Dan Rumsey is releasing a new album October 27 from 6:30-8:30pm at MetroNOME Brewery/Fingal’s Cave. Among other things, it’s a thoughtful look at very specific historical snapshots of local and global events. It conjures the enormity and intimacy of the world.
I know we had you on the show for the “all live singer songwriter show” but for folks who haven’t seen it, can you tell us about yourself and how you came to music?
When I was in grade school, my sister Anne and our friends would pretend the fire tending set in our basement were instruments. The shovel was the electric guitar, the poker was another guitar or a saxophone, the brush was the bass, and the rack was the drum set. We’d play along to our older siblings’ records such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Sam & Dave, Beach Boys and The Castaways. I played alto sax in grade school, “Georgie Girl” and Spinning Wheel” my favs and we had a piano in the house growing up. My oldest brother Tim taught me to play guitar and that was the end of the saxophone. Brother Mark launched me into the harmonica with these words, “Carry it with you and play it everywhere you go”. I took this to mean in the stair wells at college, over the intercom at work, or while taking a bath if there were good acoustics in the room. He carried his harmonica when hitchhiking to Alaska, Colorado and up the Gunflint Trail for the weekend! Our dad had jazz records and we had a piano at the house. Had a band in high school, The DRB. We played parties and some dances too. That was all back in the 1970’s, kids & peeps! Later, as a young adult, I hung around the West Bank and soaked up Willie Murphy, Baby Doo Caston, The Hoopsnakes, Minnesota Barking Ducks, The Butanes, Jerry Rau, Bill Hickley & Judy Larson, Ray & Glover and so many others.
Many of the songs on the new album (Just Let It Be, One Flag, ) seem to speak toward society issues. What was the inspiration or drive to write so frankly about these topics?
That must be the Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bruce Cockburn, Malvina Reynolds, Billy Bragg and Dylan influences. Also, because of the degradation of the planet (“treating our Mother like dirt”), endless war, and the mindless opinions and statements incessantly spewed all around us. When I write a topical song, I don’t want to sound preachy or like I know the answers. I ask questions and make observations.
What is the significance of 13 Lives? (I mean the number 13.)
The song is about the Tham Luang cave rescue which happened in Northern Thailand, July of 2018. Remember the soccer team of young boys (11-16) and their coach (25) who became stranded inside the cave network? They were not heard from for 10 days after the early high rains of monsoon season trapped them 2.5 miles from the entrance. It is quite an amazing story and is told in the documentary, “The Rescue”, directed and produced by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. Their bicycles were all by the entrance which brought their mothers, praying first, that they would be found alive and then, hoping that they would be rescued. The trapped team members are the “Thirteen Lives” and the “light” is the flashlights of the divers signifying the finding and rescuing of all the boys and their coach. It they weren’t rescued soon; the monsoon rains would have flooded the cave for months. This one comes from the songwriting group prompt, “Cave”.
Flowers on the Lamp Pole is one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s upbeat for a memorial song. Was there a certain flower, or lost love one that sparked this song for you?
I wrote most of this song after hearing that a young woman had jumped off the Franklin Ave bridge back in the late 1990’s. Soon after, I saw a lamp pole memorial on the bridge and it could have been the spot where she jumped. The music for the song has gone through a few changes through the years. I added another verse more recently, that includes other roadside memorials seen all too often out in the world. We always never know how much time we or our loved ones get on this trip. The incredible B3 and Wurlitzer playing is by Toby Lee Marshall.
Please tell us about the album release show.
The album release show will be Sunday, Oct. 27 from 6:30-8:30pm at MetroNOME Brewery/Fingal’s Cave, in Lowertown by the St. Paul Farmer’s Market. We have a great band lined up with Greg Schutte/drums, Eric Struve/bass, Christa Rubsam/cello & violin, Amy Finch/keys & vocals and Dan Schwartz/guitar. I will be playing guitar and singing. Uncle Dan’s String Band (Christa, Eric and i) will start out the night then the band will play through the album and finish off with some other songs and surprises. Ticket link is in the event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/GYKUaLoSbR1nv71K/
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