Meet Danjo Harris | Banjo Mercenary

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danjo Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danjo, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I think the pursuit of artistic endeavors is a double edge sword; On the one hand I get this incredibly profound outlet to express my emotions and philosophies on life and on the other hand I get to see how much joy and inspiration my art creates in the world. I think everyone has experienced the healing power of art and music specifically in their lives and I feel so blessed to be a part of the process. Also in my own world when I’m experiencing turmoil, playing music/ performing/songwriting is an elixir of sorts that coverts afflictive emotions into positive energy: something beautiful.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love listening to so many different kinds of music and I believe this comes through in my work. I think this rings true in my three bands where we are all playing the typical bluegrass instruments but putting unique spins on them to create something new. In my own solo record (Brokedown Holler) as well as recordings I’m working on now – there is a real folk sensibility that I believe has a more universal appeal and palatability than strict blugrass. Don’t get me wrong I love traditional Bluegrass but also get very excited at the prospect of genre bending and doing something different.

I certainly don’t want to sound like a martyr or victim but getting to where I am professionally today has been an extremely arduous journey. There has been plenty of times where the phone isn’t ringing and no one is hiring. There is the ubiquitous difficulty in keeping bands together let alone keeping projects harmonious and productive. There is the toughness of the music industry with no shortage of indignities. I could go on and on but I want to be clear that if my music can make even just one person happy then all of this is worth it!

As cliché as it sounds I think persistence is so crucial; as an artist we have to get used to a lot of criticism and rejection and not lose faith. I’ve probably thought about quitting 1 million times and who knows what the future holds but even some of the opportunities my projects are getting now make me feel like the decades of work have been worthwhile. At the end of the day I just want to share my art with as many people as possible!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
To me nothing beats the awe inspiring natural beauty of Colorado… So the top of the list would be all the incredible hiking opportunities close to Denver including state parks, reservoirs and of course red rocks!

As a vegetarian I would want to hit some of the amazing restaurants around the city including Watercourse, Vital Root and the incredible veggie fare at Fire on the Mountain.

Denver has some great art museums so that would be on the list as well and as an aside I’m so excited to play at Meow-Wolf for the first time with Buffalo Commons in support of Yonder Mountain string band!

Hot Springs might be my favorite thing in the world but if I didn’t want to venture too far out of the city I would hit a Korean Bath house in Aurora for a great spa day!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First of all I was blessed to be brought up in a household that coveted music and gave me a lot of support in pursuing my dream. There was a lot of loud (and probably heinous at times) noises coming from my room growing up as I perfected my craft. I’m not going to say that there was never any complaints but overall there was a lot of tolerance and encouragement that helped immensely in my development as an artist.

I have to shout out to Buffalo Commons, Hunker Down and Tara Rose and the Real Deal. These are my 3 main projects and they each give me a unique sense of expression and artistic license that continually make me a better musician every day.

Finally I have to give a huge shout out to all the incredible supporters of live music in Colorado!! We truly have a special scene here and I’m always so honored and amazed at the enthusiasm and love we receive!!

Website: www.DanjoHarris.com

Instagram: @danjoharrismusic

Facebook: Danjo Harris Music

Youtube: Danjo Harris Music

Image Credits
Alyssa Montaño Jon Geeslin