Dana Robinson
Songwriter ~ Americana ~ Old-Time

Richard Dana Robinson was born in Eugene, Oregon in 1961, and raised in the Bay Area of California. His childhood and teen years were infused with the music of the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Eric Clapton, Neil Young and the popular singer-songwriters of the 70’s. Dana took up the guitar at ten years old and began writing songs emulating the sounds he was absorbing. In 1977, Dana spent his sophomore year of high school in London and was exposed to the punk scene and prog rock bands of the time, which became an undercurrent to his attitude and musical style.
 
From ’79 to ’83 Dana hitchhiked relentlessly across the Western United States, restless and looking for a place to take root. In ’84 after a summer spent busking around Europe he found a home in Northampton, Massachusetts. Dana took a job cooking at The Iron Horse, an intimate, 100-seat music club. There he witnessed performances from some of the great songwriters and musicians of the time. Artists such as Shawn Colvin, Loudon Wainwright, Bill Staines, Martin Simpson and Doc Watson provided live examples of how one person, armed with a guitar, could move an audience and make a living doing it. In 1986 Dana released his debut recording, Threshold Music. 
 
In 1987 Dana changed directions and moved to Vermont where he bought 30 acres of land, built a cabin off the grid, started a bakery business, and had a son. In 1995, Dana released his first CD, Elemental Lullabye. That summer, Dan Storper (Putumayo Music) heard the album and invited Dana to be a part of the “Shelter” benefit, which included a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Being included in a project with some of the most lauded contemporary songwriters of the time gave Dana the confidence he needed to pursue songwriting full time. 
 
In the 25 years from 1995 to 2020, Dana (with his wife, Susan joining him to become a duo in 2002) recorded a dozen albums, played thousands of concerts, and toured over a million miles across the United States and Great Britain. Their music has been featured in Ken Burns’ documentaries (Our National Parks - 2009, The Dust Bowl - 2012), as well as a number of small, indie films. 
 
In 2017 Dana was invited to become Executive Director of Cabot Arts, a non-profit arts organization in his home village of Cabot in Central Vermont. There he founded several music and arts festivals, including: Oldtime On The Onion, the Cabot Village 12th Night Celebration, Green Mountain Oldtime Workshop Weekend, The Cabot Arts and Music Festival, and The Cheese and Culture Festival. Dana has also hosted dozens of concerts and musical workshops featuring folk and acoustic artists from across North America and Great Britain. 
 
Dana’s songwriting expresses a reverence for nature and the landscape. Inspired by contemporary writers such as Robert Macfarlane, Barry Lopez, and Annie Dillard, Dana’s writing captures places in time with uncanny detail to reflect truths and connection with the forces that shape our lives. Dana’s lyrics strive to remind us that we have agency in the world despite the daunting and shifting challenges that life presents.  
 
Dana’s sound embodies the spirit of places that he has lived: the expansiveness of the Western States, the intimacy of New England, the passion of Great Britain’s traditional ballads, and the grit of Southern Appalachia. Dana incorporates elements of oldtime and country blues with rock and folk sensibilities. Equally adept at American flat picking and English finger-style, Dana often combines them to create a rhythmic style uniquely his own. Dana’s fiddle playing is influenced by the Round Peak-style from North Carolina. 
 
2026 marks the release of Dana’s 14th full-length studio recording, The Sound of the Word. Six years in the making, The Sound of the Word merges contemporary songwriting and Southern oldtime music into one, cohesive body of work. Influenced by bands such as The Horse Flies, Wilco, and Shooglenifty, Dana leans into expansive arrangements while maintaining his intimate songwriting style. While many of the songs speak to the troubling issues of our times, the material always circles back to the wonder and healing power of the natural world. 
 
While at home in Vermont, Dana fronts his side project, New Lost Nation. The quartet is a classic, oldtime stringband featuring Dana on fiddle, Susan Robinson on guitar, Tom MacKenzie on banjo, and Neal McNaughten on bass. New Lost Nation plays dances, concerts and clubs in Northern New England. 
 
Dana maintains a Substack entitled, “Edge of the Woods.” https://danarobinson.substack.com/