Unrequited Love: Daniel Ellsworth + The Great Lakes – “The Way You Are (ft. Ruby Amanfu)”

Daniel Ellsworth + The Great Lakes

“The Way You Are (ft. Ruby Amanfu)”

Daniel Ellsworth + The Great Lakes are Daniel Ellsworth (lead vox, keys), Timon Lance (guitar), and Marshall Skinner (bass).  These never grown-up Peter Pans make great music with flowing bass lines, guitar sounds riffing everywhere, and keys that support Ellsworth’s gorgeous vocals.  The band says that their new single

” is the beginning of a new chapter for us. All the new songs we’ll release this year are completely self-recorded (with an assist from Kyle Andrews on this one) and self-produced. With three of us now, we’re shifting how we write, how we record, and feeling more free than we ever have to experiment with what those processes look like. I moved out to Los Angeles from Nashville a couple of months ago for a change of pace and to try and bring some new outside influences into our music. We’re trying to be less precious with songs and just put them out into the world as we have them for people to hear. “Way You Are” features our dear friend Ruby Amanfu who kindly lent us her beautiful voice. She is one of my favorite vocalists and people in the whole world – it’s a real treat to have her on this recording. “Way You Are” is a song about coping with the pain of unrequited love. It’s about being treated badly but still loving the other person as much as you try not to.”

The Great Lakes are a great band: melodic, bouncy, yet sad.  To call them Peter Pans (their own words) does not demean the total talent this band has for writing tremendously deep and complicated songs.  That sense of wonder, youthfulness, and love of music is part of what sets DE+TGL apart from the crowd.  Be taken in.  They are perfect summer music.  I know of no better way to recover from pain than to listen to this band.