 2020, I released my Dopamine EP, followed by 2021’s live album Live @ IPR Studio One (3.21.18).
ERIK RITLAND: What are some of the influences on Morning Bells, both musically and lyrically? Are you going about songwriting and creating in a different way than you have in the past?
DAN TEDESCO: Lyrically, I’d say Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Kendrick Lamar. This was really the first time I ever let the rhythm and phrasing of the lyrics direct things almost exclusively. There is almost a hip-hop quality to them. Musically, I’ve described this particular EP as being Bob Dylan + John Coltrane + Radiohead + Tool. I’d still say that really nails the greater influences involved.
ERIK RITLAND: Say a little bit about the first single from Morning Bells, “Firecrackers at Dawn.”
DAN TEDESCO: The opening track began on piano with the chorus lyric, “It’s OK if the things you love let you down once in a while.” I played that over and over. Ultimately, the song acts as a reminder that it’s OK when the things you hold the closest to you – the things you might never think could ever disappoint – do just that. Call it forgiveness or awareness. I think in the last few years, that’s something we’ve all had to deal with, whether it be within ourselves or on a societal level. It is an active thing, something that takes real effort, to maintain this perspective. Morning Bells is much about arriving a fresh place – a clear mind, if you will. The road to that open space starts with “Firecrackers at Dawn.”
Musically, it is built on a few drums loops I created banging on the body of my acoustic guitar. I also interjected an odd-meter line in the middle, with a sax solo over it and a unison melody line, in a similar vein to the breakdown in Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke.” This ultimately resolves into a final verse and an outro chorus that layers different lyrical pieces of the entire song against a really soulful tenor-sax performance, which might call to mind some of Gerry Rafferty’s work. The whole piece is very epic in the sense that there are distinct sections. It’s not your typical verse / chorus / verse / chorus / bridge / chorus/end. I haven’t really written in this style in quite awhile, and it was really refreshing to break free of some of the more traditional songwriting formats. It feels like you’re on a ride.
ERIK RITLAND: Do you have anything else going on of note?
DAN TEDESCO: I’ve just about wrapped up revisiting an outtake from 2019’s American Darkness with producer/mix engineer Duane Lundy, which should be released sometime this year. Very excited about how that turned out.
ERIK RITLAND: What are some of your goals for the future, both with music and with the DTMC?
DAN TEDESCO: I’m in the midst of finishing up a new full-length record – which, if all goes to plan, will most likely start releasing on the DTMC later this year. As for the DTMC itself, I have an idea about hosting an artist-in-residency for a month at a time as a way to help showcase other artists and share them with what is turning into a very dedicated audience.
I have some additional ideas of ways to collaborate more with artists outside of the music realm, too. I think the DTMC could be an opportunity to expand and create a really special place, beyond what I’m doing specifically. I’m more interested in developing in that sense than I am in numbers of members, etc. Musically, I’ve spent the last 10 years performing, primarily as a solo artist. With Morning Bells now seeing the light of day, I’d like to start playing more shows with a band. If you get a chance to listen to the EP, you’ll see why I say that.
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