{"history":[],"article":{"id":"3bc841dd-3711-494d-a281-49aeb180a18f","title":"David Karsten Daniels","slug":"david-karsten-daniels","content":":::summary\n![David Karsten Daniels in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (2007)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/Dkdfatcat.jpg)\n**Name:** David Karsten Daniels \n**Origin:** [Lubbock, Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/lubbock-texas), [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states) \n**Genre:** [Indie rock](https://bliptext.com/articles/indie-rock) [Indie folk](https://bliptext.com/articles/indie-folk) [Americana](https://bliptext.com/articles/americana-music) [Indie pop](https://bliptext.com/articles/indie-pop) \n**Occupation:** Musician \n**Instrument:** Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Violin, Cello, Programming \n**Years Active:** 2000–present \n**Associated Acts:** Fight the Big Bull, Frigtened Rabbit, The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers, Kapow! Music, [The Physics of Meaning](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-physics-of-meaning), Our Brother the Native, Penny and Sparrow, -topic, Lex Land, Chris Walker, Driver Friendly, The Many Hands, Matthew E. White \n**Website:** davidkarstendaniels.tumblr.com/ \n**Label:** [Fat Cat Records](https://bliptext.com/articles/fat-cat-records), Bu_hanan, Carpi Records \n:::\n\n# \n**David Karsten Daniels** is an American singer-songwriter with an affinity for \"slow-creeping songs that, once at full power, are like nothing else\".\nHis recordings are typically combinations of many styles of music sitting underneath lyrics that explore topics such as life & death, family dynamics, religion, neuroscience, the nature of change and the natural world.\n\n# Early life\nDaniels was born in [Lubbock, Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/lubbock-texas).\nHis formative years were spent in [Montgomery, Alabama](https://bliptext.com/articles/montgomery-alabama), singing in school and church choirs, and studying the piano and guitar.\nDaniels spent two years in the [American Boychoir School](https://bliptext.com/articles/american-boychoir-school), an all boy's boarding school in Princeton, New Jersey where he was exposed to college level music theory and ear training.\nHe played in jazz ensembles throughout high school in [Montgomery, Alabama](https://bliptext.com/articles/montgomery-alabama) and [Dallas, Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/dallas-texas).\nIn college, David majored in music composition and played double bass in the symphony orchestra.\nA course in Free Improvisation taught by trombonist/improviser/lecturer Kim Corbett would prove to be major turning point in David's approach to composition.\n\n# Career\nWhile obtaining his bachelor's degree from [Southern Methodist University](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-methodist-university), through which he studied in [Paris, France](https://bliptext.com/articles/paris-france), as well as in Texas, David worked on the recordings that would become his first two albums, The Mayflower and Out From Under Ligne 4.\nFollowing graduation in 2001, David moved briefly to Portland, Oregon where he began work on the recordings that would become his third album, Angles.\nin 2002, David moved to [Chapel Hill, North Carolina](https://bliptext.com/articles/chapel-hill-north-carolina).\nThere, the [Bu hanan Collective](https://bliptext.com/articles/bu-hanan-collective) was formed by David and longtime friends and band mates [Daniel Hart](https://bliptext.com/articles/daniel-hart-musician) and Alex Lazara.\nIn 2006, David was signed by [Fat Cat Records](https://bliptext.com/articles/fat-cat-records) of [Brighton](https://bliptext.com/articles/brighton), England, and released his fourth album, Sharp Teeth as a co-release between Fat Cat and Bu hanan.\nHe followed that with Fear of Flying in 2008, a meditation on death and the afterlife.\nHis next LP, \"I Mean to Live Here Still,\" (2010) is a song cycle using the texts of Henry David Thoreau, with Daniels' music and singing accompanied by [Fight the Big Bull](https://bliptext.com/articles/fight-the-big-bull), a nonet from Richmond, VA led by [Matthew E. White](https://bliptext.com/articles/matthew-e-white).