Dan Wilson (musician)

For other people with the same name, see Dan Wilson.

Not to be confused with Daniel Wilson (musician).

Dan Wilson
Wilson performing with Semisonic in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Dodd Wilson
Born	(1961-05-20) May 20, 1961 St. Louis Park, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres	Folk rock country alternative rock
Occupations	Musician singer songwriter record producer visual artist
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass keyboards drums
Labels	Ballroom Music, Pleasuresonic Recordings
Member of	Semisonic
Formerly of	Trip Shakespeare
Website	danwilsonmusic.com

Daniel Dodd Wilson (born May 20, 1961) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, visual artist and record producer who has been called the songwriter's songwriter. His songwriting résumé includes "Closing Time," which he wrote for his band, Semisonic; "Not Ready to Make Nice," co-written with The Chicks; and "Someone Like You," co-written with Adele. Wilson's work earned him a Grammy nomination for "Closing Time" (Best Rock Song) and garnered him Grammy wins for Song of the Year ("Not Ready to Make Nice" in 2007) and Album of the Year as a producer for Adele's 21 in 2012.

Wilson has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, including Pink, Celine Dion, Leon Bridges, Mitski, Claud, Halsey, Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, My Morning Jacket, Dierks Bentley, John Legend, Joy Oladokun, Laufey, and many others.

In 2012, Wilson produced the song "Treacherous” which he co wrote with Taylor Swift for Swift's fourth studio album Red, resulting in an additional Album of the Year Grammy nomination. In 2021, Wilson produced the re-recorded version of "Treacherous" for Swift's second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version).

On November 10, 2023, Wilson received Grammy nominations for Song of the Year for "Butterfly", which he wrote with Jon Batiste, and Best Country Song for “White Horse," which he co-wrote with Chris Stapleton.

In January 2024, "It Never Went Away," the song Wilson co-wrote with Jon Batiste for the documentary American Symphony, received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

On February 4, 2024, Wilson won the Grammy for Best Country Song for “White Horse," which he co-wrote with Chris Stapleton.

In addition to being the frontman of Semisonic, Wilson has released several solo recordings, including the 2017 release Re-Covered. He was also a member of the Minneapolis psychedelic rock band Trip Shakespeare.

Early life and education

Wilson is a native of St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Wilson attended Harvard University, where he studied visual arts with a focus on printmaking and from which he graduated B.A. summa cum laude in Visual and Environmental Studies in 1983, while he resided in Dunster House. Wilson is an accomplished artist, and won the first Louis Sudler Prize for Outstanding Artistic Talent and Achievement in 1983. While in college, he began collaborating with his brother, singer-songwriter Matt Wilson, who also attended Harvard College. The Wilson brothers played in two bands, Animal Dance and the Love Monsters. After college, Wilson pursued his interest in drawing and painting, first in San Francisco and then in Minneapolis.

Career

Early career

In 1987, Wilson joined the Minneapolis psychedelic band Trip Shakespeare, which his brother Matt Wilson had founded with bassist John Munson and drummer Elaine Harris. The original three members had already released one record, Applehead Man, and now as a quartet, with Wilson on guitar, piano, sharing lead vocal duties with Matt Wilson—with whom Wilson also co-wrote many of the songs—and Munson, the band released three more albums (Are You Shakespearienced?, 1988, Gark Records; Across the Universe, 1990, A&M Records; Lulu, 1991, A&M Records) and one EP (Volt, 1992, Twin Tone).

Since Trip Shakespeare's breakup in 1992, Wilson has continued to collaborate with his brother, including the release of two live albums (Minneapolis 2010 and Minneapolis 2013).

With Semisonic

Wilson with Semisonic

After Trip Shakespeare's breakup in 1992, Wilson and Munson joined with drummer Jacob Slichter to form Pleasure, a trio that was later renamed Semisonic. Semisonic released one EP, three full-length albums, and one live album.

The band's first album, Great Divide, received critical acclaim. David Fricke wrote in a year-end Rolling Stone article on the notable albums of 1996, "Great Divide is that rare '96 beast, a record of simple but sparkling modern pop, rattling with power-trio vitality." It was their 1998 release, Feeling Strangely Fine, however, that brought the band to widespread national and then international attention and success. Powered by Wilson's songs "Closing Time", which was a number-one hit on the Modern Rock charts for thirteen weeks in the spring and summer of 1998, the follow-up single "Singing in My Sleep", and "Secret Smile", a breakthrough hit for the band internationally, Feeling Strangely Fine attained platinum sales status in the U.S. and U.K. "Closing Time" received a 1999 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song and has become an enduring pop-culture reference point for the late 1990s. It was a focal point of the plot and soundtrack of the 2011 film Friends with Benefits.

