Meet The Spookfish

I never had the patience to become a fisherman. I do however have the ability to sit through very long horror movies, and some of my favorites revolve around some kind of underwater monster. Anyway, this article is about neither of those things. Today’s piece is on a wicked talented musician. Dan Goldberg has been performing as The Spookfish for over a decade, and it shows in his varied discography. Wonderfully crafted acoustic tunes are littered amongst experimental sounds. You may also recognize them from a recent video we put out with Yours Are The Only Ears!

George Washington a Mad-Lib by, The Spookfish

George Washington, the Father of our BLANKET, was a very SO SO man. When George was a MINIATURE boy, he took his CRAB APPLE and chopped down his father's favorite cherry DOG. "OH WHOA!!" said his father. "Who has DRANK my entire POND?" Then he saw George holding some MOLD in his hand. "Father," said George, "I cannot tell a lie. I had a little DRINK." His father smiled and patted little George the HUMAN." You are a very honest NAIL," he said, "and some day you may become the first PROGRAMMER of the United States."

Would you rather

be the greatest hide and seek player in the world or the greatest snake charmer? What would you do with your new-found powers?

I would rather be the worlds greatest snake charmer.  Poisonous snake bites are very horrifying.  Also, a month ago, I accidentally surprised a 6 foot black rat snake.  It started rattling its tail, mimicking a rattlesnake, and seemed ready to bite me in the face.  I felt bad for upsetting it.   It wasn't poisonous but its mouth is filled with bacteria from eating rats.  If I were the greatest snake charmer, I could protect myself and buds in the woods and let the snakes I encounter know that they don’t have to worry.

Some questions with The Spookfish

What does your family think of your music?

They generally like the songs with acoustic guitar but maybe not so much the other stuff.  My mom was the first person I showed "snake song" to.  I played her a sped up version and she kept wanting to hear it over and over.  Eventually she wanted to sing it:

https://soundcloud.com/mmdannyg/snake-song-w-my-mom

After spending time traveling to places like Busan, South Korea, China, Berlin Germany, Russia, and Portland Oregon would you recommend the experience to people who have lived in the city their whole life?

It was a really important experience for me.  I worked as an English teacher in a public school in Busan, South Korea.  I was really thankful to learn about and be included in the day-to-day experience of living there and that, along with exploring the mountains and woods, is definitely what interests me most about traveling to a place.  I am not sure if that is for everyone.  Some people like to see architecture or visit famous sights or historical places, which is cool too but not necessarily my thing.  Either way, I'd recommend it as long as the person learns and respects the customs of what is polite in the place they are visiting, at least some basic phrases in the language.

Do you think the travel has in any way impacted the music you are making today?

It definitely did.  I always thought of my music as a journal and also am always affected by the colors of the places I visit.  Also, I primarily made electronic music at that time, but my computer got stolen off of the trans-Mongolian railroad and I started focusing on fingerpicking on the guitar and recording on a 4-track after that.

What is the creative process like when layering/building your songs? Where does it typically start?

Sometimes a melody pops in my head when I am not making music and I start there.  Sometimes I start recording sounds on the four track and then things start popping in my head.  Or something pops in my head while I'm noodling on the guitar.  I try and share the things that made things pop into my head.

Where would be your dream venue to play?

On a submarine that is following a blue whale

After Recording your first studio album in 2017 "Black Hole" would you say you prefer making things your self or working through a studio?

I think both are important.  I get a lot of ideas recording by myself but I can bring them to a studio when they get really big and need some help putting them together. 

Do you think your music could be played in a first-grade classroom? What do you think their reaction would be?

I think so!  I think they might interpretive dance to some of it.

What is the most useful thing you own?

 A Nintendo

Is there a film that you think accurately represents New York City?

 I don't think so

What is the most memorable thing to happen to you on the NYC subway system?

Riding on the "Holiday Nostalgia" train line.

Do you have any upcoming projects you are excited about?

I have a split with Grout and another tape coming out!  Otherwise just recording random things, playing with my buds as a member of Yours are the Only Ears, and putting together shows on mountains.  I'm also in graduate school for music therapy and I am excited about that too.