TRACK SEVEN from the album Ten Steps 

Album tour UK October 2023 all details here: dan-whitehouse.com/live
Weds 18th October - Arc Theatre, Winchester
Thurs 19th October - Music At The Unicorn, Abingdon
Sun 22nd October - Stables 2, Milton Keynes
Tue 24th October - The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, London
Wed 25th October - Ropetackle Arts, Shoreham
Thur 26th October - The Old Stables, Cricklade
Fri 27th October - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Sat 28th October - The Stoller Hall, Manchester 

Brooklyn’s celebrated hammered dulcimer player Max ZT (House of Waters), and Black Country/Tokyo’s dark, sophisticated gem - singer/songwriter/poet Dan Whitehouse - bring interwoven spoken word with music and song, drawing on a shared belief in the healing power of music, and from multi-cultural roots and the magic of the present moment. 

Ten Steps was recorded between New York and Tokyo. Max’s meditative dulcimer and Dan’s soothing vocal and spoken-word poetry meld together in a unique masterpiece of tear-stained impressionism.

Tackling wide-ranging subjects from fatherhood to mother nature, Max and Dan’s songs shimmer with restless inventiveness and draw you in with their irresistible intimacy.

REVIEWS
“Intriguing" "Gorgeous" The Guardian 
"Meditative.. haunting… great musicianship" Maverick 
"A quite extraordinary record” folking.com
“Ten Steps: folk meets Indian classical in a transatlantic fusion” Folk London Mag
"A compelling and innovative sound" Arts Culture Magazine
"Exciting and exceptional… also deeply intuitive poetic and rewarding" Folk Radio UK 

07 THE MANY COLOURS OF MORNING
The light feels different in Japan, the sun appears to hang low to the ground and some mornings it’s seductive! 
Where I stay when I’m in Japan is a neighbourhood called Future Port – or Minatomirai  a dense cluster of high rise buildings, glass and concrete, but nestled neatly within Tokyo Bay so you’ve always go the Pacific looming 
 
The way the sunlight reflects and bounces off all these modern buildings is fascinating to watch – it moves so quickly and dramatically throughout the day – like God’s Graffiti. 

The music is a single live take, improvised by Max ZT at our show at St George’s Bristol, UK – Nov 2021

Written and Produced by Max ZT (ASCAP) & Dan Whitehouse (PRS / MCPS)
Lyrics by Dan Whitehouse
Mixed by Max ZT
Mastered by Mark Freegard

Dan Whitehouse - Vocals, Guitars, recorded in Yokohama, Japan
Max ZT - Hammered Dulcimer, Percussion, Synthesizers, recorded in New York, USA
Art & Design – Martin Hyde

www.maxzt.com
www.dan-whitehouse.com

P+C Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse 2023
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The Many Colours Of The Morning (Ten Steps) Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse

TRACK SIX from the album Ten Steps 

Album tour UK October 2023 all details here: dan-whitehouse.com/live
Weds 18th October - Arc Theatre, Winchester
Thurs 19th October - Music At The Unicorn, Abingdon
Sun 22nd October - Stables 2, Milton Keynes
Tue 24th October - The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, London
Wed 25th October - Ropetackle Arts, Shoreham
Thur 26th October - The Old Stables, Cricklade
Fri 27th October - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Sat 28th October - The Stoller Hall, Manchester 

Brooklyn’s celebrated hammered dulcimer player Max ZT (House of Waters), and Black Country/Tokyo’s dark, sophisticated gem - singer/songwriter/poet Dan Whitehouse - bring interwoven spoken word with music and song, drawing on a shared belief in the healing power of music, and from multi-cultural roots and the magic of the present moment. 

Ten Steps was recorded between New York and Tokyo. Max’s meditative dulcimer and Dan’s soothing vocal and spoken-word poetry meld together in a unique masterpiece of tear-stained impressionism.

Tackling wide-ranging subjects from fatherhood to mother nature, Max and Dan’s songs shimmer with restless inventiveness and draw you in with their irresistible intimacy.