Semisonic's third album, All About Chemistry, was released in 2001, and featured Wilson's song "Chemistry", the album's first single, and also included "One True Love", a song Wilson co-wrote with Carole King.

Semisonic stopped touring in August 2001 but continued to perform on occasion. Slichter's memoir, So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star, provides a detailed account of the band's adventures and misadventures in the music business.

On June 26, 2020, Semisonic released their first single in nearly 20 years, "You're Not Alone," followed by an EP of the same name on September 18, 2020.

As a solo artist

Free Life

Wilson's solo debut, Free Life, was released in 2007 by American Recordings. Produced with Rick Rubin, Free Life was recorded in Minneapolis and Los Angeles and includes performances by Tracy Bonham, Sheryl Crow, Jason Lader, Gary Louris, Natalie Maines, Benmont Tench, and a number of Minneapolis-based musicians including multi-instrumentalist and frequent Semisonic sideman Ken Chastain, Eric Fawcett, John Hermanson, Joanna James, Mason Jennings, Steve Rhoem, Joe Savage, as well as Wilson's Semisonic bandmates Munson and Slichter.

Free Life helped establish Wilson's reputation as a songwriter, with The A.V. Club writing, "the star of the show here is Wilson's remarkable instinct for creating gorgeous songs, and his unabashed, obvious joy in doing so. For anyone worried that songcraft is an endangered species, Free Life should ease those fears."

The song Breathless became a big hit in Greece (and other Balkan countries) and Dan Wilson performed it at the 2009 MAD Video Music Awards.

Love Without Fear

Wilson performing in 2008

Wilson's second solo album, Love Without Fear, was released on April 15, 2014 and includes performances by Sara Bareilles, Missy Higgins, Lissie, Natalie Maines, Blake Mills, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins. The first recording from Love Without Fear, "Disappearing" (with a cover of Neil Young's "Out on the Weekend" included as a b-side) was released on November 7, 2013 and was the debut release of the new singles label, Canvasclub.

In describing the album, Wilson said, "The songs are about being left alone, not wanting to lose someone, about desperately wishing for connection and togetherness. The sound of the record lives at the intersection of Americana and Beatles- influenced rock and roll. A little bit of twang and a lot of cinematic emotion." The album received largely favourable reviews emphasizing Wilson's reputation as a songwriter. "Dan Wilson's career is proof positive that smart, elegant songwriting has a place in music… [Love Without Fear] is a lovely amalgamation of chamber rock, gentle country, gooey '70s pop and snappy soul."

Re-Covered

Wilson's third solo studio album, Re-Covered, was released on August 4, 2017. The album is a collection of reinterpretations of songs Wilson wrote for other artists, both big hits and "songs that I always wished were big hits, but weren't." The album includes "Someone Like You" (written with Adele), "Not Ready To Make Nice" (written with Dixie Chicks), "Home" (written with Dierks Bentley and Brett Beavers), and "When The Stars Come Out" (written with Chris Stapleton).

Singles

In September 2018 Wilson announced that he would begin releasing new music that Fall. Rather than organizing the new songs into an album, he would instead release them over time as monthly singles. According to Wilson, "I fell in love with the idea of just letting songs out into the world when they happen." "I don't have anything against making an album. If I do 15 or 20 of these I would love the idea of packaging them together and calling it an album. I think that'd be fantastic, but I don't really have that in my mind. I'm just trying to be free."

Words and Music by Dan Wilson

Wilson's discoveries as a solo artist and collaborator with other artists are the subject of "Words and Music by Dan Wilson", solo concerts in which he performs some of his songs and describes the songs' various inspirations or the insights that occasioned their composition. "Words and Music by Dan Wilson" has come to Hotel Cafe, Room 5 and Largo in Los Angeles, Joe's Pub and City Winery in New York, World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, Jammin' Java in DC, Rams Head in Annapolis, The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Schubas Tavern in Chicago, Berklee College of Music's Red Room at Cafe 939 in Boston, and the Red Barn concert series in Northfield, MN. Wilson has also presented Words & Music workshops at the 2012 ASCAP expo, UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music, and USC's Thornton School of Music.

