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Some people start life with a plan. Not Steve. He opens himself up to the universe in a way most of us will never be loose enough to achieve, and the universe responds with a wink, a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration, and the talent to truly connect with an audience. While 2021 could have found him adrift, faced with a tour moratorium the likes of which he hadn’t experienced in decades, it opened a door — literally, his friend Oliver Wood of The Wood Brother’s door — to create an exuberant, thoughtful batch of songs that celebrate life in all of its stages.
The resulting album is called Stardust & Satellites [Red House / Compass Records].
“I just make stuff up,” he exclaims, quipping, “it sounded good to say that.” Steve is the sort of prolific writer and collaborator who downplays what seems like a non-stop geyser of creativity. “I have no rhyme or reason for what I do. It’s all magic. I go by instinct. It just felt right, so I went with it.”
With a suitcase of songs, Maine folk troubadour Dan Blakeslee ventured into the smoke laden subways of Boston in 1995 to practice his craft. His songs of true life adventures combine the essence of early folk music with a dose of country grit. He has toured the U.S. and abroad performing with Josh Ritter, Sean Rowe, David Wax Museum, Lydia Loveless, The Lumineers, Old 97's, The Black Lillies, Liam Finn and Kimya Dawson among others. In 2015 his dream of playing Newport Folk Festival became a reality, the location where Bob Dylan went electric 50 years earlier. Dan Blakeslee delivers his songs with that same heart of a young, lyric scribbling troubadour, who knows because he’s tried it, can out sing a passing train.
"Not since Dick Curless left Fort Fairfield, Maine for Nashville and beyond has the Pine Tree State produced a native son with the same potential for success in country music until now." - Stacy's Music Row Report
