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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