Dannicus Live

Lakeside Celtic crew Dannicus Live had the most downloaded MP3 from SDReader.com during July, “Sirens.” This is the band’s second Most Downloaded track. Follows is an interview with frontman Dan.

This song is pretty different from your last “Most Downloaded” track, “Whiskey Down.” What made you switch it up?

Dannicus Live is diverse in our musical backgrounds and tastes. I played in blues and rock bands, Jamie was the bassist in punk band Furious IV, Mikey played metal, Lonnie and Wanda are classically trained as a drummer and flutist, respectively. Our fan base is as diverse in both age and taste as the band, so we make it a point to try to write songs that celebrate that diversity.

“Sirens” appears to be a love ballad with a twist. Did anything inspire this?

On a recent trip with my family to St. Thomas, I was sitting on the deck as our cruise ship sailed into port. I had visions of old pirate movies and seagoing tales in my head. St. Thomas is a very romantic place and full of history, and it was the setting more than anything that inspired the song. In fact, it inspired several songs for our upcoming album. As to the twist, well, almost all of our songs tell a story.

How did you develop this Celtic style within the band?

Our first original song as a band was commissioned for consideration as a theme for a movie about pirates. Celtic music underpins a lot of sea chanteys and seagoing music. Of course, being a sailor myself, I am very fond of it, so it has become the thread that ties together much of what we do.

Partial lyrics to “Siren”
She lays on a rock in an emerald lagoon; her golden hair shines in the sun
The spray from the sea glistens on her fair skin and her eyes tell of mischief and fun
Her fingers caress her tan silky shoulder and she playfully tosses her head
From somewhere inside her a melody forms and you’re filled with an uneasy dread
And the spell of her song
Grabs you right by the neck
And your senses betray
What your reason says just can’t be real… and you feel… and you feel
You seem to remember some old tavern legends of Sirens that haunt the lagoons
Of salty old sailors who heard their refrains and succumbed to their magical tunes
You never considered the truth of those tales, and you never once thought that you’d see
A creature of rapture, a mythical sprite, a vision as lovely as she...