Wilson's thoughts about songwriting and the creative process are also captured in his series, Words & Music in Six Seconds, which was originally launched on Vine and is now regularly posted on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. From American Songwriter, "In his short videos, Wilson provides insightful quips about common songwriting insecurities, methodology, personal writing quirks, and various other tips for writing your best." In November 2020, he released the Words + Music in 6 Seconds deck, a collection of cards written and designed by Wilson based on his Instagram series.

As a songwriter and producer

As a songwriter and producer, Wilson has collaborated with a number of artists. Two of these collaborations have earned him Grammy Awards.

A number of artists have described Wilson's ability to help put their feelings and ideas into song. Speaking of her experience of working with him, Pink said, in an online interview, "He is brilliant, and he's a thoughtful songwriter. And he's a song crafter . . . like old-school. He crafts songs and he thinks about them. And I learned a lot from working with him." In describing her co-writing with Wilson, Adele said, "Dan had me on my hands and knees, crying my eyes out - there's just something about him that made me completely open up as a composer."

Taking the Long Way – The Dixie Chicks

Wilson co-wrote six of the songs on the Dixie Chicks multiple-Grammy-winning album Taking the Long Way, including the title song and "Not Ready to Make Nice", which earned Wilson and the Dixie Chicks the 2007 Grammy for Song of the Year. In the 2006 film Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing, Wilson speaks on camera about his experience as a co-writer on this album, especially in regard to helping the Dixie Chicks make an artistic response to their rejection by radio and a large swath of their fans in the wake of the band's statements about President Bush and the Iraq War.

One of the songs he co-wrote for this album, "Easy Silence", appears on Free Life, with Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines singing harmonies.

21 – Adele

Wilson co-wrote three of the songs on Adele's multiple-Grammy-winning 21, "Don't You Remember", "One and Only", and, most notably, "Someone Like You", which became a number one hit in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand was a top ten hit around the globe. As a producer of this track, on which he also played piano, Wilson shared in the 2012 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

In an interview with American Songwriter, Wilson recounted the writing and recording of "Someone Like You":

The recording on the album was intended as a demo. I was thinking, "Oh, they're going to make a big version of this, strings and angelic choirs, like a big Chrissie Hynde power-ballad." But by the end of the first day, the demo was sounding lovely, and very affecting, but it was only half-written, there were no words on the second verse or the bridge as I remember. Adele came to the studio the next day and said, "I played it for my manager and me Mum." I was a little nervous about this because I don't like people to hear works-in-progress. I asked her what they thought of the song. "My manager loves it and me Mum cried."

"Someone Like You" won the 2012 Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance, and as she accepted the award, Adele said, "I want to thank Dan Wilson, who wrote this song with me. My life changed when I wrote this song and I felt it before anyone even heard it."

"Someone Like You" was the most downloaded single of all time in the UK and was voted third most favourite single of the last 60 years in the UK.

As a visual artist

Wilson's career as a painter, illustrator, and calligrapher is less widely known, but his artwork has often intersected with his music career. He was represented by Thomas Barry Fine Arts in Minneapolis, and his works are included in numerous private and corporate collections.

Illustrated Influences

Wilson's paintings are featured on the artwork for two of Trip Shakespeare's albums, Are You Shakespearienced? and Lulu, as well as on the cover of his first solo album, Free Life.

Wilson created all of the artwork for his 2014 album Love Without Fear. Most notably, a hand illustrated 24-page hardcover Deluxe Album Book/CD. The package includes Wilson's own calligraphy, sketches, and handwritten lyrics for each song on the album. The official lyric videos for his singles from the album, "Disappearing" and "A Song Can Be About Anything" are also made entirely from his own illustrations.

At his "Words and Music by Dan Wilson" shows, audience members receive illuminated set lists that are hand illustrated by Wilson. One of these set lists was featured on NPR's blog All Songs Considered.

Wilson's calligraphy and illustrations are featured in his Tumblr series, "DW's Sketchbook" and his musical cartoons have been featured in The Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy Blog.

