Dan Godlin has just released a new EP, In Between, which is a trip through pop rock melodies and lyrics that include both heartfelt lyrics and memorable melodic choruses. It brings to mind both past and present radio staples such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty, Counting Crows and Third Eye Blind, as well as The Fray,OneRepublic, The Script, and John Mayer.
Dan usually starts the process of songwriting by sitting at a keyboard and experimenting with chords until he comes up with something that inspires him. “But sometimes a melody will pop into my head so randomly when I’m outside running, or even in the shower,” he says. “For me, creative surges can come at any time. The key is to stay focused when they do so I can take full advantage of the process.”
Dan has already hit many major venues inNew YorkandL.A., so he’s somewhat established as a live performer. Some of the more prestigious places he’s graced the stage include The Bitter End, The Living Room and Pianos in New York, and the House Of Blues Sunset Strip, The Mint, and the Room 5 Lounge in Los Angeles.
While he is currently featuring tunes from his new EP at his shows, there are a number of tracks from his debut release that still get a lot of attention. “My favorite song on the debut album is the title-track, ‘Loving On Empty,’” he relates. “It’s a big power ballad with a lot of emotion. Some fan favorites are ‘Unsure,’ ‘Did She Look,’ and ‘Dance Baby.’ My favorite track on the upcoming EP is ‘Long Way Home.’ I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”
The name of the new EP, In Between, is actually a reference to what Dan has gone through in his life, and something that many people, both musicians and non-musicians alike, have wrestled with. “This EP speaks to a generation of people in their 20s who have graduated from the first chapter of their life and are thrown into the ‘real world’ with high hopes but no clear direction,” he explains. “It’s this time of our lives when we are sort of stuck in between the ‘fake’ and the ‘real’ world. It’s a nerve-racking time, but also a time for us to learn who we are and what we want out of life. The ‘in between’ is a scary, yet empowering place to be.”
Dan has had something of an alternate life going on for a long time, as his background as a star athlete was somewhat at odds with his propensity for soul searching, introspective songwriting. “I started writing music when I was 12 because it was an emotional outlet for me, but I didn’t get really serious about my music until the end of high school,” he recalls. “What’s interesting about me is that I was a big football player as well. I was actually an all-state linebacker and captain of my high school football team when I was a senior. I broke the record for single-season tackles that year. Football had always served as a physical outlet for me ever since my early Pop Warner days, but as I grew older I became the reclusive singer-songwriter on the side that people really didn’t see often. It became very tough for me to decide what I wanted to do with my life after high school. Top Ivy League colleges were scouting me for football, but I also had a very deep desire to go after music at the time. After my first semester at college in upstate New York, I ultimately decided to move out to L.A. to pursue music totally.”
Dan releases his music through his own label, which he anointed with the moniker 53 Records. “My label is called 53 Records because 53 is my favorite number,” he explains. “It’s surrounded me ever since I was a little kid. From all my sports numbers in high school to my childhood home address inBoston. It’s my lucky number, so it made sense to give my label a lucky name.”
While most pop-oriented artists have dreams of radio stardom and financial riches, Dan cites musical progress as a more pressing issue. “My musical goal is to continue getting better,” he muses. “Every piece of music I put out should show personal and artistic growth from the last album.” He wouldn’t mind a little exposure and success within the industry, however. “And of course, my professional goal is to be recognized on a larger scale for the music I put out,” he adds.
You can find out more about Dan and the release of In Between on his website, dangodlin.com, and obtain it via iTunes.
