Dan Bubien

Dan Bubien Biography

Dan Bubien is a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. Music was always a part of Dan’s life growing up even before his passion was realized. His father was a lifelong working musician. As a kid, Dan and his brother spent their time goofing off and running around at their dad’s shows and used to tease him for singing off-key. It wasn’t until a teenage injury sidelined his athletics that Dan picked up one of his Dad’s guitars and taught himself to play. With that, came a new appreciation for music and a realization of what his Dad did. What was once thought to be off-key was actually in perfect harmony. Dan’s professional musical journey started nearly 20 years ago by fronting and playing with several local bands and musicians. It wasn’t until 2004 that Dan felt he had a clear sense of where he was as an artist and song writer and started the band that would carry him through the next decade. Dan always had an appreciation for blues, soul and funk music, but it was a popular reggae band that inspired the signature sound of The Sun Kings. Their unique flavor and approach to music was something new to the local scene and garnered them a significant following. That reputation has established Dan as a fixture and has allowed him to branch out on his own and come back to his roots by exploring new and ever evolving influences. It wasn’t one moment or one thing that brought Dan to where he is today; but an important blend of every person, every song and every experience along the way. Dan recently wrapped a year long stretch of recording with four-time Grammy Award Winning Producer/Engineer Jay Dudt at Audible Images Studio in Pittsburgh. “This is the best collection of music and the best work I’ve done as a producer in years” said Dudt. The new album, Empty Roads, is a collection of original music co-written with talented writer and friend, Roman Marocco and features the best of the best in Pittsburgh’s music scene. “Eric DeFade, Pittsburgh’s premier saxophone player and Ralph Guzzi, well known horn arranger are on the album” says Bubien, “I also have Chris Nacy of “Izzy and Chris” fame playing harmonica on a few tracks.” Backed by bass player Gary Ripper, drummer Andy Taravella and Timmy Mabin on keys the album is a solid mix of funk, blues and old school soul. “There are two sides to this album,” Bubien explains. “There is the gritty blues sound that I Iike to call Louisiana Swamp and then it goes to the opposite end of the spectrum with smooth soul sounds rounded out by harmonies from Jimmie Ross (The Jaggerz), Morgan Maybray and Andre Marocco.” Joe Monroe, Jonathan Vallecorsa and Stan Kleja are also a part of the All Star line-up contributing to the end result of Empty Roads. “I feel very blessed to have all of these guys on my album. I knew how I wanted it to sound and they really helped bring it to life” said Bubien. “The songs themselves are traditional but I feel we were successful in making them sound fresh and new. We really did cover a wide spectrum of music and arranged the songs in a way that is something Pittsburgh hasn’t heard in some time.” Empty Roads dropped on Friday, September 13, 2013 to a SOLD OUT crowd at Club Cafe in the South Side. The release event was preceded by airplay on WDVE’s Homegrown Show and was followed by extensive play on WYEP’s Soul Show, Big Town Blues and Rollin’ and Tumblin’. 93.3 The Wolf Youngstown also played the single “To Youngstown” on their Tangled Up in Blues radio program the weekend of its release. That is the same track that was used to promote the album with a music video directed by Pittsburgh native, Joshua Franzos. The video is on its way to going viral with over 4,800 views around the world.