\nThat album, characterized by The Line of Best Fit as \"brave and beautiful [...], marrying the North American folk vernacular with interesting free-jazz textures and atmospheres\" was called one of the \"5 Best Genre Defying Albums of 2010\" by [NPR](https://bliptext.com/articles/npr).\nIn 2014, Daniels created the score for S. Cagney Gentry's feature film Harvest.\nDavid released his first largely instrumental album The Four Immeasurable Minds in 2015.\nIn 2016 he released 2 records, The Teacher a lo-fi full length heavily dependent on field recordings as well as his 9th studio album Kaleidoscope, an EP released May 19, 2016.\nA Single, Rules for Rules is out November 2019.\nDavid has toured with Frightened Rabbit, Mice Parade, Tom Brosseau, Nina Nastasia, and Arboretum, and played shows with Animal Collective, Vashti Bunyan, Okkervil River, the Bowerbirds, the Mountain Goats, Low Barlow, Vetiver, David Bazan, Roman Candle, Richard Buckner, St. Vincent, Cass McCombs, Shearwater, Castanets, the Twilight Sad, DeYarmond Edison, and Retribution Gospel Choir.\n\n# Discography\n\n# Collaborations\nIn 2008, [Fat Cat](https://bliptext.com/articles/fat-cat-records) asked Daniels to do additional recording and remix [Frightened Rabbit](https://bliptext.com/articles/frightened-rabbit)'s It's Christmas So We'll Stop.\nIn 2011, Daniels contributed a remix to [Our Brother the Native](https://bliptext.com/articles/our-brother-the-native)'s [Rhythm Hymns](https://bliptext.com/articles/rhythm-hymns-recording).\nIn 2014, Daniels contributed string and horn arrangements to [Penny and Sparrow](https://bliptext.com/articles/penny-and-sparrow)'s [Struggle Pretty](https://bliptext.com/articles/struggle-pretty-recording).\n\n# Sharp Teeth Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tOrgan, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Piano, Cello, Drums, Glockenspiel, Guitar (Electric), Tambourine, Vocals\nAimee Argote -\tVocals\nAaron Bratcher -\tTrombone (Bass), Trombone (Tenor)\nDane Daniels -\tDrums, Tambourine, Vocals\nDaniel Hart -\tViolin, Viola\nEric Haugen -\tGuitar (Electric)\nAlex Lazara -\tOrgan, Synthesizer, Piano, Vocals, Engineer, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes\nSara Morris -\tOrgan, Cello, Vocals\nZac Petersen -\tTrumpet\nTim Phillips -\tTrumpet\nJohn Ribo -\tGuitar (Electric), Vocals\nJason Sayers -\tTrombone (Tenor)\nJoshua Snyder -\tDrums\nMara Thomas -\tVocals\nErin Wright -\tVocals\nPerry Wright -\tTambourine, Vocals\nJoseph P. Zoller -\tSax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)\n\n# Fear of Flying Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tBass, Guitar, Percussion, Drums, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals, Engineer, Mixing\nDaniel Hart -\tViolin\nSara Morris -\tVocals\nJohn Ribo -\tVocals\nWendy Spitzer -\tOboe\nDylan Thurston -\tDrums\nPerry Wright -\tVocals, Handclaps\n\n# I Mean To Live Here Still Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tvocals, acoustic guitar
\nBob Miller - trumpet, piccolo trumpet
\nJason Scott - clarinet, flute, saxophone
\nJohn Lilley - saxophone, clarinet
\nReggie Pace - trombone, tuba, claps
\nBryan Hooten - trombone
\nCameron Ralston - upright bass
\n[Matthew E. White](https://bliptext.com/articles/matthew-e-white) - horn arrangements, electric guitar
\nPinson Chanselle - drums
\nBrian Jones - percussion
\nGabe Churray - synthesizer
\nAlex Lazara - organ, mellotron
\nTrey Pollard - pedal steel
\nEddie Prendergast - electric bass
\nToby Whitaker - trombone
\nPerry Wright - bass voice\n\n# The Four Immeasurable Minds Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tGuitar (Electric), Recorder, Keyboards, Vocals\nK. - \tVocals\n\n# Kaleidoscope Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels - vocals, guitar, bass, percussion, drums, keys, programming, violin\nChris Walker - drums, percussion, guitar, drums, keys, programming, violin, vocals\nDane Daniels - drums, percussion, vocals\nAbbey Daniels - vocals, bass\nKyle Henson - drums, percussion, vocals\nBen Jousan - guitar, vocals\nLex Land - vocals\n-topic - vocals\nK8 - vocals\nK. - vocals\nDashon Moore-Guidry - additional percussion\nJuan Lopez - handclaps, vocals\nAaron Carpenter - handclaps\n\n# The Teacher Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -vocals, guitar, bass, percussion, drums, keys, programming,\nK. - Vocals\nDaniel Hunt.