Driving north on the glinting black asphalt of Highway 101, there is a sharp turnoff signalled by a biker bar advertising margaritas and fish tacos. Turn east past the chrome and leather bikes and a quiet road snakes through rolling hills dotted with cacti and chaparral.
Nestled in these hills is a little hippie town called Topanga, which is home to the Rodeo Grounds artist colony where Daisy McCrackin honed her skills and first channelled the howling rock and folk spirits who breathed life into the hearts and souls of luminaries like Neil Young, Dennis Wilson, and Devendra Banhart (to name just a few). And though Daisy has moved on, physically, from Topanga, the impression of the place lingers in the sweet indie-folk and rock melodies of Daisy's newest endeavor, her debut full-length album, God Willing, and its nine tracks of haunting beauty, which was released 9/27/2011.
Her first musical release was the acoustic soundtrack for the feature film 29 Palms, but Daisy really made people take notice in 2009 when she formed an uncommon bond with renowned musician/producer Alain Johannes (Eleven and Them Crooked Vultures) to record her first studio album.
More than just an EP, the six songs paid homage to Topanga and the artist collective that nurtured her. The EP, aptly titled, The Rodeo Grounds is a collection of earthy and soulful poems and stories tracing the ins and outs of living magic, love, and broken hearts.
Daisy McCrackin - "Different Girl" video:
2010 found Daisy playing gigs in L.A. with her new bandmates Mike McGill (VHS or Beta, Lyra, Indians) and Sal Romano (Lyra), the two gentlemen with whom she would eventually record the much lauded, God Willing. Aside from proving that Daisy McCrackin is "one of the most promising singer-songwriters of today," her debut full-length mines the realm that hovers elegantly between sweet simplicity and searching depth.
With a voice built for love and protest and songwriting skills to match, she's drawn comparisons to legends like Joni Mitchell, Suzanne Vega, Nancy Sinatra and Ricky Lee Jones. She's even got a knack for harnessing a delightful new-folk strangeness reminiscent of Joanna Newsom. And while she channels the glorious ghosts of Topanga, Daisy McCrackin is a true artist with a unique sound and a fresh approach to songwriting.
Luckily, these days you don't have to make the trek into the California hills to hear her play.
"Daisy McCrackin is…the real deal." - John Perry Barlow (Grateful Dead Songwriter, Poet)
"An instant rock star." - LA Weekly
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