Dan West (musician)
| Dan West | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, United States |
| Genres | Rock, avant garde jazz, psychedelia, folk, 20th-century classical music, space rock, acid folk, punk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Piano, bass, guitar, drums, cello, upright bass, flute, clarinet |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Associated acts | LoveyDove, Sidewalk Society, King Missile IV, d'Animal |
| Website | danwest.bandcamp.com |
Dan West, also known as d'Animal, is an American rock and jazz musician, songwriter and producer, and one half of the duo LoveyDove.
West was raised in the San Fernando Valley, California. From an early age, his older cousins would give him their records of The Beatles, The Monkees, Paul Revere and The Raiders whose music inspired him to ask his father for a guitar at the age of 7 years old. He was told by his father James Douglass West, a television writer for Lassie and Wonderful World of Disney and a former musician, that he had to learn the piano for one year before receiving a guitar, which he did. He then acquired a drum set after being inspired by the Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich drum battle album on Verve.
By his early teenage years, West was an accomplished musician on multiple instruments. He would frequently form bands and play at backyard parties before going on to play in Los Angeles rock clubs before he was old enough to drink at the clubs but welcomed to play on their stages. He cites the "creative atmosphere" in which he was raised as formative to his career, and is known for his versatility as "a multi-instrumentalist (who) shifts from genre to genre with a dazzling agility". West now plays the piano, bass, guitar, drums, cello, upright bass, flute, clarinet, composes for orchestra and big band, and does music programming.
The LA Times described his music as "a flexible sound where Boyce & Hart bubblegum shimmer collides with shadowy-psych-garage menace, and his lyrics – whether delivering messages of loss, insecurity or ardent passion – draws the listener in, conjuring a relatable immediacy, which in turn extrapolates itself within the performer-audience equation to create a singularly intimate atmosphere." He was also noted as "a master of the pop idiom, one who is able to link Bing Crosby to Sky Saxon and Brian Wilson." West notes Paul McCartney, James Jamerson, and Carol Kaye as influential when writing music, in particular the bass part of a track. He also cites Pete Townshend, Lenny Breau, Ted Greene, Syd Barrett, Jimi Hendrix, Edward Van Halen, Wes Montgomery, John Entwistle, Scott LaFaro, Melanie, Jane Weaver, Gil Evans, Billy Strayhdorn, Bill Evans, and Clare Fischer as influential musicians.
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