Although only 24 years old, Shrewsbury singer/songwriter Dan Owen’s soulful musical knack is undeniable. Owen became an overnight sensation after an audience member uploaded a video of him playing Bob Dylan’s ‘The Ballad of Hollis Brown’ online. With a hauntingly husky tone to his voice, and his own heart-felt lyrics to match, he is certainly one to watch in the upcoming indie-folk scene.
Owen’s recent new single ‘Made to Love You’ comes ahead of the release of his brand new EP Open Hands and Enemies. It is an acutely beautiful and touching ballad, inspired by his own experience supporting a friend suffering in an abusive relationship. Posting the lyrics to the song on his Facebook page, Owen movingly remarked: ‘A bit heavy but if this song helps 1 person break the cycle of an abusive relationship, it will be worth every second of writing and recording’. He shows an emotional intelligence well beyond his years; a quality clearly reflected in the depth of his writing and a quality many more established artists could learn a lot from.
Owen’s other songs which are definitely worth listening to include: ‘Witching Hour’ – a catchy track, showcasing the full power of his vocals – and ‘Fall Like a Feather’ – a much softer, acoustic piece, stylistically reminiscent of the likes of Ed Sheeran or James Bay. Yet the distinguishing feature which makes all of his tracks so distinct, is certainly his rich, raw voice and the pure emotion with which he approaches each and every lyric. The result is an almost cathartic, and certainly calming quality to his music.
Aside from playing at several festivals, Owen has also previously hit the road with Birdy on her European tour and is about to join her once more on her approaching tour this Autumn. Birdy is clearly a big fan of Owen, as she finished every date of her tour inviting him onstage to duet with her on her hit ‘Let It All Go’. The young songwriter appears to be going from strength to strength, with his upcoming headline gig at London’s St Pancras Old Church on September 7th completely selling out just a few days ago. With almost faultless vocals and an EP all set for release, it seems that all Owen needs to focus on now is making that name for himself.
Dan Owen’s EP Open Hands and Enemies is out on September 12th and is available for pre-order here.
