Today’sbands need a hook. The hook could be a number of thingsnovelinfluences, Halloween masks, a highly publicized substance abuseproblem, whateverbut they’ve got to have some panache and aninimitable shtick. The Daniel Nathan Band has both. The Milwaukee-basedband is a self described psychedelic soul trio, its tunes undeniablyinspired by the ’70s and stewed in Southern blues. It’s not thewell-crafted songs or Nathan’s mannish boy vocals that make the boldestfirst impression. Instead it’s what Nathan calls the band’s “proceduralweapon”: his flute, “the psycho flute.”
“Theflute is another trick in the bag for us,” Nathan says. “It leaves usroom to mix it up and it adds a whole other tone to what we areplaying.”
Nathanwas introduced to the flute in fifth grade. He stumbled upon the instrument in his home and studied the basics through grade school, thenattended a music-based high school in Houston, becoming a classicallytrained flutist.
Duringcollege, however, his predilection toward music changed and Nathantried his hand at guitar, focusing on rock ’n’ roll. He put the fluteon the shelfsort of. “When I first started playing guitar, peoplewould egg me on about playing flute,” he says. “So I’d get it out.That’s where I learned to improvise.”
Improvisationis a big part of The Daniel Nathan Band’s shows. Nathan keeps thewoodwind close, ready to incorporate an improv flute solo to keepthings interesting. He points out thatwhile it’s hard to stand out as a guitar player, the flute turns heads.
“WhenI first bring (the flute) out, people say, ‘What’s he going to do withthat?’ and I get a lot of Ron Burgundy jokes,” Nathan chuckles. “Butpeople dig it. They’d say, ‘More flute, more flute.’ ” The masses haveforgotten the flute’s place in rock music. Some of yesteryear’sgreatest songs featured the flute: “CaliforniaDreamin’” by The Mamas and The Papas, “Can’t You See” by The MarshallTucker Band, “Hocus Pocus” by Focus and, well, just about anything byJethro Tull. “I think people have forgotten those songs,” Nathan says.“The flute’s been around rock music for awhile. It’s some thing peoplethink is a bad idea, but most of them are like, ‘Hey, that’s a greatidea.’” Coming off the solid six-song Voodoo Magic, The DanielNathan Band is “writ ing songs and keeping busy.” Nathan says the bandis stepping away from the standard song progression and taking a morerock, less bluesy approach for upcoming live shows and future releases.
“The new stuff is heavier, more than the typical blues stuffwe’ve done in the past.” But, don’t worry. Nathan’s not ditching theflute.
“The psycho flute is here to say,” he says. In support of their new CD/DVD, Live at Mayslack’s, The Daniel Nathan Band plays the Up & Under Pub Aug. 2 with Whiskey Bound and Mike Willis.