REVIEWS
“Intriguing" "Gorgeous" The Guardian 
"Meditative.. haunting… great musicianship" Maverick 
"A quite extraordinary record” folking.com
“Ten Steps: folk meets Indian classical in a transatlantic fusion” Folk London Mag
"A compelling and innovative sound" Arts Culture Magazine
"Exciting and exceptional… also deeply intuitive poetic and rewarding" Folk Radio UK 

HOW TO STRIKE  Dan: There’s a man I’ve observed down at Tokyo bay, who goes there daily to practice his golf. 
He has no club. No balls. Only a used plastic PET bottle. Yet he stands for hours on the waters edge. Teeing up his shot, taking aim, swinging in the wind.
Like a musician, running scales in his mind. Like an athlete working out.
The fight is won in the gym, before you even step foot inside the ring.
 
The music is a single live take, improvised by Max ZT at our show at St George’s Bristol, UK – Nov 2021

Written and Produced by Max ZT (ASCAP) & Dan Whitehouse (PRS / MCPS)
Lyrics by Dan Whitehouse
Mixed by Max ZT
Mastered by Mark Freegard

Dan Whitehouse - Vocals, Guitars, recorded in Yokohama, Japan
Max ZT - Hammered Dulcimer, Percussion, Synthesizers, recorded in New York, USA
Art & Design – Martin Hyde

www.maxzt.com
www.dan-whitehouse.com

P+C Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse 2023
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How To Strike (Ten Steps) Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse

TRACK ONE from the album Ten Steps 

Album tour UK October 2023 all details here: dan-whitehouse.com/live
Wed 18th October - Arc Theatre, Winchester
Thur 19th October - Music At The Unicorn, Abingdon
Sun 22nd October - Stables 2, Milton Keynes
Tue 24th October - The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, London
Wed 25th October - Ropetackle Arts, Shoreham
Thur 26th October - The Old Stables, Cricklade
Fri 27th October - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Sat 28th October - The Stoller Hall, Manchester 

Brooklyn’s celebrated hammered dulcimer player Max ZT (House of Waters), and Black Country/Tokyo’s dark, sophisticated gem - singer/songwriter/poet Dan Whitehouse - bring interwoven spoken word with music and song, drawing on a shared belief in the healing power of music, and from multi-cultural roots and the magic of the present moment. 

Ten Steps was recorded between New York and Tokyo. Max’s meditative dulcimer and Dan’s soothing vocal and spoken-word poetry meld together in a unique masterpiece of tear-stained impressionism.

Tackling wide-ranging subjects from fatherhood to mother nature, Max and Dan’s songs shimmer with restless inventiveness and draw you in with their irresistible intimacy.

REVIEWS
“Intriguing" "Gorgeous" The Guardian 
"Meditative.. haunting… great musicianship" Maverick 
"A quite extraordinary record” folking.com
“Ten Steps: folk meets Indian classical in a transatlantic fusion” Folk London Mag
"A compelling and innovative sound" Arts Culture Magazine
"Exciting and exceptional… also deeply intuitive poetic and rewarding" Folk Radio UK 

Dan: My son lives in Japan and we are used to our relationship being stretched across lands but the pandemic gifted us 18 months together. Once the restrictions were lifted it was time for me to return to the UK to play concerts and that’s when I wrote Ten Steps.
 
It’s a song about gathering inner strength and bravery to take a big step when necessary.
 
I stood on the edge of the pier staring out to sea - My next move felt as impossible as walking out on the water in front of me
 
Max and I had been sent me a new piece of music he was working on and this on my headphones as I stood at the bay, gathered my strength and wrote this letter to my son. I see a sparse, beautiful solo dance and feel the rhythm
 
Max: It’s an Armenian rhythm called the Jurjuna in 10/8 and according to legend it was actually originally in 9/8 but its a rhythm for dance, and often the dancers would drink...like a lot, and they’d stumble a little bit and slowly throughout history, musicians started to add a beat at the end of the phrase to compensate for the little stumble.

