Born in a quiet town in Iowa, he grew up chasing invisible things: codes in books, echoes in movies, half-sentences in songs. English found himself glued to the radio from an early age and, after picking up guitar at 10, language and sound conspired. The music is part confession, part séance— lush spells where the sacred and the stained trade places. Emotions arrive in disguises: Tenderness (smoke), grief (rhythm), silence (a cathedral on the verge of collapse).

Following a move to New York City, Dan released his first album “Fruit Boy"  in 2018 followed by 2020’s “In Grace” EP. Since, Dan has journeyed into his next body of work with the release of “Across my Jaw”: a song that trembles beneath restraint before bursting open— a shattering modern hymn.

In addition to his solo work, Dan moonlights as a guitarist for beloved NYC rock outfit Porches and is oft to be found collaborating with his mysterious cousin Melody English.

His second full-length, Sky Record, is due Summer 2025. It’s less an album, more a weather system.

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SUPPORT FROM SUPERFAN
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Composing and producing in his Los Angeles living room from age 11, Flanagan cites his earliest musical experiences as piano recitals attended by Hollywood directors and Weezer’s frontman, who Flanagan remembers “commenting on my rhythmic sensibility” by pointing at his foot tapping to keep time during his first performance. Flanagan began circulating studios filled with aspiring millennial producers in his teens, informed by an orchestral background fueled by public school music programs in which he played both upright bass and violin. It was then that he taught himself to use DAWs and the rules of “heavily-produced” pop music. 

Flanagan found success during the pandemic under his first name, ‘KALI’. His initial releases garnered the appearance of a budding career as an indie-pop star, with millions of streams and collaborations with seasoned high-profile producers and industry teams. Despite the upward mobility, Flanagan’s growing interpersonal dysphoria was easily a metaphor for his dissatisfaction with his artistic output and community as he reached adulthood. Growing up in Los Angeles was contingent on this ever-present new wave of pop music oblivion; “hits” made in 5-hour sessions with strangers, a social life suffocated by others’ aspirations for fame, and an absent audience for live music that pushed past the prescriptions of recorded music. Following his physical transition (to become male), his three-word synth pop hooks were swapped out for stanzas describing dissociation and gender envy, soundtracked by a now-signature, deeply tuned acoustic guitar. 

Flanagan’s pared-down playing style and vocal have drawn comparisons to songwriters as Kurt Cobain, Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake. He has held monthly residencies at the now-defunct Los Angeles staple Genghis Cohen, (which drew the attendance of Julian Casablancas) and New York’s Pete’s Candy Store. Superfan has since played shows with the likes of Jordan Patterson (with whom both Flanagan and Almassi are frequent contributors), Quiet Light, untitled (halo), Autobahn, Horsegirl, Userband, as well as in the UK & Europe alongside acts such as Tiberius B and Samba Jean Baptiste. He is booked for shows with Kelora, Knifeplay, Dan English, and Kath Bloom in the fall. Flanagan is a member of the rising NYC emo band, Holidays in United States, who is in the process of recording a full-length project. Additional contributions as a multi-instrumentalist will be found on Jordan Patterson’s upcoming debut, “The Hermit”. Kali is currently a student at Hunter College studying Anthropology and writing as a freelancer for the artist-favorite Creative Independent.

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SUPPORT FROM BRITTLE BRIAN

Brittle Brian is the nom de plume of Philadelphia musician Victoria Rose who has a handful of LP and EP's under the moniker. Her songs are often trips into some fragile situation or world that can be as frightening as they are gorgeous and oftentimes prove to have hidden wonders inside that reveal themselves slowly with every listen. Rose's vulnerability and searching ways are always ultra-compelling and the willingness to be open creates even more intimacy between the artist and audience. She manages to bring an inventive and unique musical approach to her work that tends to absorb everything around it, probing into the quiet moments of unease in an often unrelenting fashion.

// This is a seated performance. If you require accessibilitty accommodations, please email boxoffice@nationalsawdust.org.