Latest news with #NaturalLight
The Province
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Province
Dan Mangan brightens up dark times with new album Natural Light
Vancouver singer-songwriter spent six days in May making new record Dan Mangan's new album opens with It Might Be Raining, a surprisingly rare reference to our frequent weather by a Vancouver artist. Photo by Zachary Vague Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Natural Light is the seventh album by Vancouver-based musician Dan Mangan. Due out on Arts & Crafts this week, the album was recorded at Toronto producer Jason Haberman's southern Ontario cottage, dubbed Souvenir. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors A photo of the makeshift studio in the front room of the cabin also became the cover art. The release is the first album that Mangan and his touring band of multi-instrumentalists Haberman, Mike O'Brien and Don Kerr recorded together. The singer admits the purpose of the cabin sessions was to workshop old ideas, develop new ones and treat it all as a zero-pressure preparation for future studio sessions in Los Angeles with a different producer and backing players. It became clear during the process that something else was taking place. In the same way that Blue Rodeo's classic Five Days in July came out of the no-pressure cabin sessions that became the title, Natural Light could have been six days in May. 'There are a lot of things in my life I feel I really worked hard and sweated for, but this was the most serendipitous, joyful and creative experience I've ever had,' said Mangan. 'Some of these songs have been ruminating for a while, getting hummed in the shower and being extremely considered down to the choices of consonants, melody, etc. But the execution of them as a recording was unplanned and barely discussed. It's just a gift.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The cover of Dan Mangan's Natural Light album. Photos Zachary Vague/Album Cover The album opens with It Might Be Raining, a surprisingly rare reference to our frequent weather by a Vancouver artist. The casually strummed ode to navigating the 'oceans of bull s—' that we are all up against is a perfect beginning to the 13-track recording. It shimmers with an emotional intensity juxtaposed against the kind of easy-flowing instrumentation that hearkens back to gems such as Van Morrison's Astral Weeks. 'It Might Be Raining was a new song I was excited about and the first song we did three takes and — boom — locked it away,' he said. 'Suddenly, everyone is going, 'Holy crap, that went well.' And the second day we did two songs, day three was four, and so on. When you go into a major studio like The Warehouse and everything you do is bleeding money, this was the opposite. Because we thought we weren't recording a record.' Right up until the very end of the sessions, this casual approach imbued the recording and the results were something Mangan has never experienced before. By the end of the week, it was obvious they had made a record. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Personally, emotionally, I've never experienced that kind of total detachment from any result and it was blissful,' he said. 'I think it is a high point of my whole career. Even going back and adding some horns and strings, this whole time, I've been revelling in the experience.' Orchestral contributions came from composer Jesse Zubot, who previously recorded and toured with Mangan's big band Blacksmith. These kept in the spirit of the initial sessions, as songs such as the lead single Melody and My Dreams Are Getting Weirder are all filled with a glorious vibe of open space. The latest advance track, Diminishing Returns, may be the first pop single to reference the global climate crisis. Mangan notes the irony of having the third lead-up number to a major album being titled Diminishing Returns. He sadly reflects that the refrain of 'one place underwater, another burns, no one is surprised, but everyone is shocked' came from watching news reports on a U.S. tour leg where the West Coast was on fire and the East Coast was flooded due to hurricanes. It's one of the best songs on Natural Light. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We're all up against it, going on with our day-to-day robotic lives like it's business as usual and planning ahead, still presuming that it's all going to be here,' he said. 'Meanwhile, doomscrolling at midnight, you're asking, 'What are we up against?' I reflect on these things and the real issues that people are facing and how you can arrive somewhere positive.' A founder of the Side Door Access booking platform to improve independent musicians touring opportunities and revenue generation, he is well aware of the personal pressure to keep positive about the modern music industry. At the time of this interview, Mangan note he is still embracing the joy of creating Natural Light before the coming business of releasing records comes into play. Then, things get serious for artists facing severe fiscal challenges. 'Every day that draws closer to the actual release date and it becoming a quantifiable marketplace product, I brace for the other side of all this bliss,' he said. 'It can or can't do well, and could be a case of so many years of my life having people react with 'So, what else are you working on?' But the coming shows will be incredible, because everyone in this band makes music together so naturally and gets along so well. Our band text stream is titled FLG, for F—in' Love You Guys.' Many dates on the fall tour in support of Natural Light have been announced already, including an Oct. 3 date at the Vogue Theatre with opener Bells Larsen. The all-ages show is already sold out. sderdeyn@ Read More Vancouver Canucks News Vancouver Canucks News News