Written and Produced by Max ZT (ASCAP) & Dan Whitehouse (PRS / MCPS)
Lyrics by Dan Whitehouse
Mixed by Max ZT
Mastered by Mark Freegard

Dan Whitehouse - Vocals, Guitars, recorded in Yokohama, Japan
Max ZT - Hammered Dulcimer, Percussion, Synthesizers, recorded in New York, USA
Ösp Eldjárn - Background Vocals (Ten Steps)
Gustaf Ljunggren - Synthesizers (Ten Steps)
Taiga Mori-Whitehouse - Background Vocals (Shizuka)
Art & Design – Martin Hyde

www.maxzt.com
www.dan-whitehouse.com

P+C Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse 2023
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Ten Steps (Ten Steps) Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse

TRACK TWO from Ten Steps album 

UK tour October 2023 dan-whitehouse.com/live
Weds 18th October - Arc Theatre, Winchester
Thurs 19th October - Music At The Unicorn, Abingdon
Sun 22nd October - Stables 2, Milton Keynes
Tue 24th October - The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, London
Wed 25th October - Ropetackle Arts, Shoreham
Thur 26th October - The Old Stables, Cricklade
Fri 27th October - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Sat 28th October - The Stoller Hall, Manchester 

Brooklyn’s celebrated hammered dulcimer player Max ZT (House of Waters), and Black Country/Tokyo’s dark, sophisticated gem - singer/songwriter/poet Dan Whitehouse - bring interwoven spoken word with music and song, drawing on a shared belief in the healing power of music, and from multi-cultural roots and the magic of the present moment. 

Ten Steps was recorded between New York and Tokyo. Max’s meditative dulcimer and Dan’s soothing vocal and spoken-word poetry meld together in a unique masterpiece of tear-stained impressionism.

Tackling wide-ranging subjects from fatherhood to mother nature, Max and Dan’s songs shimmer with restless inventiveness and draw you in with their irresistible intimacy.

REVIEWS
“Intriguing" "Gorgeous" The Guardian 
"Meditative.. haunting… great musicianship" Maverick 
"A quite extraordinary record” folking.com
“Ten Steps: folk meets Indian classical in a transatlantic fusion” Folk London Mag
"A compelling and innovative sound" Arts Culture Magazine
"Exciting and exceptional… also deeply intuitive poetic and rewarding" Folk Radio UK 

Bury One's Head

Dan: I wrote this lyric after seeing the  chaotic and desperate scenes unfolding at Kabul airport in August last year - after it became clear the Afghan government had collapsed and the Taliban was assuming control of Kabul. I don't want this terrible event to be forgotten and it felt crucial to document the emotion of the human tragedy.
 
Videos emerged online showing Afghans clinging to the outside of a US military plane as it took off - defining images’ of Western intervention, that would send shockwaves across the world.The song is written from the perspective of the pilot - I asked myself what would have been going through their head? This skilled person who had once dreamed of flying an airplane, being free, now forced to carry out a lethal act.

Written and Produced by Max ZT (ASCAP) & Dan Whitehouse (PRS / MCPS)
Lyrics by Dan Whitehouse
Mixed by Max ZT
Mastered by Mark Freegard

Dan Whitehouse - Vocals, Guitars, recorded in Yokohama, Japan
Max ZT - Hammered Dulcimer, Percussion, Synthesizers, recorded in New York, USA
Art & Design – Martin Hyde

www.maxzt.com
www.dan-whitehouse.com

P+C Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse 2023
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Bury One's Head (Ten Steps) Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse

TRACK THREE from the album Ten Steps 

Album tour UK October 2023 all details here: dan-whitehouse.com/live
Weds 18th October - Arc Theatre, Winchester
Thurs 19th October - Music At The Unicorn, Abingdon
Sun 22nd October - Stables 2, Milton Keynes
Tue 24th October - The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, London
Wed 25th October - Ropetackle Arts, Shoreham
Thur 26th October - The Old Stables, Cricklade
Fri 27th October - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Sat 28th October - The Stoller Hall, Manchester 

Brooklyn’s celebrated hammered dulcimer player Max ZT (House of Waters), and Black Country/Tokyo’s dark, sophisticated gem - singer/songwriter/poet Dan Whitehouse - bring interwoven spoken word with music and song, drawing on a shared belief in the healing power of music, and from multi-cultural roots and the magic of the present moment. 

