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Provide by E Pluribus Unum Recordings L.L.C.

As the creative alias for singer-songwriter Dan Clark, the name Duke Daniels represents memories, dreams, ideas and perceptions. To the five musicians who perform and record as Duke Daniels, the title signifies a creative whole greater than its individual parts. And for listeners on the lookout for distinct sounds and songs, Duke Daniels is that rare musical find that simply doesn't sound like anything else out there.

Led by singer-songwriter Clark (a former drummer for the now-disbanded but much-acclaimed L.A. group the Hoodwinks), Duke Daniels features guitarist Goffrey Moore (who's played with everyone from the Carter Brothers to DJ Solar), drummer Larry Aberman (whose grooves moved the Vaughan Brothers and Ben Harper), and keyboardist Byron Thames, a Mississippi born-performer who Ås also an accomplished actor. Rounding out the group is Clark's longtime cohort, bass player Nick Sample (son of jazz legend Joe Sample).

Produced by Andrew Williams (Peter Case, Victoria Williams), Help Is On The Way mingles rock rhythms and pop melodies with the intimacy of soul. While the album is very much the result of the group's synergy and efforts, founder Clark sets the tone for the music and the story it tells, as the interview below reveals.

Salad Days

I knew I wanted to be in music right when the opportunity first presented itself, which was in fourth grade. I played cello for a year and then the following year, band opened up in school and I played saxophone. Somewhere along that time, I started to teach myself piano and guitar, and at the age of sixteen, I moved to Los Angeles. I had a friend that was a drummer, and he turned me on to drums. The Hoodwinks broke up after a self- produced LP and at that time, I just wanted to start my own thing, because I had a buncha songs and I thought maybe then would be the perfect time. Which it was.

Youthful Impressions

I was influenced by Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, because both of them touched on lyrical ideas that not many artists have. They just had this way of reeling off their lines that was just as much melodic as it was lyrical. I also love Lyle Lovett's lyrical style because it's got a definite Southern flair, but his lyrics always lend themselves to his sense of humor. John Fogerty and Creedence are another big one. Even though he was from San Francisco, he could still get into the bayou. He always had a real simplistic, lyrical and instrumental style, but an undeniable groove underneath a cool, chuggin' kind of thing that I just die for.

Band And Brotherhood

It's definitely a family band, a brotherhood. Everybody has wonderful personalities, incredible talents. And whatever melodies I have in mind I'll bounce off them and they'll play them perfectly. And when there's room to improvise their own parts, they do so with perfection. They're the type of players that take something and just make it better. Nobody detracts from the song, they only improve my initial idea of what the song should be. And they are just as much a part of the sound of Duke Daniels as the songs themselves are.

How the hell you ever made it this far / Must be a testament of who you are / Or who you'll be / Following a star

--from "Following A Star"

It's sort of about letting go and loss in a way. There's all sorts of feelings in there. There's pride and there's sadness, but it's also optimistic. And I consider that a theme throughout the record. I really feel that the record's positive and that's why I named it Help Is On The Way. Keep your chin up, ya know? And Spiritual Inspirations As a very young child, as young as I can remember, Ray Charles really affected me. I would stay up 'till the television stations signed off, and when they did, he was singing "America The Beautiful." My eyes would well up every time I heard him sing it. He's definitely the man I look to to fill me up.

Also, check out the official Duke Daniels web site.