Music

Dan's early musical influences came from country, gospel and 50s, 60s Rock'n'Roll. There is no doubt his biggest early influence was Elvis Presley, but it was acts like the Everlly Brothers and the Doo-Wop groups of the late 50s that got him hooked on vocal harmony singing. And the great harmonies in country music are just one of the many aspects of the music which pulled him in. And it is classic country with a modern edge that he prefers to perform. What many would call the "real deal".

Dan loves to perform the classics from the likes of Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard, Ray Price and Lefty Frizzell. And the modern artists he covers are, not surprisingly, those who keep it traditional – the likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill and Randy Travis; and more recently Brad Paisley and Joe Nichols.

Naturally, as you would expect, Dan’s own material is written with a traditional approach. “She’s On Her Way Out” is a bluegrass-influenced number with plenty of banjo and mandolin which join the almost mandatory fiddle and pedal steel guitar, both of which are very much up-front in such songs as “Some Things I Like” and “From A Jack To A Joker”. The latter a tongue-in-cheek reworking of the Ned Miller classic “From A Jack To A King”, and the former evocative of the great Ray Price shuffle sound which became such a driving force for decades worth of country hits.

You can buy Dan’s recordings right here at danwesley.co.uk by going to our online store. Dan currently has four six-track EPs of country covers available as well as his award-winning songs currently available on 2-track singles. These songs will be available on the long awaited album “From A Jack To A Joker” slated for release in the summer of 2009.

Also available in our store are four annual Best Of British Country CDs released by Silver Heart Records featuring many of British country music’s top artistes including Dan himself.