Ten Steps was recorded between New York and Tokyo. Max’s meditative dulcimer and Dan’s soothing vocal and spoken-word poetry meld together in a unique masterpiece of tear-stained impressionism.

Tackling wide-ranging subjects from fatherhood to mother nature, Max and Dan’s songs shimmer with restless inventiveness and draw you in with their irresistible intimacy.

REVIEWS
“Intriguing" "Gorgeous" The Guardian 
"Meditative.. haunting… great musicianship" Maverick 
"A quite extraordinary record” folking.com
“Ten Steps: folk meets Indian classical in a transatlantic fusion” Folk London Mag
"A compelling and innovative sound" Arts Culture Magazine
"Exciting and exceptional… also deeply intuitive poetic and rewarding" Folk Radio UK 

SHIZUKA

Dan: Shizuka means quiet in Japanese (it can also be a name), it’s about the gentle, soft glow of the low hanging sun here, and how this matches the restrained, polite culture of their everyday exchanges and behaviour.
  
Due to an ear injury I was landlocked in Japan for 18 months and found myself on a journey into Japanese culture. Out walking at Tokyo Bay I encountered a group of people that would congregate at sunrise, face the sun and sing to it as it rose, no words but a distinctive sounding scale – I was on a zoom call to Max at the time who immediately identified this as the Insen scale 

Written and Produced by Max ZT (ASCAP) & Dan Whitehouse (PRS / MCPS)
Lyrics by Dan Whitehouse
Mixed by Max ZT
Mastered by Mark Freegard

Dan Whitehouse - Vocals, Guitars, recorded in Yokohama, Japan
Max ZT - Hammered Dulcimer, Percussion, Synthesizers, recorded in New York, USA
Art & Design – Martin Hyde

www.maxzt.com
www.dan-whitehouse.com

P+C Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse 2023
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Shizuka (Ten Steps) Max ZT and Dan Whitehouse

TRACK FOUR from the album Ten Steps 

Album tour UK October 2023 all details here: dan-whitehouse.com/live
Weds 18th October - Arc Theatre, Winchester
Thurs 19th October - Music At The Unicorn, Abingdon
Sun 22nd October - Stables 2, Milton Keynes
Tue 24th October - The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, London
Wed 25th October - Ropetackle Arts, Shoreham
Thur 26th October - The Old Stables, Cricklade
Fri 27th October - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Sat 28th October - The Stoller Hall, Manchester 

Brooklyn’s celebrated hammered dulcimer player Max ZT (House of Waters), and Black Country/Tokyo’s dark, sophisticated gem - singer/songwriter/poet Dan Whitehouse - bring interwoven spoken word with music and song, drawing on a shared belief in the healing power of music, and from multi-cultural roots and the magic of the present moment. 

Ten Steps was recorded between New York and Tokyo. Max’s meditative dulcimer and Dan’s soothing vocal and spoken-word poetry meld together in a unique masterpiece of tear-stained impressionism.

Tackling wide-ranging subjects from fatherhood to mother nature, Max and Dan’s songs shimmer with restless inventiveness and draw you in with their irresistible intimacy.

