Hailing from America and settling down in Northern Europe, Green uses his creative talents to tell the tales of the characters that pass through his life.
The latest single to be released, 'Keep The Fire Burning', acts as a perfect folk track to preface, and builds up anticipation for the release of the debut album 'Orange' - a twelve-track project full of melancholic and heartfelt tracks.
Recorded and produced during a tumultuous time, Green managed to allow his creativity to bloom and flourish as the world around him came to a standstill, and we're all the more thankful for it.
After the announcement of 'Orange', I had the pleasure of chatting with Green about his upcoming project, and the details surrounding Hotel California's inception.
Who is ‘Hotel California’?
Hi Lana, I’m Daniel Green, singer and songwriter of Hotel California. Thanks for having me.
In 2009 I wrote "The New Sound Of Folk“ for Hotel California, the band consisted of my brother Thom our friend Jakob and me back then. We played only a handful of shows but the record is still heard by quite a few people around the globe which is great. 12 years later I decided to write a second and a third album for this project but this time I work with Carl Albrecht another friend of mine. The others have different things to do. So HC is basically me with the help of Carl. It’s folk music between Wilco, Yo La Tengo and Villagers.
Tell us about your moniker! Is it taken from the Eagles track?
It is. We all know Hotel California by the Eagles and some of us might think this title is way too popular to name a band after it but I like it very much. For me Hotel California sounds like a place I’m longing to go to when times are rough. Maybe this evolved out of the times when I toured the U.S.A. in 2005 with my rock band as part of the VANS WARPED TOUR. In the evenings we headed down to the beach and something great touched my soul back then. This felt to me like Hotel California.
What attracted you to the world of music?
As a child I used to watch music videos on a b/w TV in the attic of my parents house. There was that one mash up by Take That that really fascinated me. They mashed up their own tracks with the Beatles and I thought I would love to stand there in front of all these people and sing. But more than that my parents went to church with me every week and I loved it when the people sung their hymns.
We loved your single ‘Some of you remember me like this’. Can you tell us more about it?
Sure. Not long ago we as a family lost two important members. With these tragic events dying and death moved into my focus. Before this I hardly thought about letting go and leaving earth sooner or later. When I wrote the phrase “Some of you remember me like this” I tried to put into words that I wish the people around me would like to remember me in a good way. I’m not planning to die soon nor am I that ill but we never know and so I wondered how one would remember me.
And when I sing about the “garden time with kids and friends” I describe a beautiful moment I picture for the time after Corona when I throw a big garden party for all the great people in the small village we live in.
Where do you find your inspiration?
It’s everywhere around me and in the things I experience. For example “Summer Son” from my new record Orange (out on June 4th) – I love the fragrance of lilac and I wrote a song about it. Or “Make Some Friends” – I took some branches of the trees I liked most in my grandmother’s garden before the house was sold last year. From these I created new trees which I hold dearly. They are kind of my “friends”. And as a last example – my son put a cherry stone in his left ear the other day, just to try it out. We had some trouble getting it out again. A doctor in a hospital had to remove it in a long procedure after drugging my four-year-old child with some fancy children’s shot. This day was more than strange and on top my wife was on a holiday trip and we called her on the way back from the hospital which was strange as well as you can imagine. A good story though.
How have you found lockdown – has it stunted your work or has it flourished?
It actually made me return to my project Hotel California. On the first day of the lockdown I wrote the first track “We Aren’t Made of Stone” and 26 followed till today. So my new record “Orange” and the follow up next year developed in the last 12 months of these odd times. I have to add that in the process of creating these tunes I found an old friend again I hadn’t talked to in 12 years. Carl and I used to play in a cool rock band together around 2006 before it all fell apart due to personal differences around 2009. I really loved making music with him but our friendship was broken back then. So when I had the first 12 songs finished last year I called him up and luckily we found each other again though music. That’s a great topic of the album as well.
Tell us about your upcoming album!
Orange is a 12 track album mostly recorded in my room. I then sent the tracks to Carl and he added great drums or basses to some of the tracks. For example on “Keep The Fire Burning” he plays the drums and the bass. He really is a great musician. I already told you some things about the tracks but I may add the record could probably be interesting for people who love folk music and stories.
You can order the album here: https://hotelcalifornia1.bandcamp.com/album/orange
There are 50 CDs left, since I had only 100 for sale. So if you are interested in listening to 12 summer inspired tunes and like to hold a cool design in your hand (my friend Benso created it) it might be something for you.
Is there a track on it that you’re particularly proud of?
I’m quite surprised of the outcome of some tracks. It’s not only my work we listen to here because there would be no songs without the stories around, no such songs without Carl playing drums or mixing the songs and a great friend Jörn who mastered the album. But if I had to choose two songs it would be “Make Some Friends” and “Deadlier Suns”. “Deadlier Suns” is a song for everybody who is too scared to leave the house from time to time. Due to fear of whatever we are troubled these days. Tommes Harta, another friend of mine, helped me produce this one and Carl played some drums later so it’s kind of the synopsis of the record.
You’ve cited taking influence from The Pixies – why are you drawn to their music in particular?
The Pixes are one band I admire for their song writing. It hits me in a spot I feel music. That’s almost it.
Any messages for your fans?
I hope you like the new Hotel California album Orange. If you do so and want to get in touch with me please do it.
Contact: band.hotelcalifornia@gmail.com
HC on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/09NHSrTBhydGUEl8iFOfCn
HC on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.hotelcalifornia/
HC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hotelcaliforniahome
HC on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HotelCa48207135
HC on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJH0sNlmuSIf8BlmvBK-E1g
Lana Williams
@swimdeeplana
Image: Provided by Artist
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