INTERVIEW: An Introduction to Guitar Virtuoso Kyran Daniel Ahead of Caffe Lena Gig
Photo by Claudia Tempobuono
“There will be stories from around the world pertaining to each song, and both emotional ballads and intense flamenco-infused portions of my repertoire.”
Australian guitarist and composer Kyran Daniel will be gracing the stage at Caffe Lena this Saturday, May 3rd, as part of a nearly three-month-long, US tour. The Berklee College of Music graduate has traveled all over the world, performing his instrumental compositions that blend fingerstyle guitar, cinematic soundscapes, and global influences. Witnessing his music live is a truly captivating experience, as Lena’s audience members will quickly learn. I had the chance to connect with Kyran via email ahead of the show, in order for all of us to get to know him a little better.
TJ Foster: You've been on tour here in the US for almost two months now -- how has the experience been overall for you?
Kyran Daniel: The experience on this tour has been phenomenal. I picture it like this river or current that I’m in: no struggle, just flow. The shows are going great, the turnout and reaction really wonderful, and the most wholesome, adventurous experiences between shows, from skiing in Tahoe to riding horses in Washington State—stories that will circle back into the music.
TF: Given your extensive events calendar, I'm assuming you find that part of your job quite rewarding, but I know it can also be a grind. What are some methods you use to keep yourself grounded and present on the road?
KD: Grounding and presence on the road is vital. Those experiences I just mentioned, often involving the outdoors and physical exertion and adventure, I find really helpful. But also on the latter half of the tour, I’m travelling with my support act, Derick Leduke, and together we’re great at maintaining a healthy clean diet and prioritising gym daily. Having an increasing network of friends in each city I travel to helps every time as well, something I’m truly thankful for.
TF: You notably attended Berklee on a full-scholarship, which is probably a dream of every aspiring musician. How did your time there influence your career?
KD: My Berklee time was spent focussing on writing and production. Guitar really took a back seat for me during that time, instead learning these other crafts from masters of it such as Pat Pattison and Jetro da Silva. I used these skills to have a career in exactly those fields for the latter half of my 20s, and now have used those same skills to produce my forthcoming record, Like The Night Itself, which is my instrumental guitar compositions, but encapsulated in this cinematic, grand production. It’s ready for release this summer. Please keep an eye out for it as I think it’s a unique perspective on not only the guitar, but instrumental music in 2025.
TF: I'm not sure if you've ever played Caffe Lena before, but it is quite a historic place with a lot of awesome stories. Can you give our readers a sneak peek as to what to expect from your performance this weekend?
KD: I haven’t been to Caffe Lena before, but my agent has informed me about how great the venue is. The audience this weekend can expect the solo-guitar renditions of this new album prior to its release, as well as a couple of compositions from my formative years touring with Tommy Emmanuel. There will be stories from around the world pertaining to each song, and both emotional ballads and intense flamenco-infused portions of my repertoire.
TF: And lastly, what advice would you give younger artists trying to figure out their place in this rapidly changing world?
KD: I’m always careful about giving advice, as every origin and journey is so unique, as well as the fact that I still learn every day - however - I believe authenticity is a big key. Following trends, or even attempting to be a ’new’ version of something that currently exists is a dead end in my mind. If not commercially, then a dead end in terms of genuine fulfilment as an artist. I think you really need to go out into the world, follow your intuition and curiosity, observe, learn from love and heartbreak, joy and pain, see the intelligent design in everything beautiful and translate that back to your chosen art form, expressing something that is unique to you. I think that’s what resonates, because it’s real.
Tickets to Kyran Daniel’s show at Caffe Lena are available now: https://www.caffelena.org/event/kyran-daniel/