REVIEWS
“Intriguing" "Gorgeous" The Guardian 
"Meditative.. haunting… great musicianship" Maverick 
"A quite extraordinary record” folking.com
“Ten Steps: folk meets Indian classical in a transatlantic fusion” Folk London Mag
"A compelling and innovative sound" Arts Culture Magazine
"Exciting and exceptional… also deeply intuitive poetic and rewarding" Folk Radio UK 

THE PERFECT CIRCLE  Dan: This is based on a poem by Katie Whitehouse (no relation). When I read her poem it felt like a breath of fresh air, pulling the curtains wide in the morning and allowing the light in, and I felt compelled to sing these words. 

Written and Produced by Max ZT (ASCAP) & Dan Whitehouse (PRS / MCPS)
Lyrics by Dan Whitehouse
Mixed by Max ZT
Mastered by Mark Freegard

Dan Whitehouse - Vocals, Guitars, recorded in Yokohama, Japan
Max ZT - Hammered Dulcimer, Percussion, Synthesizers, recorded in New York, USA
Art & Design – Martin Hyde

www.maxzt.com
www.dan-whitehouse.com

P+C Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse 2023
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The Perfect Circle (Ten Steps) Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse

TRACK FIVE from the album Ten Steps 

Album tour UK October 2023 all details here: dan-whitehouse.com/live
Weds 18th October - Arc Theatre, Winchester
Thurs 19th October - Music At The Unicorn, Abingdon
Sun 22nd October - Stables 2, Milton Keynes
Tue 24th October - The Pheasantry, Pizza Express, London
Wed 25th October - Ropetackle Arts, Shoreham
Thur 26th October - The Old Stables, Cricklade
Fri 27th October - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Sat 28th October - The Stoller Hall, Manchester 

Brooklyn’s celebrated hammered dulcimer player Max ZT (House of Waters), and Black Country/Tokyo’s dark, sophisticated gem - singer/songwriter/poet Dan Whitehouse - bring interwoven spoken word with music and song, drawing on a shared belief in the healing power of music, and from multi-cultural roots and the magic of the present moment. 

Ten Steps was recorded between New York and Tokyo. Max’s meditative dulcimer and Dan’s soothing vocal and spoken-word poetry meld together in a unique masterpiece of tear-stained impressionism.

Tackling wide-ranging subjects from fatherhood to mother nature, Max and Dan’s songs shimmer with restless inventiveness and draw you in with their irresistible intimacy.

REVIEWS
“Intriguing" "Gorgeous" The Guardian 
"Meditative.. haunting… great musicianship" Maverick 
"A quite extraordinary record” folking.com
“Ten Steps: folk meets Indian classical in a transatlantic fusion” Folk London Mag
"A compelling and innovative sound" Arts Culture Magazine
"Exciting and exceptional… also deeply intuitive poetic and rewarding" Folk Radio UK 

HAMMERHEAD  Dan: ’Hammer Head' is the name of a huge crane at Yokohama port, made in the UK and transported to Japan in 1914 
This large piece of machinery offers me a link to my homeland of the Black Country and sits in stark contrast to the gentrified cafes restaurants designer clothes shops and 5* hotels now in it's vicinity. It's placed in a nice part of the harbour and I sometimes sit in its shadow to drink coffee and write.
 
I like the contrast of the steel, heavy 'hammer head' crane and the 'flight' within Max’s music and the flight I am always apprehensive to take whenever I have to leave my son here in Japan.
 

Written and Produced by Max ZT (ASCAP) & Dan Whitehouse (PRS / MCPS)
Lyrics by Dan Whitehouse
Mixed by Max ZT
Mastered by Mark Freegard

Dan Whitehouse - Vocals, Guitars, recorded in Yokohama, Japan
Max ZT - Hammered Dulcimer, Percussion, Synthesizers, recorded in New York, USA
Art & Design – Martin Hyde

www.maxzt.com
www.dan-whitehouse.com

P+C Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse 2023
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Hammerhead (Ten Steps) Max ZT & Dan Whitehouse

Friday April 5 - Close Up (live) (the story of Hany - a photographer who is losing his sight, and who has to flee from Syria as a refugee) co-written with Boo Hewerdine and originally released 2017)

Close Up (Live at Real World Studios)

This song is a prayer, a wish, a call for unity. Regardless of borders, race, flags, we all share the same sun.  
 
