Dear friends,
A new album is in the pipeline for a Summer 2026 release, aptly titled "Passerine Dream 2."
As of this writing in early July, we are deep into mixing songs and designing album art.
So what's it all about? This album leans into a variety of styles -- indie rock, post-punk, folk, power-pop and lots of whatever -- to bring to life the artistic vision of songwriter, musician and avid birdwatcher Dave Tanner.
It's taken time to put together a follow-up to the 2021 self-titled release, but the material holds up and we are making it the best we can as a self-produced entity.
The plan is to issue vinyl LPs and compact discs in additon to streaming. We'll issue a single, or two, to help get the word out, and may supplement this release with a specialty 7-inch and even a cassette version as things line up.
Watch for order forms and release dates in this space. Subscribers will get first choice at the drop.
Yours,
Passerine Dream
mypasserinedream@gmail.com
BIOGRAPHY
Welcome to my Passerine Dream.
We play music. We watch birds. We enjoy our friendships and collaborations. It’s simple, really.
My name is Dave Tanner, and I’ve been a musician for most of my adult life. The music you hear from Passerine Dream is mine, with a little help from my friends. The first album, self-titled, was released May 3, 2021. Passerine Dream “2” is on the way in summer 2026.
I also do an annual calendar of bird photography that adds a splash of colour and helps supplement my artistic endeavors.
I grew up in the small town of Listowel, Ontario, Canada and moved to Missouri in the 1990s to pursue an education. I obtained a Communication degree (journalism emphasis) from Truman State University, and worked for newspapers and magazines as a writer and editor before I went full-time as a musician and performer in 2016.
My main gig is playing “Paul” in Liverpool Legends: The Complete Beatles Experience, a group put together by Louise Harrison, sister of the late George Harrison of The Beatles. Louise left this world in 2023, but her life and legacy are everpresent and celebrated in our shows.
I’ve always made some kind of original music along the way, prior to and coinciding with my touring career.
I think I’ve played on at least 13 albums as a bass player and sometimes singer, but it wasn’t until the Covid shutdown of 2020 that I made a full-hearted attempt to produce and release a full-length album of my own material.
On self-titled “Passerine Dream,” I recorded most of my parts at home from summer of 2020 through April of 2021. I used a Scarlet Focusrite interface and ProTools First to track bass, acoustic guitars, electric guitars and keyboards while writing lyrics and learning to compose and stack vocals on my own. During the process, I called upon some friends to contribute parts in their areas of expertise.
Writing, recording and mixing became my daily routine for months during a time that I really needed something positive on which to focus. I tried really hard not to dwell on the negativity of the times, and, other than drinking a lot during those months at home, I managed to actually get some meaningful work done.
Thank you to Marty Scott, John Perrin, Erik Voeks, Albert Bickley, John Countryman, Steve Davis and Bob Dobro for contributing parts for certain songs.
Once tracking was done, I took the files to Massive Sound Studios in Shawnee, Kansas, for a proper mix by Paul Malinowski. That was a great decision, as Paul really brought it all together to sound big and meaningful.
I released “Passerine Dream” in digital format on Bandcamp and most well-known streaming services, followed by CD and vinyl. The limited run of 200 vinyl records sold out, but I will try to keep CDs available in the Shop section of this site. I am on my fourth run CDs, and they are also available at Liverpool Legends shows.
Along the way, we’ve gotten a decent amount of radio play in Kansas City (via KKFI 90.1 FM Community Radio and 90.9 FM The Bridge) and as far as Canada and the U.K.
The song “Hometown” (Dave Tanner on vocals, guitars and bass; John Perrin on drums; and Erik Voeks providing backing vocals) made it to No. 18 on 90.9 The Bridge’s top songs of 2021 as voted by the listeners of that station. I’m grateful to Michelle B. and Chris H. for helping me get my music heard on The Bridge. I also thank Barry Lee, Mark Manning, Michael Byars, Robert Moore, Kimberly Pool, Graham Lavender, Colin Burrowes, The Listowel Banner, DEVA Audio, Wednestay Night Drinking Practice, 100.1 The Ranch in Canada and many more who have spun the record, promoted it, reviewed it or have encouraged it in a valuable way.
So far, the music of Passerine Dream has been a studio-only endeavor, but I have played a handful of acoustic/solo shows featuring these songs. It would be nice to get a band together and play them, but that’s a topic for another day.
Thank you for your support.
—Dave Tanner,
Contact: mypasserinedream@gmail.com