Layus is set to release his debut album, DANGEROUS THINGS, out October 21ST on Planted Records/Warner ADA.
“Dangerous Things’ spans influences from Hank Williams to Tom Waits, from Dwight Yoakam to Woody Guthrie. The album was recorded in Nashville at SouthxSea Studios with minimal production. The lyrics are about life’s struggles and its simple joys, with harmonies provided by Muscle Shoals’ own The Secret Sisters.
Of the new music, Layus explains, “I always knew this album was out there waiting, I just had to let it come to me. That was the most
challenging part of this record. It was three years of repeatedly realizing I was trying too hard to write a perfect song. It all
started to make sense and feel good as soon as I stopped treating songwriting like it was songwriting.”
He continued, “Somewhere along the way I decided that if an idea was going to turn into a song on this album, then it had to be written organically and purely. It had to be an inspired moment that was unfolding melodically, musically and lyrically, all while making me feel something. Subsequently, that’s how I recorded the songs—I played the song live a few times in front of some microphones and when I felt something real happen, we moved onto the next one. The songs and recordings on this album are inspired by other people’s stories and informed by my own experiences and I’ve never felt more proud or comfortable sharing an album as I feel with this one.”
Layus spent 12 years as the creative force behind American roots-rock band Augustana. After years of grueling touring which took
them from basements to amphitheaters, the band as a unit had run its course and disbanded. Layus decided to keep the name and subsequently released another album and toured twice more as Augustana. In 2013 he moved to Nashville and found an immediate home in the songwriter community, penning songs for platinum country artists and pop artists alike. In this new endeavor he also found something even more valuable—the new sound he had been searching for and scratching at since the inception of Augustana.
Dan Layus heads out on a European tour to support the release of ‘Dangerous Things’ through September/October. Fall headline
dates in North American are to be announced soon. See below for EU
Tour dates.
DANGEROUS THINGS: TRACK LISTING
1. Dangerous Things (feat. The Secret Sisters)
2. Driveway
3. Four Rings (feat. The Secret Sisters)
4. You Can Have Mine (feat. The Secret Sisters)
5 Only Gets Darker (feat. The Secret Sisters)
6. Call Me When You Get There
7. Let Me Lose You
8. Fell In Love On A Beach
9. Destroyer
10. Enough For You
11. The Nightbird (feat. The Secret Sisters)
DAN LAYUS Live Tour Dates
September 30th Berlin, Germany —Maze Club
October 1st Antwerp, Belgium—Havn Church
October 2nd Amsterdam, Netherlands —Paradiso
October 3rd Paris, France—Pop-Up du Label
October 5th Zurich,Switzerland—Papiersaal
October 6th Nyon,Switzerland —La Parenthese
October 8th Brighton, UK —The Haunt
October 9th London, UK —Scala
October 10th, Nottingham, UK —Bodega
October 11th Bristol, UK —Thekla
October 12th Manchester, UK—Deaf Institute
October 14th Glasgow, UK —Stereo
October 15th, Edinburgh,UK —Electric Circus
October 16th, Dublin, Ireland —Academy 2