Recorded live at Real World Studios to promote my solo show “A Night Of Glass” on tour throughout 2024. 
 
“The love we share glows like a campfire  
The embers crackle and we hum along  
We share the heat the light and the simple songs  
And all our troubles are long gone”  
 
"Campfire.... about how he kept in touch with home while stuck in Japan by broadcasting songs at 5 am local time... It’s exquisite." FRUK

"Full of hold-your-breath moments" At The Barrier

“When you change the way you look at things/The things you look at start to
change”. As a description of the effects of the pandemic it’s perfect because
just about everything and everyone changed. The song references a way that Dan kept in touch with home, broadcasting songs at 5 am local time. It’s quite
beautiful." folking.com

 "A national treasure who has proven himself to be a profound, innovative and
 talented songwriter" MusoMuso

Campfire (Live at Real World Studios)

Credits
Co produced by Jasmine Gardosi Ryan Pinson Dan Whitehouse 
Mixed by Ryan Pinson RML Studios
Guitar, piano, bass, vocals Dan Whitehouse
Spoken Word Jasmine Gardosi
Drums, percussion, synth, Ryan Pinson

Poet meets songsmith in a fresh, genre-blending collaboration - Jasmine Gardosi and Dan Whitehouse release their debut collaborative single..
(They Say It’s Like) Riding A Bike explores what it means to keep going - to fall, wobble, pause, and get back on again. A song about resilience and mental health. Powered by the sounds of a real bicycle turned into a percussion instrument - striking wheels, ringing bells - while Jasmine Gardosi’s beatboxing adds breath and momentum, echoing the ride itself and the quiet courage it takes to begin again.
Born from Black Country Bikes: Music In Motion - a songwriting and community project they co-led in 2024 - the song turns the bicycle into a metaphor for life itself.
Workshops brought together a diverse community of cyclists, poets, musicians, and first-time songwriters to explore the question: “What does it feel like to ride a bike?” A real bicycle became a percussion instrument sampled in this song. …Stories became lyrics. Movement became metaphor. And from the middle of it all came this track - not just a one-off, but the first ripple in what promises to be a longer journey together.
“There’s a reason we say, ‘It’s like riding a bike,’” says Gardosi. “The body remembers. The heart does too. This song is about those moments when we think we can’t keep going, but somehow, we do.”
Whitehouse adds: “Mental health-wise, it’s a reminder that it’s OK to ‘fall off’. I guess what matters is getting back on, even if the wheels feel wobbly.”
(They Say It’s Like) Riding A Bike rolls gently through themes of healing, persistence, and self-compassion, set to a chill-hop pulse.

They Say Its Like Riding A Bike

Pushing creative boundaries, inviting global audiences into transformative, heartfelt musical experiences

“Gorgeous… and intriguing” — The Guardian

Renowned for his reflective, genre-defying artistry, Dan Whitehouse’s music dances with genres from ambient, indie, electro to folk - and embraces the living poetry of spoken word. The result is deeply emotive and intellectually rich.

His acclaimed albums, The Glass Age and Voices From The Cones, delved into the tensions between human connection and modern technology, as well as the rich heritage of glassmaking communities. His immersive live show, A Night Of Glass, blends song and storytelling, drawing comparisons to David Bowie and Leonard Cohen. 

In 2025, Dan releases Only Love - a sparse, solo piano collection reflecting on human connection, resilience, and fatherhood.

Dan tours solo, and with New York’s Grammy-nominated Max ZT  (House of Waters), blending spoken word with hammered dulcimer on Ten Steps, also with Swedish multi-instrumentalist Gustaf Ljunggren, co-producer of The Glass Age.

“…both extraordinary and beautiful” — KLOF MAG

“Subtle and delicate melodies” — The Sunday Times

Dan Whitehouse

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