Personal life

Wilson is married to Diane Espaldon. Wilson and his wife were contemporaries at Harvard University, where he studied visual arts and she studied government. Wilson's wife subsequently earned a M.A. from School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. Together, they have one biological daughter, Corazon ("Coco") (b. 1997), who was born prematurely and has disabilities and for whom "Closing Time" was written before her birth, and Lily (b. 2007), who was adopted at age two from the Philippines.

Discography

Wilson in 2019

Singles

• 2022 "Dancing On The Moon"
• 2022 "On The Floor" - Perfume Genius cover
• 2021 "Under The Circumstances"
• 2020 "Try Love"
• 2020 "The Real Question"
• 2020 "Red Light"
• 2020 "Superfan"
• 2020 "Eventually"
• 2019 "Last December"
• 2019 "Sunshine"
• 2019 "Too Much ii"
• 2019 "A Modest Proposal"
• 2019 "The Rules"
• 2019 "Fly Safe"
• 2018 "Are You Lonely Tonight, Mrs. Claus?"
• 2018 "Christmassy"
• 2018 "Uncanny Valley"
• 2018 "We Ain't Telling"
• 2016 "Yoko"
• 2015 "The Hottest Christmas Eve Ever"
• 2014 "Love Without Fear"
• 2014 "A Song Can Be About Anything"
• 2013 "Disappearing"
• 2011 "Soft Picasso"
• 2009 "Breathless"
• 2007 "Cry"

Studio albums

• 2022 Dancing On The Moon EP
• 2017 Re-Covered
• 2014 Love Without Fear
• 2008 Be Free EP digital release
• 2007 Free Life

Live albums

• 2009 Dan Wilson Live at the Pantages – A 2-CD document of Dan Wilson's concert at Minneapolis' Pantages Theater on December 13, 2008.
• 2008 Live at the Electric Fetus
• 2001 DW Live @ the CCC
• 1998 Dan Wilson Live @ Bryant Lake Bowl

with Semisonic

• 2023 Little Bit of Sun (LP)
• 2023 "Little Bit of Sun","Grow Your Own", "The Rope", & "Out of the Dirt" (singles)
• 2020 You're Not Alone (EP)
• 2018 Feeling Strangely Fine (20th Anniversary Reissue)
• 2003 One Night at First Avenue (live)
• 2001 All About Chemistry
• 1998 Feeling Strangely Fine
• 1996 Great Divide
• 1995 Pleasure EP (EP)
• 1993 Pleasure

Dan and Matt Wilson

• 2013 Dan & Matt Wilson Minneapolis 2013
• 2010 Dan & Matt Wilson Minneapolis 2010

Trip Shakespeare

• 1992 Volt (EP)
• 1991 Lulu
• 1990 Across the Universe
• 1989 Are You Shakespearienced?
• 1986 Applehead Man

The Love Monsters

• 1983 Kiss Away The Tears (7")

Film and TV soundtracks (as a performer)

• 2019 Big Little Lies Season 2 Soundtrack – "That Was Yesterday" (Leon Bridges)
• 2010 Dear John Soundtrack – "You Take My Troubles Away" (with Rachael Yamagata)
• 2009 All About Steve Soundtrack – "Sugar"
• 2001 Summer Catch – Semisonic's "Over My Head"
• 1999 American Pie Soundtrack – "Good Morning Baby"
• 1999 Together in Concert: Live, Bic Runga Featuring Dan Wilson
• 1999 Friends Again – Semisonic's "Delicious"
• 1999 10 Things I Hate About You – Semisonic's "FNT"
• 1999 Never Been Kissed Soundtrack – Semisonic's "Never You Mind"
• 1999 For the Love of the Game Soundtrack – Semisonic's "For the Love of the Game"
• 1996 The Long Kiss Goodnight Soundtrack – Semisonic's "FNT"

Film soundtracks (as a writer and producer)

• 2023 American Symphony – "It Never Went Away" (Jon Batiste)
• 2023 Love Again – "Love Again" (Celine Dion)
• 2014 The Fault In Our Stars – "Tee Shirt" and "Best Shot" (Birdy)
• 2013 Spark: A Burning Man Story – "We Ride" (Missy Higgins)
• 2013 Safe Haven – "We Both Know" (Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw)
• 2010 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – "Ours" (The Bravery)
• 2010 The Kid – "Boy" (KT Tunstall)

