About Dan — His Bio

Storyteller and Traveler. Guitarist and Writer. Teacher and Coffee Drinker. Michigan singer-songwriter Dan Vaillancourt is all of these things and more. Drawing on his vivid imagination and real-life events, he weaves words and notes together into a rich tapestry of musical poetry. Vaillancourt, and his guitar, criss-cross the country each year, having performed hundreds of concerts in 33 states. Critics, heralding his musicianship and lyricism, refer to Vaillancourt as a guitar virtuoso and “one of the eclectic original and iconic wordsmiths writing songs today” (Bob Gottlieb, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange).

Part worldly troubadour, part down-home Midwesterner, Dan's weathered and conversational voice is warm and resonant, lending a simplicity to his well-crafted lyrics. With an eclectic list of influences and hundreds of songs to his credit, Vaillancourt has been compared to such diverse talent as Shawn Mullins, Todd Snider, Paul Simon and Joe Henry. He has even been called the Jimi Hendrix of Folk—fitting because he continuously pushes the boundaries of acoustic music with improvisational prowess, contributing to a style he calls Funktified Folk.

Melodic Snapshots, Vaillancourt's previous critically acclaimed album, was released in late 2005 and received radio airplay on over 100 stations. It even landed an extended stay on many stations’ CMJ AAA charts. Songs from the album were featured on several nationally syndicated radio programs, including Acoustic Cafe. Five different songs from Melodic Snapshots were featured on CD compilations that had a total distribution to the United States and Australia of 15,000 copies.

For his newest album, Lovely Distractions, mastered by multiple Grammy award-winning engineer Richard Dodd (Tom Petty, Dixie Chicks, Wilco), Vaillancourt shares the recording and mixing duties with Grammy-nominated producer Ric Hordinski (David Wilcox, Phil Keaggy, Ellery). Vaillancourt assembled the musical talents of family and friends, along with a couple of the best Cincinnati studio musicians, to produce a creative, and decidedly unconventional album, filled with lovely distractions from everyday life.

Ever prolific, Vaillancourt never seems to sit still. Since writing the newest of the songs included on Lovely Distractions, he has written nearly 200 additional songs, many as part of songwriting challenges, such as February Album Writing Month and 50 Songs in 90 Days. He continues to teach music, a decade-long pursuit and passion, and, along with other musicians, runs a week-long rock and roll camp in northern Michigan. Vaillancourt's medley of experiences: teaching, writing, performing and traveling keep his creativity honed—he always has a new song to write and a compelling story to tell.

-Printable Promotional One-Sheet PDF

-The Electronic Online Press Kit: http://www.sonicbids.com/danvaillancourt

Press Quotes:

"...Truly one of the eclectic original and iconic wordsmiths writing songs today. The songs are those of the natural born storyteller put to some idiosyncratic music that will constantly keep the listener on edge..." - Bob Gottlieb, Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange

"...a man who knows how to make his guitar do anything he wants." - Craig Clarke, Greenman Reviews

"Dan Vaillancourt does more with just an acoustic guitar than most three piece bands can accomplish." - Leo Zaccari, 90.5FM The Night, Lincroft, NJ

"Dan Vaillancourt's Lovely Distractions boasts crisp production and unique folk-rock twists." - Chip Withrow, Muse's Muse

"Speed and chordal command like the pros. His vocal style is laid back and should provide your music collection with an album of tracks that are extremely revisitable." - Joseph Stasio, www.praiseforwallflower.com

"I can’t recommend this album enough for people who enjoy acoustic pop, low-fi fun and great storytelling.” - J. Turner, Indie-Music.com

"It is a shame a major label has not pick him up yet..." - John Hardy, WYCE Music Journal

"I never know what to say about the great songwriters. Dan Vaillancourt is one of the best. Words are all so very important but Dan has the music within him to carry his stories. Humor and heart are hard to find in such abundance." - Trish Lewis, WUCX-FM Producer and Host of The Eclectic Chair

''...a natural storyteller, who manages to spin and weave his snapshots and snippets of dreams and conversations into engrossing tales that capture the listener's imagination...." - Bob Gottlieb (Folk and Music Exchange)

"What really gives Vaillancourt's songs the lift that makes them stand out is the lyrics; his witty, worldly, and wise observations on love and life...." - Evolution of Media

"...Has the ring of early Todd Snider..." - Rob Reinhart (Acoustic Café Radio Host)

"...Honest and friendly as one can find." - Craig Carrick [NorEast'r Festival Booking Committee]

"...an entity all its own." - Yvonne Glasgow (Music Review)

"...an ear of maturity and a knack for entertaining folks with his funky folk style." - Smother.net

"With just his voice and custom 10-string guitar, Vaillancourt jumps genres from song to song--and even mid-tune. The easiest descriptor may be folk-funk, but that fails to account for chatty spoken-word bits, hip-hop goofs, and straight-ahead pop songs." -The Onion

"Folk singer-songwriter merges pop, funk and contemporary styles..." - Sing Out!

"He skips from genre to genre, song to song and verse to verse showing as much regard for convention as a butterfly for the flower." - David Cowling, www.americana-uk.com

"What a fun evening. Dan's fingers sure can fly, and we were wondering several times throughout the evening if the stage was going to be able to hold all his energy.  Dan's talent will continue to grow and grow." - Angela Wieske, Backroads House Concerts, Alpena, MI

"Dan is a terrific interview. We had a great time playing songs, chatting about what inspired them and about stories from the road. We've gotten positive feedback from listeners. I will love having him back." - Christie James, WECR-FM, Boone, NC

"...deserves all the airplay accorded to Jack Johnson and all the gushing press received by the likes of Devendra Banhart." - Gina Morris, Evolution of Media

"The Jimi Hendrix of Folk!" - Steve Wieske (fan)

"I think the funky stuff is amazing―two of Dan's big strengths as a performer are his non-stop positive energy and rhythmic virtuosity." - Pat Wictor (Singer-Songwriter)

"...The most talented musician/performer I have ever seen, and I've seen a bunch!" - Linda Z. Smith, Founder of The Creative Spirit Center in Midland, MI

Discography:

Official Albums:
Dan Vaillancourt - Self-Titled (2000)
Dan Vaillancourt - Live & Funktified (2003)
Dan Vaillancourt - Melodic Snapshots (2005)
Dan Vaillancourt - Songs and Stories from the Road (2007)
Dan Vaillancourt - Lovely Distractions (2008)

Bootleg Series Albums:
8.24.02 - Live in Ann Arbor, MI
6.17.03 - Live in Charlotte, NC
5.16.04 - Live in Chicago, IL
4.24.05 - Live in Chicago, IL

FAWM 2008 - 14 Songs Written in Feb. 2008

Digital Only Albums:

Odds & Ends - Various Dates
11.3.07 - Live @ Lemonjello's
26 Girls - 50/90 Songwriting Challenge 2008

Compilations: (Over 15,000 Copies Distributed)
Acoustic Rainbow CD Sampler Vol. 25 (2006)
Foghorn Records "Sounds Like Cafe" CD Compilation vol. 10 (2006)
20th Annual Brewhouse Triathlon Festival Compilation CD (2006)
Mvyradio Fresh Produce Volume 2 (2006)
Java With Javelyn Indie Music Volume 2 (2006)
Acoustic Fuel 'Follow Your Dreams' (2007)
The Lost Art of Tape Trading Volume 1 (2009)

Looking For More Info/Photos? Check out the Electronic Press Kit: http://www.sonicbids.com/danvaillancourt