Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel DeWitt.
Hi Daniel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been involved in the Atlanta music scene for over 20 years in some capacity or another. My band Winston Audio kicked around town with bands like Manchester Orchestra and O’Brother in the 2000s. I’ve also been involved with the ATL Collective, covering and reinterpreting classic albums from front to back since 2011.
Music has always been there for me as a creative outlet. In 2020, I found myself listening to a lot more ambient electronic music as a way to cope with the stress of navigating our changing world. I fell in love with it and started recording my own music in that style. I’ve been fortunate enough to connect with people from across the world who share my passion for music and are incredibly supportive of what I do as The Lifted Index. It has been the most creatively fulfilling project of my rather eclectic career.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know anyone in a creative profession who doesn’t battle self-doubt in some form or another. We live in a world that consistently devalues and diminishes art. It will always be an uphill battle and I have made my peace with that. The music I make is first and foremost for myself. I have to be satisfied with the art I make. Anyone else who engages with it beyond my headphones is a bonus.
It helps that I don’t rely on music for my primary income. I’ve learned to appreciate that freedom and to let go of any feelings of being somehow a lesser artist for having a day job.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make instrumental ambient electronic music using guitars, synthesizers, and my voice. I focus on texture and emotion when I create, and there is always a purpose behind every note. My goal is to make music that is hopeful in some way, though hope carries many shades of emotion along with it.
I’ve had listeners tell me they play my music while meditating, sleeping, studying, and working, but it also rewards deep listening. I use a lot of dense layers in my tracks, so there are always a few dark corners to explore.
It is difficult to be objective about my own music, but I think I have managed to carve out a style that is unique to me. Whether or not that is a good thing is for the listener to decide, of course, but I am proud of that.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
It is an interesting time to be a recording artist right now. Streaming royalties often don’t add up to very much unless you manage to find your way onto an editorial playlist. And even if you are fortunate enough to get playlisted, most folks aren’t going to take the time to check out an individual artist in a playlist of dozens, especially in ambient, where people use those playlists for generic background sound so often. Sites like Bandcamp are better for connecting with fans in a sustainable way, but it has its own issues.
I really don’t want to get too caught up in the inside baseball of the music industry because 90% of it is irrelevant to what I do. I recently started a Patreon to more directly connect with people who want to support my music. It has been wonderful so far. I debated for so long about whether I was “legitimate enough” to have one and I’m so glad I shouted those demons down. I’ve never felt more in control of my own musical destiny.
I want to keep making records and connecting with people. I played my first live show as The Lifted Index earlier this year, opening for Ichiko Aoba at The Eastern. I’d like to do a lot more of that in the future.
Pricing:
- You can join my Patreon for as little as $5 a month
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theliftedindex.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelifted.index
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliftedindex
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theliftedindex
- Other: https://patreon.com/theliftedindex?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Image Credits
Daniel DeWitt Ron Scott Daniel DeWitt Andrew Thomas Lee Andrew Thomas Lee Daniel DeWitt Alex Gold ambalek
