On The Verge

Dangermuffin

Folly Beach, S.C.
Sand-Blasted Music
www.dangermuffinmusic.com

“‘Dangermuffin’ stuck with us—there may be a number of stories associated with the word,” laughs Dan Lotti. “It reminds us we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously.” The guitarist/vocalist describes the trio as “sand-blasted roots rock with a sweet jam spread—we run the gamut with the roots.” While growing up, Lotti’s friends were listening to Metallica but his uncles got him into Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and alt-country, folk he’d never heard before. “Drummer Steven [Sandifer, formerly of the Drew Emmitt band] is trained in jazz, and loves funk and blues; guitar player Mike [Sivilli] brings jam-sensibilities; and I come from a folk perspective,” Lotti says. “When it comes to writing songs, these things converge.” The band, which formed in 2007, put out its third release Moonscapes last summer and will continue its heavy touring this year. “Folly Beach and the ocean got into this record—songs would pop into my head while walking on the beach,” he says. “When the tide recedes on the South Carolina coast at night while the moon is blaring, there are all these craters in the sand—it’s an imaginative environment.”