Compilations

• 2013 Absolutely Cuckoo: Minnesota Covers the 69 Love Songs – "The Things We Did and Didn't Do"
• 2011 Minnesota Remembers Vic Chesnutt – "Soft Picasso"
• 2006 For New Orleans – "I Can't Hold You"
• 2002 For the Kids – "Willie the King"
• 2002 Maybe This Christmas – "What a Year for a New Year"

Writing and producing credits

Year	Artist	Credit	Title
2024	Bastille	Writer	"Leonard & Marianne"
	Ben Goldsmith	Writer	"Easy"
	Phantogram	Writer	"Come Alive"
	Phantogram	Writer	"Happy Again"
	Phantogram	Writer	"All A Mystery"
	Laufey	Producer/Writer	"Trouble"
	Meklit	Writer / Producer	"Antidote"
			"Ethio Blue"
			"Digging for Love"
			"Hagere Ethiopia"
			"Here to Imagine"
			"Birdsong"
	Jon Batiste	Producer/Writer	"It Never Went Away"
2023	Jon Batiste	Producer/Writer	"Butterfly"
	Daniel Seavey	Writer	"Fall into You"
	Chris Stapleton	Writer	"White Horse"
	Claud	Producer/Writer	"A Good Thing"
	Laufey	Producer/Writer	"Promise"
	Celine Dion	Producer/Writer	"Love Again"
	Ricky Montgomery	Writer	"Eraser"
	Milck	Writer	"Metamorphosis"
	Manchester Orchestra	Writer	"Lose You Again"
	Meet Me at the Altar	Writer	"T.M.I."
	Joy Oladokun	Producer/Writer	"Changes"
2022	Meghan Trainor	Writer	"Superwoman"
	Hrishikesh Hirway	Producer	"Still Dreaming"
	Noah Cyrus	Writer	"Unfinished"
	Nina Nesbitt	Producer/Writer	"Colours of You"
	Cuco	Producer/Writer	"Sweet Dissociation"
	Madison Cunningham	Writer	"In From Japan"
	Christina Perri	Writer	"Fever"
	Vance Joy	Producer/Writer	"This One"
	Allison Ponthier	Writer / Producer	"Late Bloomer"
	John Mark Nelson	Writer	"Don't Look Back"
	Tenille Townes	Writer / Producer	"The Sound Of Being Alone"
	Alec Benjamin	Writer	"Shadow Of Mine"
			"Speakers"
			"Deniro"
	Chastity Brown	Writer	"Wonderment"
2021	Leon Bridges	Writer	"Summer Rain"
	Taylor Swift	Writer / Producer	"Treacherous (Taylor's Version)"
			"Come Back...Be Here (Taylor's Version)"
	Mitski	Writer	"The Only Heartbreaker"
	Ricky Montgomery	Writer	"Sorry For Me"
	Joshua Speers	Writer / Producer	"The Handoff"
	Joshua Speers	Writer / Producer	"Don't Stop Loving Me" feat. SKAAR
	Tom Morello	Writer	"Driving To Texas" feat. Phantogram
	Joshua Speers	Producer	"Thirteen"
	Allison Ponthier	Writer / Producer	"Tornado Country"
	Joshua Speers	Writer	"Just Kids"
	Tom Morello	Writer	"Mary Celeste"
	Leon Bridges	Writer	"Motorbike"
	Amy Shark	Writer / Producer	"You'll Never Meet Anyone Like Me Again"
	Teddy Geiger	Writer	"Love Somebody"
	Priscilla Ahn	Writer	"Waiting"
2020	Andrea Russett	Writer	"Darkest Hour"
	LANY	Writer	"Nobody Else"
	Joshua Speers	Writer	"Thunder Blanket"
	JoJo	Writer	"In Your Room"
	Briston Maroney	Writer	"Deep Sea Diver"
	Ricky Reed	Writer	"Better" feat. Leon Bridges and Kiana Ledé
	Amy Allen	Writer / Producer	"Queen of Silver Linings"
	The Chicks	Writer	"March March"
	Leon Bridges	Writer	"Sweeter"
	Alec Benjamin	Writer	"Six Feet Apart"
	Phantogram	Writer	"Glowing"
			"Gaunt Kids"
			"Love Me Now"
	Gunnar Gehl	Writer	"For Your Love"
2019	Yoshi Flower	Writer	"More"
	Celine Dion	Writer / Producer	"Lovers Never Die"
	Harper Finn	Writer	"Good for Me"
	JoJo	Writer	"Sabotage" feat. Chika
	Mondo Cozmo	Writer	"Come On"
