There are weird times that feel like a glitch in the matrix. Past, present, your life, other people’s lives, the threads that are supposed to run parallel to each other in the fabric of life are suddenly crossed and tangled up, and for a moment, you don’t understand which is which. Like when you see an old painting in a museum and the person in the painting looks exactly like your neighbor. Or when you hear a song and it stops you in your tracks because it’s about you. You become very still so as not to scare the magic away; it feels like someone opened a little door into your past, picked a story from there, and wrote a song to make it all better. You listen to the song and think, “How did he know?” These times are rare, and I treasure them; one of those times was how I discovered for myself the music of Dan Hubbard.

An Americana singer-songwriter from Illinois, Hubbard has been exploring the craft of music since the age of 15 and released several albums, eventually graduating into a delicious blend of rock-n-roll, country, soul, folk, and that little something that stops you from skipping his songs when they come up in your shuffled playlist. His talent covers an amazingly wide spectrum of styles, sounds, and topics. There are upbeat, energizing, rocky beats with some growly vocals and mad guitar riffs; there are soft bluesy reflections on life; there is some honky-tonk; there is some goofing around; there are, plain and simple, love songs, after all.

Hubbard also addresses the topics of isolation, loneliness, and emotional abuse - things many have been through but not all have been able to leave behind. His songs dedicated to these experiences are full of warmth and powerful motivation. He is not just saying that everything will be okay; he is trying to make the listener reflect, realize the situation they are in, and do something to change it. “Deep, deep breath, watch the trees blow / Hand on the handle, it’s time to go.” He gives one hope that “There will be kindness if you can just make it / Through / That / Door / There is one more chance to be who you hoped to become … Run towards the river and don’t look back / Leave everything, get on those tracks / I promise, somewhere love will be waiting for you (“Run Towards the River”).

I had a chance to speak with Dan before his performance at the Artisan’s Sanctuary in Marion, Iowa. On Valentine’s Day, of all dates! On stage, his humbleness, appreciation of the audience, humor, self-irony, and sincerity complement his extraordinary musical and storytelling talent for a captivating performance.

Self-irony and self-reflection find a way into Hubbard’s songs, too, for instance, “Important Man,” where he is mocking the self-absorbed people who “take 27 more pictures” of their face and sabotage relationships to maintain a public image; those who “Tell the same old boring, bullshit stories / Always talking, never listening / Hey, everybody, come on, look at me!”

After years of chasing the horizon, Hubbard let go of the idea of being a huge national success, and since then, things have somehow come together all by themselves. He says that delegating production duties has been very effective and allowed him to become a much more well-rounded person; he can spend more time with family and has been steadily booking shows around the Midwest. Though naming Tom Petty as his primary music influence, over the last several years, Hubbard has been looking up to Jason Isbell, fascinated by his album Southeastern, and dreams of touring or working with him. In my opinion, that would be one fantastic collaboration!

In addition to the upcoming solo shows, this spring, Dan Hubbard is going on tour with The Nielsen Trust, formed by Cheap Trick's famed guitarist and songwriter Rick Nielsen, his sons Miles and Daxx, and Kelly Steward, an outstanding singer, songwriter, and Miles’s wife. If ever you have a chance to see Dan play, take it; I promise it will be an unforgettable experience.