Hidden Folk Gem Daniel Isaiah Transcends on To Live a Wild Life LP
Montreal’s Daniel Isaiah is an artist that deserves your attention. A multi-talented musician, Isaiah has been captivating audiences with his performances on guitar and piano, all while leaving an indelible mark with his unique voice. His meticulously crafted songs have been called “stunning” by American Songwriter, reached #1 on Canadian campus stations, been selected as The Globe and Mail’s track of the week, and featured in rotation on CBC Radio 3.
Isaiah’s true gift, however, lies in his songwriting abilities, which have reached new heights on his new album, To Live a Wild Life. The songs create a compelling conversation, grappling with chaos and death, but ultimately affirming life in all its unpredictable twists and turns.
On “Brock Avenue,” Isaiah explains this track he had been humming for years. After two decades away from his childhood neighborhood, on a recent visit, he saw a familiar face in an old neighbor who hugged him in condolence of his mother’s passing—that moment inspired the process and weight of the single.
“The song seems to embrace all of my childhood. All of my love and loss,” he says.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Sure. My name is Daniel Isaiah. I’m a songwriter from Montreal, and I’ve just released my 4th album, To Live a Wild Life.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
The album comprises nine songs. It isn’t a concept album, but the songs kind of talk to each other. I put a lot of effort into writing them. I mean, finding the chord progressions and melodies was easy enough – but getting the lyrics to the point where I could say, “Okay, I’m done here” took a painfully long time.
The recording process was different. That part was fun and spontaneous: two days in the studio with two great musicians, Warren Spicer (Plants and Animals) and Stef Schneider (Belle Orchestre), plus overdubs. Warren also mixed the album. It was a pleasure watching him work. He has good instincts.
I was very happy with the results, so I splurged and pressed some vinyl. I’d never done that before.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
There’s no real method, except for staying with the songs. By that, I mean coming back to them often, being patient with them, and giving them the time they need to unfold. I love the craft of songwriting, but it can be very slow and hardgoing.
I’ve found that a lot of my songs contain within them the seeds of other songs. So writing one song often suggests another, and the work just goes on and on.
I try to go to my studio every day when I can. It’s on the top floor of a tall building with no elevator. So it’s a long climb up. The room itself has high ceilings and big windows. From where I sit at my keyboard I can see all of Mile End, and downtown, and the mountain, and the University of Montreal. In the summer I can see rain storms coming from miles away. I think that the view probably has something to do with the songs I’ve been writing.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
My wife has been filming me performing the songs. Her videos present the songs at their most elemental — just me at a keyboard. They seem to hold up that way, as solo performances. I’ve been uploading them to Youtube, and want to keep doing that.
Booking shows out of town is tricky – I don’t have a manager or booking agent. I played in Ottawa a couple of weeks ago, and in February I’ll be playing in Montreal and then Quebec City.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
I guess recording my first album, High Twilight, at The Treatment Room. We recorded the title track pretty much live-off-the-floor, and there was a feeling in the room that we were creating something special.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
Marcus Lowry’s new album “Time, Time, Time” is pretty good.
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