Vancouver Sun
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Dan Mangan brightens up dark times with new album Natural Light
Natural Light is the seventh album by Vancouver-based musician Dan Mangan. Due out on Arts & Crafts this week, the album was recorded at Toronto producer Jason Haberman's southern Ontario cottage, dubbed Souvenir. A photo of the makeshift studio in the front room of the cabin also became the cover art. The release is the first album that Mangan and his touring band of multi-instrumentalists Haberman, Mike O'Brien and Don Kerr recorded together. The singer admits the purpose of the cabin sessions was to workshop old ideas, develop new ones and treat it all as a zero-pressure preparation for future studio sessions in Los Angeles with a different producer and backing players. It became clear during the process that something else was taking place. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In the same way that Blue Rodeo's classic Five Days in July came out of the no-pressure cabin sessions that became the title, Natural Light could have been six days in May. 'There are a lot of things in my life I feel I really worked hard and sweated for, but this was the most serendipitous, joyful and creative experience I've ever had,' said Mangan. 'Some of these songs have been ruminating for a while, getting hummed in the shower and being extremely considered down to the choices of consonants, melody, etc. But the execution of them as a recording was unplanned and barely discussed. It's just a gift.' The album opens with It Might Be Raining, a surprisingly rare reference to our frequent weather by a Vancouver artist. The casually strummed ode to navigating the 'oceans of bull s—' that we are all up against is a perfect beginning to the 13-track recording. It shimmers with an emotional intensity juxtaposed against the kind of easy-flowing instrumentation that hearkens back to gems such as Van Morrison's Astral Weeks. 'It Might Be Raining was a new song I was excited about and the first song we did three takes and — boom — locked it away,' he said. 'Suddenly, everyone is going, 'Holy crap, that went well.' And the second day we did two songs, day three was four, and so on. When you go into a major studio like The Warehouse and everything you do is bleeding money, this was the opposite. Because we thought we weren't recording a record.' Right up until the very end of the sessions, this casual approach imbued the recording and the results were something Mangan has never experienced before. By the end of the week, it was obvious they had made a record. 'Personally, emotionally, I've never experienced that kind of total detachment from any result and it was blissful,' he said. 'I think it is a high point of my whole career. Even going back and adding some horns and strings, this whole time, I've been revelling in the experience.' Orchestral contributions came from composer Jesse Zubot, who previously recorded and toured with Mangan's big band Blacksmith. These kept in the spirit of the initial sessions, as songs such as the lead single Melody and My Dreams Are Getting Weirder are all filled with a glorious vibe of open space. The latest advance track, Diminishing Returns, may be the first pop single to reference the global climate crisis. Mangan notes the irony of having the third lead-up number to a major album being titled Diminishing Returns. He sadly reflects that the refrain of 'one place underwater, another burns, no one is surprised, but everyone is shocked' came from watching news reports on a U.S. tour leg where the West Coast was on fire and the East Coast was flooded due to hurricanes. It's one of the best songs on Natural Light. 'We're all up against it, going on with our day-to-day robotic lives like it's business as usual and planning ahead, still presuming that it's all going to be here,' he said. 'Meanwhile, doomscrolling at midnight, you're asking, 'What are we up against?' I reflect on these things and the real issues that people are facing and how you can arrive somewhere positive.' A founder of the Side Door Access booking platform to improve independent musicians touring opportunities and revenue generation, he is well aware of the personal pressure to keep positive about the modern music industry. At the time of this interview, Mangan note he is still embracing the joy of creating Natural Light before the coming business of releasing records comes into play. Then, things get serious for artists facing severe fiscal challenges. 'Every day that draws closer to the actual release date and it becoming a quantifiable marketplace product, I brace for the other side of all this bliss,' he said. 'It can or can't do well, and could be a case of so many years of my life having people react with 'So, what else are you working on?' But the coming shows will be incredible, because everyone in this band makes music together so naturally and gets along so well. Our band text stream is titled FLG, for F—in' Love You Guys.' Many dates on the fall tour in support of Natural Light have been announced already, including an Oct. 3 date at the Vogue Theatre with opener Bells Larsen. The all-ages show is already sold out. sderdeyn@
CBC
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Dan Mangan on Natural Light
Celebrated Vancouver musician Dan Mangan drops by with a preview of his upcoming album Natural Light, an atmospheric collection of songs released on May 16, 2025.
