Sunday, February 17, 2013

Daisy Howard: Opening My Mind


I came across Daisy Howard's covers in August, 2011. I had been playing guitar for ten months at the time and was quite nervous when covering songs on Youtube, because unlike live performances, once you have something recorded and uploaded, it is permanent (including mistakes). Of course, you could do a ton of takes and waste your days away, but that's not too honest. Well, I saw a bunch of her covers (mostly by the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and admired the fact that even though she had not "mastered" the song, she had taken it in her own direction and uploaded it. Of course, being the hardcore John Frusciante fan that I was, and am, I was quite judgmental of her approach to a couple of the songs. "Dani California" (RHCP), was the one I was probably most judgemental of and still feel uneasy about. But, taking a step back from my love for that Hendrix inspired guitar that Frusciante plays, I think to myself "Well, Jimi Hendrix took Dylan's folk song and turned it into such a rocking track, shouldn't it be fair to do the opposite?" For anyone who doesn't know what song I'm discussing, it is "All Along The Watchtower" (Bob Dylan). So, keeping an open mind, Daisy's cover of "Dani California" offered me an alternative view of the song and I'm very thankful for that. Have a listen to Daisy's simplified version of "Dani California" and remember that John Frusciante himself said that it's not about showing what you can do with a piece of wood, it's about making music!


Well, she's doing something right since she's got such a variety of people listening to her. That's for sure. If you go through her covers you'll find a bunch of Red Hot Chili Peppers covers that are all respectable and inspiring for anyone who feels the are "not ready" to upload a cover to youtube. Whether the song is mastered or not, it still deserves to be heard. And Daisy proves that the more you persist, the better you get. Take her cover from February, 2012 for example. Her take on "The Zephyr Song" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers displays her smooth improvement on guitar yet maintaining the same passion for music. Have a listen and lose yourself in this fantastic track and enjoy how she treats the song as a piece of art!


I love artist who improve themselves and find themselves within inspiration from their idols. This is clearly evident from Daisy's originals that are continuously reminiscent of her influences. What I can say with all my heart is that I enjoy Daisy's sound most when she sings/plays her original pieces of music. Her most recent upload of an original entitled "Star Cross'd" is a dreamy, infectious melody enhanced by Daisy's truthful passion for music. I encourage you to listen to it and go write your own songs too. She's a living example of what somebody can do with the help of a guitar, youtube and a good deal of important inspiration. Listen to "Star Cross'd" and find the sparkles of her influences embedded in her voice, her guitar playing and lyrics. Check back tomorrow for another great artist!


Alex Hamel

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