Indie rock musician Fo Daniels is ready to take chances. The artist, who won Album of the Year in the 2022 City Paper Music Awards for his album Imitation Roses, is currently in the process of recording his next body of work with Charleston producer Wolfgang Zimmerman of The Space.
“He’s kind of cerebral in his approach,” Daniels said of Zimmerman. “We’re using instruments in ways that I have not normally been accustomed to using them. In terms of tones and textures, it’s a little bit more ethereal.”
Daniels has found a newfound freedom in his musical journey tampering with and often crossing the boundaries that delineate category and style.
“I’m completely unrestricted by genre,” he said. “For this next album, it’s complete freedom.”
Of three tracks Daniels is currently recording, each has a different sound. One song, “The Merchant,” exhibits an indie rock mood that will feel familiar to those who know his music, with narrative-style lyrics that explore the sensation of loneliness that sometimes occurs even when surrounded by other people.
Another track experiments with a grittier punk sound, and a third track plays with influences of country rock, calling to mind bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival.
“You put out one album and everybody thinks you’re one thing, and then put out another song and everybody thinks you’re another thing, but the fun part about music is, there’s no need to make rules for ourselves,” Daniels said of engaging with diverse genres.
He will perform downtown at the Music Farm Sept. 1 joined by Charleston rock group The Simplicity and Charlotte-based outfit Deaf Andrews. It will be the first time Daniels has set foot on the Music Farm stage since the City Paper Music Awards showcase last fall. This coming performance will be the biggest hometown show yet for his band.
The Fo Daniels project now includes two consistent and official bandmates, bassist Grayson Lentz and drummer Ben Somerville.
“They’re part of the creative process,” Daniels said. “It makes a world of difference.”
Collaborating with the two musicians has resulted in even more creativity when writing and recording and allowed for a better, more connected flow and dynamic on stage.
“That chemistry is enormously important,” he said. “It allows us to take chances and improvise and do a lot of things on stage that you can’t when you’re playing with someone who just learns a part so they can get through the night.”
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