	Donna Missal	Writer	"You Burned Me"
	Leon Bridges	Writer / Producer	"That Was Yesterday"
	Noah Kahan	Writer	"Busyhead"
	James Bay	Writer / Producer	"Bad" - single
	Rhye	Writer / Producer	"Needed" - single
	Mike Posner	Writer	"Song About You" - lead single
			"Move On" - single
2018	Alec Benjamin	Writer	"Water Fountain"
			"Gotta Be a Reason"
	John Legend	Writer	"Waiting for Christmas"
	Lukas Graham	Writer	"You're Not the Only One (Redemption Song)"
	Josh Groban	Writer	"You Have No Idea"
	Steve Perry	Writer	"No More Cryin'"
	Jason Mraz	Writer / Producer	"Love Is Still the Answer"
	Brett Dennen	Writer / Producer	"Here's Looking at You Kid" - single
			"Be Somebody"
			"People I Love"
			"Live in the Moment"
			"Baker's Globe Mallow"
	Ben Rector	Writer	"Sometimes"
	Missy Higgins	Writer / Producer	"How Was I to Know"
	LeAnn Rimes & Stevie Nicks	Writer	"Borrowed"
	Leon Bridges	Writer	"Shy"
	Phantogram	Writer	"Someday" - single
	Jeremy Messersmith	Writer	"Once You Get to Know Us"
	Brett Dennen	Producer	"Already Gone" - single
		Writer / Producer	"Let's..."
			"Home Away from Home"
			"Good Vibration"
			"Jenny and Jill"
	Vance Joy	Writer	"Like Gold"
			"We're Going Home" - single
2017	Meg Mac	Writer	"Brooklyn Apartment (It's Louder Than the TV and the Radio)"
	Bishop Briggs	Writer / Producer	"Dream" - lead single
	Niall Horan	Writer	"Since We're Alone"
	Noah Cyrus	Writer / Producer	"Almost Famous"
	Chase & Status	Writer	"Crawling"
	Halsey	Writer	"Alone"
	Preservation Hall Jazz Band	Writer	"One Hundred Fires"
	Cold War Kids	Writer	"Free to Breathe"
	K. Flay	Writer	"Black Wave"
	Meklit	Writer / Producer	"Memories of the Future" (ft. Preservation Hall Horns)
			"This Was Made Here"
		Producer	"I Want to Sing for Them All" (ft. Andrew Bird)
			"Supernova"
			"You Are My Luck" (ft. Preservation Hall Horns)
			"Yerakeh Yeresal" (ft. Andrew Bird)
			"You Got Me" (ft. Preservation Hall Horns)
			"Yesterday Is a Tizita"
			"Human Animal"
			"Sweet or Salty"
			"Birthday Song" (ft. Preservation Hall Horns)
	Aquilo	Writer	"Almost Over"
2016	Sean Watkins	Writer	"Keep Your Promises II"
	Brooke Fraser	Writer	"Let's Be Human"
	Phantogram	Writer / Co-producer	"You Don't Get Me High Anymore" - lead single
			"Same Old Blues" - single
		Writer / Additional production	"You're Mine"
			"Cruel World"
		Writer	"Funeral Pyre"
			"Answer"
			"Run Run Blood"
			"Destroyer"
			"Calling All"
	The Head and the Heart	Writer	"Turn It Around"
	Dierks Bentley	Writer	"Why Do I Feel"
	Sara Watkins	Writer	"Say So"
			"Like New Year's Day"
	The Twilight Hours	Writer	"Anymore"
			"Help Me Find the Way"
	Weezer	Writer	"California Kids"
	Andrew Bird	Writer	"Are You Serious"
	Rita Wilson	Writer / Producer	"Crying, Crying"
	Brian Fallon	Writer	"Steve McQueen"
	Nada Surf	Writer	"Rushing"
			"Victory's Yours"
	Foxes	Writer / Producer	"Devil Side"
	Panic! at the Disco	Writer	"Emperor's New Clothes"
	Anthony Wilson	Writer	"Your Footprints"
2015	Florence + The Machine	Writer / Producer	"Conductor"
	Harry Connick, Jr.	Writer	"You Have No Idea"
	D.A. Wallach	Writer	"Feel"
	Phases	Writer	"Spark"
	Chris Stapleton	Writer	"When the Stars Come Out"
	My Morning Jacket	Writer	"Big Decisions"
