Q&A: Danny Shafer's new 'Morning'

Danny Shafer's got a special plan for his Boulder CD-release party at the b.side lounge.

The Boulder musician's going to show off his new tunes -- and everybody coming to the show will get a free copy of the record.

These days, that's a good deal.

Shafer's been playing and promoting music in Boulder for a long time, and he was happy to talk about his new CD, One Morning, with the Colorado Daily.

Q: What musical projects are you working on and how hard is it to juggle them all?

A: I perform with a Colorado country rock band The Unknown Americans, and we mostly play my own material. I also host the Open Stage Night at Conor O'Neill's every Tuesday.

When I'm not doing those two things, I'm traveling all over the place. I play over 200 shows a year. Some are with the band and some are solo shows.

It's not hard to juggle, because these are all worthwhile projects and I want to keep them going.

Q: What do you like to focus on when it comes to playing and recording solo?

A: I really like the songs to stand out in my solo work.

Playing solo really gives me the opportunity to pace the shows however I want it, but first and foremost, I consider myself to be a songwriter.

My solo music covers everything from Americana to country blues to contemporary stuff. I try to write songs that are simple and really straightforward.

I've had the chance to play solo in some really interesting places, and I've opened shows for Drive-By Truckers and David Bromberg.

The best places to play are the small towns, where you can meet some great folks.

Q: Why was it time to put out a solo record?

A: It was definitely the right time and place to put out a solo record.

I went to check out a studio in Eldorado Springs one morning, and just decided to record the whole album that day.

It felt right, and that's how a record should be done.

Q: What's special about your new CD One Morning?

A: This is a really earthy record.

It sounds like me sitting there and playing the guitar on this very raw album, and this record really takes the songs down to their simplest form.

Q: Why is your CD release party at the b.side and what will it be like?

A: The b.side is a really great listening room and it gets the right kind of crowd. It's a really good place to do an album release.

The show will have a $10 cover, but people will get a CD with their admission. I wanted to do something special for my CD-release party and make it a celebration.

This will be a good way to get the CD into everybody's hands. I'm even going to be standing by the door and giving them to people.

It's just a nice way to say thank you for coming by.