\n- Drums\nK8 - Vocals\nTara Toms - Vocals\n\n# Pictures of Pluto Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tGuitar (Electric)\n\n# Works in radio, film and TV","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-26T10:08:48.851Z","updated_at":"2025-01-26T10:08:48.851Z","search_vector":"'daniel':3 'david':1 'karsten':2","search_content":" \n \n**Name:** David Karsten Daniels \n**Origin:** [Lubbock, Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/lubbock-texas), [United States](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-states) \n**Genre:** [Indie rock](https://bliptext.com/articles/indie-rock) [Indie folk](https://bliptext.com/articles/indie-folk) [Americana](https://bliptext.com/articles/americana-music) [Indie pop](https://bliptext.com/articles/indie-pop) \n**Occupation:** Musician \n**Instrument:** Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Violin, Cello, Programming \n**Years Active:** 2000–present \n**Associated Acts:** Fight the Big Bull, Frigtened Rabbit, The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers, Kapow! Music, [The Physics of Meaning](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-physics-of-meaning), Our Brother the Native, Penny and Sparrow, -topic, Lex Land, Chris Walker, Driver Friendly, The Many Hands, Matthew E. White \n**Website:** davidkarstendaniels.tumblr.com/ \n**Label:** [Fat Cat Records](https://bliptext.com/articles/fat-cat-records), Bu_hanan, Carpi Records \n \n\n# \n**David Karsten Daniels** is an American singer-songwriter with an affinity for \"slow-creeping songs that, once at full power, are like nothing else\".\nHis recordings are typically combinations of many styles of music sitting underneath lyrics that explore topics such as life & death, family dynamics, religion, neuroscience, the nature of change and the natural world.\n\n# Early life\nDaniels was born in [Lubbock, Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/lubbock-texas).\nHis formative years were spent in [Montgomery, Alabama](https://bliptext.com/articles/montgomery-alabama), singing in school and church choirs, and studying the piano and guitar.\nDaniels spent two years in the [American Boychoir School](https://bliptext.com/articles/american-boychoir-school), an all boy's boarding school in Princeton, New Jersey where he was exposed to college level music theory and ear training.\nHe played in jazz ensembles throughout high school in [Montgomery, Alabama](https://bliptext.com/articles/montgomery-alabama) and [Dallas, Texas](https://bliptext.com/articles/dallas-texas).\nIn college, David majored in music composition and played double bass in the symphony orchestra.\nA course in Free Improvisation taught by trombonist/improviser/lecturer Kim Corbett would prove to be major turning point in David's approach to composition.\n\n# Career\nWhile obtaining his bachelor's degree from [Southern Methodist University](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-methodist-university), through which he studied in [Paris, France](https://bliptext.com/articles/paris-france), as well as in Texas, David worked on the recordings that would become his first two albums, The Mayflower and Out From Under Ligne 4.\nFollowing graduation in 2001, David moved briefly to Portland, Oregon where he began work on the recordings that would become his third album, Angles.\nin 2002, David moved to [Chapel Hill, North Carolina](https://bliptext.com/articles/chapel-hill-north-carolina).\nThere, the [Bu hanan Collective](https://bliptext.com/articles/bu-hanan-collective) was formed by David and longtime friends and band mates [Daniel Hart](https://bliptext.com/articles/daniel-hart-musician) and Alex Lazara.\nIn 2006, David was signed by [Fat Cat Records](https://bliptext.com/articles/fat-cat-records) of [Brighton](https://bliptext.com/articles/brighton), England, and released his fourth album, Sharp Teeth as a co-release between Fat Cat and Bu hanan.\nHe followed that with Fear of Flying in 2008, a meditation on death and the afterlife.\nHis next LP, \"I Mean to Live Here Still,\" (2010) is a song cycle using the texts of Henry David Thoreau, with Daniels' music and singing accompanied by [Fight the Big Bull](https://bliptext.com/articles/fight-the-big-bull), a nonet from Richmond, VA led by [Matthew E. White](https://bliptext.com/articles/matthew-e-white).\nThat album, characterized by The Line of Best Fit as \"brave and beautiful [...], marrying the North American folk vernacular with interesting free-jazz textures and atmospheres\" was called one of the \"5 Best Genre Defying Albums of 2010\" by [NPR](https://bliptext.com/articles/npr).