	Rae Morris	Writer	"Unguarded"
2014	Brooke Fraser	Writer	"Magical Machine"
	Spoon	Writer	"New York Kiss"
	Alex Clare	Writer / Producer	"Three Hearts"
	Birdy	Writer / Producer	"Tee Shirt"
			"Best Shot"
	The Secret Sisters	Writer	"Iuka"
2013	Gin Wigmore	Writer	"If Only"
	James Blunt	Writer / Producer	"Next Time I'm Seventeen"
	Leann Rimes	Writer	"I Do Now"
	Romeo Testa	Writer	"With You"
		Writer	"I'm So Down"
	Birdy	Writer / Producer	"All You Never Say"
		Writer / Additional production	"Maybe"
		Writer	"All About You"
	John Legend	Writer	"You & I (Nobody in the World)"
	Preservation Hall Jazz Band	Writer	"I Think I Love You"
			"Rattlin' Bones"
	LeAnn Rimes	Writer	"Borrowed"
	Natalie Maines	Writer	"Free Life"
	Missy Higgins	Producer	"We Ride"
	Colbie Caillat & Gavin Degraw	Producer	"We Both Know"
2012	Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons	Writer	"Never Meant to Love You"
	Jack Carty	Writer	"The Length of Canada"
	The Webb Sisters	Writer	"Missing Person"
	Taylor Swift	Co-writer / Producer	"Treacherous"
			"Come Back...Be Here"
	Pink	Writer / Producer	"The Great Escape"
	Nas	Writer / Producer	"Roses"
	Sara Watkins	Writer	"When It Pleases You"
	Elizaveta	Writer	"Goodbye Song"
	Audra Mae	Writer	"My Friend the Devil"
	Missy Higgins	Writer	"Everyone's Waiting"
			"Set Me on Fire"
	Paloma Faith	Writer	"When You're Gone"
	Dierks Bentley	Writer	"Home"
	Gin Wigmore	Writer	"Poison"
			"Roll It All"
2011	Mike Viola	Writer	"Get You Back"
	Adele	Writer / Producer	"Someone Like You" - single
		Writer	"One and Only"
			"Don't You Remember"
	James Morrison	Writer	"The Awakening"
			"In My Dreams"
	Mike Doughty	Writer	"Na Na Nothing"
			"Holiday (What Do You Want)"
	The Downtown Fiction	Writer	"Hurt Me So Good"
	Nicole Atkins	Writer	"Heavy Boots"
	Gabe Dixon	Writer	"My Favorite"
2010	Josh Groban	Writer	"Hidden Away"
			"Higher Window" - single
			"Bells of NYC"
			"War at Home"
			"If I Walk Away" - single
			"Love Only Knows"
	Keith Urban	Writer	"Big Promises"
	Weezer	Writer	"Ruling Me"
	Griffin House	Writer / Producer / Mixing	"If You Want"
		Writer	"Coming Down the Road"
	The Bravery	Writer / Producer	"Ours"
	KT Tunstall	Writer / Producer	"Boy"
	Storyhill	Producer / Mixing engineer	"Avalon"
			"Better Angels"
			"Well of Sorrow"
			"Caught in a Mess"
			"Cover Your Tracks"
			"World Go Round"
			"Getaway"
			"A Town Talks"
			"Dangerous Weapon"
			"Pieces of Love"
	Rachael Yamagata	Writer / Producer / Mixing	"You Take My Troubles Away"
2009	Gin Wigmore	Writer	"Hey Ho"
	James Morrison	Writer	"Once When I Was Little"
	Bic Runga	Writer	"Change of Heart"
	Parachute	Writer	"Blame It on Me"
	Ballas Hough Band	Writer	"Turnin' Me On"
			"She Was the One"
2008	Jason Mraz	Writer	"Details in the Fabric"
	Absentstar	Writer	"For the Moment"
			"If You Like It"
			"Life Support"
	Anberlin	Writer	"Retrace"
	Carrie Rodriguez	Writer	"She Ain't Me"
	Mike Doughty	Producer	"Fort Hood"
			"I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep On Dancing"
			"Put It Down"
			"More Bacon Than the Pan Can Handle"
			"27 Jennifers"
			"I Wrote a Song About Your Car"
			"I Got the Drop on You"
			"Wednesday (Contra la Puerta)"
