It's fitting really, that given Van Darien's eclectic personality, and unique stylings, that we would be conducting an interview in the back of some Half-Priced Books store on a random July afternoon. The thing about Van Darien that grabbed me from the get go was, her genuine uniqueness. Now, some might think that there are many different and original female artists on the music scene today, and this is true, but there is only one Van.
Growing up an only child, Van spent many days playing like every kid does, riding her bike and making up songs to sing to herself. That accompanied with the music of Fleetwood Mac, you could say Van had a very musical childhood. Never sticking with one thing or another lesson wise, Van began to come into her own as a artist in more recent years. She doesn't take herself too seriously, but she does take the music serious. Taking in everything experience wise, Van has a very intelligent approach to songwriting.
Never one to ignore good advice, Van and I found common ground on how we have realized the importance of listening. If you don't know where I'm coming from, you probably don't get it.
Van Darien shows in her music a level of intelligence and relate-ability that is hard to come by. Her lyrics make you think, and the melodic structure of the songs shows a certain maturity that can only be found in true singer-songwriters. Her music has been described as Americana, sometimes grass-roots, and me not wanting to label an artist, I simply say its just good listening music. Her songs can give you a feeling of the familiar, yet music that is original and new to the ear.
With one studio album under her belt, Boomerang, and an all acoustic cd, which can only be purchased at a live show, Van Darien's music is readily available to the public. Van is currently in the works for a new studio production, who's release date is yet to be determined, we are anxiously ready for another shot of Van Darien to throw in the mix of our menagerie that is Texas Music. I'll leave you guys with this look at a great performance of a Van-Fan favorite, Kaleidoscope. enjoy.
A person can learn a whole heck of a lot once they learn to just listen, I mean really listen, take everything in, and think about what they just heard or saw. Hemingway once said: "If a writer stops observing he is finished. Experience is communicated by small details, intimately observed." Anyone is a writer, whether or not you put pen to paper or hands to keyboard, we all write our own life's story. Don't get so caught up in the moment, that you forget to live each chapter, and plan for the next. This is Texas Red Dirt Roads.
For more on Van Darien visit: www.reverbnation.com/vandarien
To pick up a copy of Boomerang visit: shop TXRDR.com
Adiós,
Aaron Bentley
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