\nIn 2014, Daniels created the score for S. Cagney Gentry's feature film Harvest.\nDavid released his first largely instrumental album The Four Immeasurable Minds in 2015.\nIn 2016 he released 2 records, The Teacher a lo-fi full length heavily dependent on field recordings as well as his 9th studio album Kaleidoscope, an EP released May 19, 2016.\nA Single, Rules for Rules is out November 2019.\nDavid has toured with Frightened Rabbit, Mice Parade, Tom Brosseau, Nina Nastasia, and Arboretum, and played shows with Animal Collective, Vashti Bunyan, Okkervil River, the Bowerbirds, the Mountain Goats, Low Barlow, Vetiver, David Bazan, Roman Candle, Richard Buckner, St. Vincent, Cass McCombs, Shearwater, Castanets, the Twilight Sad, DeYarmond Edison, and Retribution Gospel Choir.\n\n# Discography\n\n# Collaborations\nIn 2008, [Fat Cat](https://bliptext.com/articles/fat-cat-records) asked Daniels to do additional recording and remix [Frightened Rabbit](https://bliptext.com/articles/frightened-rabbit)'s It's Christmas So We'll Stop.\nIn 2011, Daniels contributed a remix to [Our Brother the Native](https://bliptext.com/articles/our-brother-the-native)'s [Rhythm Hymns](https://bliptext.com/articles/rhythm-hymns-recording).\nIn 2014, Daniels contributed string and horn arrangements to [Penny and Sparrow](https://bliptext.com/articles/penny-and-sparrow)'s [Struggle Pretty](https://bliptext.com/articles/struggle-pretty-recording).\n\n# Sharp Teeth Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tOrgan, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Piano, Cello, Drums, Glockenspiel, Guitar (Electric), Tambourine, Vocals\nAimee Argote -\tVocals\nAaron Bratcher -\tTrombone (Bass), Trombone (Tenor)\nDane Daniels -\tDrums, Tambourine, Vocals\nDaniel Hart -\tViolin, Viola\nEric Haugen -\tGuitar (Electric)\nAlex Lazara -\tOrgan, Synthesizer, Piano, Vocals, Engineer, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes\nSara Morris -\tOrgan, Cello, Vocals\nZac Petersen -\tTrumpet\nTim Phillips -\tTrumpet\nJohn Ribo -\tGuitar (Electric), Vocals\nJason Sayers -\tTrombone (Tenor)\nJoshua Snyder -\tDrums\nMara Thomas -\tVocals\nErin Wright -\tVocals\nPerry Wright -\tTambourine, Vocals\nJoseph P. Zoller -\tSax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)\n\n# Fear of Flying Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tBass, Guitar, Percussion, Drums, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals, Engineer, Mixing\nDaniel Hart -\tViolin\nSara Morris -\tVocals\nJohn Ribo -\tVocals\nWendy Spitzer -\tOboe\nDylan Thurston -\tDrums\nPerry Wright -\tVocals, Handclaps\n\n# I Mean To Live Here Still Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tvocals, acoustic guitar \nBob Miller - trumpet, piccolo trumpet \nJason Scott - clarinet, flute, saxophone \nJohn Lilley - saxophone, clarinet \nReggie Pace - trombone, tuba, claps \nBryan Hooten - trombone \nCameron Ralston - upright bass \n[Matthew E. White](https://bliptext.com/articles/matthew-e-white) - horn arrangements, electric guitar \nPinson Chanselle - drums \nBrian Jones - percussion \nGabe Churray - synthesizer \nAlex Lazara - organ, mellotron \nTrey Pollard - pedal steel \nEddie Prendergast - electric bass \nToby Whitaker - trombone \nPerry Wright - bass voice\n\n# The Four Immeasurable Minds Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tGuitar (Electric), Recorder, Keyboards, Vocals\nK. - \tVocals\n\n# Kaleidoscope Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels - vocals, guitar, bass, percussion, drums, keys, programming, violin\nChris Walker - drums, percussion, guitar, drums, keys, programming, violin, vocals\nDane Daniels - drums, percussion, vocals\nAbbey Daniels - vocals, bass\nKyle Henson - drums, percussion, vocals\nBen Jousan - guitar, vocals\nLex Land - vocals\n-topic - vocals\nK8 - vocals\nK. - vocals\nDashon Moore-Guidry - additional percussion\nJuan Lopez - handclaps, vocals\nAaron Carpenter - handclaps\n\n# The Teacher Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -vocals, guitar, bass, percussion, drums, keys, programming,\nK. - Vocals\nDaniel Hunt.\n- Drums\nK8 - Vocals\nTara Toms - Vocals\n\n# Pictures of Pluto Musicians\nDavid Karsten Daniels -\tGuitar (Electric)\n\n# Works in radio, film and TV","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}

History