			"Like a Luminous Girl"
			"Nectarine (Part One)"
			"Navigating the Stars at Night"
	Jeremy Messersmith	Producer / Recording and mixing engineer	"The Silver City"
			"Welcome to Suburbia"
			"Dead End Job"
			"Franklin Avenue"
			"The Commuter"
			"Miracles"
			"Love You to Pieces"
			"Breaking Down"
			"Skyway"
			"Virginia"
			"Light Rail"
	The New Standards	Producer / Mixing engineer	"Rock and Roll"
			"Hey Ya"
			"Such Great Heights"
			"Watching the Detectives"
			"Androgynous"
			"Bring It On Home to Me"
			"London Calling"
			"Toxic"
			"Maps"
			"Is That All There Is?"
	The Gabe Dixon Band	Writer	"All Will Be Well"
			"Find My Way"
			"Five More Hours"
2007	Dixie Chicks	Writer	"Not Ready to Make Nice" - single
			"Easy Silence"
			"Taking the Long Way"
			"Lullaby"
			"Voice Inside My Head"
			"So Hard"
	Storyhill	Writer / Producer / Recording and mixing engineer	"For a Song"
			"Happy Man"
			"Love Will Find You"
			"Sacramento"
			"Paradise Lost"
		Producer / Recording and mixing engineer	"Give Up the Ghost"
			"Ballad of Joe Snowboard"
			"Highlight"
			"Blazing Out of Sight
			"Fallen"
			"Room in My Heart"
	James Morrison	Writer	"Movin' On"
	Aly & AJ	Writer	"If I Could Have You Back"
	Brooke Fraser	Writer	"Thief"
	Absent Star	Producer	"Half Life"
			"For God Sakes"
			"Don't Lock Me Out"
			"Life Support"
			"A Year from Now"
			"Everyone You Know"
			"Give In to Me"
			"If What You Mean Is Harm"
			"Quietly Conceited"
			"If You Like It"
			"For the Moment"
			"All Is Forgotten"
2006	Sean Watkins	Writer	"I'm Sorry"
			"Runaway Girl"
	Eliot Morris	Writer / Producer	"Balancing the World"
	Lucie Silvas	Writer	"Passionate You"
	Shaye	Writer	"I Can't Say"
2005	Jason Mraz	Writer	"Did You Get My Message"
			"Song for a Friend"
	Mike Doughty	Writer / Producer / Recording and mixing engineer	"Busting Up a Starbucks"
			"American Car"
			"Your Misfortune"
			"I Hear the Bells"
			"Tremendous Brunettes"
		Producer / Recording and mixing engineer
			"Unsingable Name"
			"Madeline and Nine"
			"White Lexus"
			"Sunken-Eyed Girl"
			"Grey Ghost"
			"His Truth Is Marching On"
	Glen Phillips	Writer	"True"
			"Clear Eyed"
			"Released"
	Hope Partlow	Writer	"Let Me Try"
	The New Standards	Producer / Recording and mixing engineer	"The Inchworm"
			"The New Pollution"
			"I Will Dare"
			"All the Young Dudes"
			"Man, Oh Man"
			"Nature Boy"
			"Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
			"Town Crier"
			"Love Is the Law"
			"Oh Yeah"
			"Dark End of the Street"
			"My Ship"
			"Song 2"
			"September Song"
2004	Rachael Yamagata	Writer	"I Want You"
	Graham Colton	Writer	"Don't Give Up on Me"
2003	Bleu	Writer	"Somethin's Gotta Give"
	Epic Hero	Producer / Recording and mixing engineer	"Hello Hello"
			"Tear Her Down"
			"New Life"
			"Stay Awake"
			"End of the Line"
			"High School"
			"One in a Crowd"
			"Angel"
			"On My Own"
			"Something Someone Someday"
			"One Fine Day"
			"Ease Your Mind"
2000	Evan and Jaron	Writer	"Ready or Not"
1999	Bic Runga	Writer / Producer	"Good Morning Baby"

External links

• Official website
• Full discography
• Writing and producing credits
• DW's Sketchbook