Spirit Award Isn’t Afraid Anymore

Daniel Lyon performing with Spirit Award. Photo by April Massey

At the front of the low-set stage, all legs and hair, Daniel Lyon towers over the crowd. A mountain of reverb rises from his guitar as a rhythmic chug permeates from the band behind him. Lyon shifts and contorts, coaxing the audience to push through the uneasy trance of fuzzed-out riffs and droning beats to join him down the rabbit hole.

While searching for his next project, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Daniel Lyon adopted the moniker Spirit Award. Intending to create a project focused on vulnerability and raw emotion, Lyon cultivated a sound that digs below the surface and burrows out our most desperate secrets. A mix of Western psychedelic, post-punk, and pop sensibilities, Lyon’s songs are unassumingly candid. But don’t mistake them for the soundtrack to your next closet cry. Spirit Award isn’t making lonely breakup songs.

Lyon’s latest album, The Fear, explores challenging preconceived notions and facing your biggest fears. The album’s first single, “Pushing Forward,” combines driving backbeats and twangy guitars with dark undertones reminiscent of early 2000s goth-pop like She Wants Revenge. While the latest single, “Western Violence,” utilizes the same formula, it cranks up the echoes and reverb for a supernatural effect that complements the song’s religiously murky lyrics. Spirit Award makes music for when you want to get weird and explore the dark places that fulfill your morbid curiosities.

We caught up with Daniel Lyon in March at this year's Treefort Music Festival to discuss Spirit Award’s latest album and the project's future. You can listen to The Fear now on all streaming platforms.

AM: “Pushing Forward,” the first single from your new album, is about how the pandemic changed the way musicians operate. What’s changed for you since then?

Daniel Lyon: Touring is more of a financial gamble, at least in the U.S. It’s easier to book a tour in Europe and the U.K. Everyone is back out touring right now, so the market is supersaturated. Having so much music out there is great, but it has made things more challenging. But that is how the music industry has evolved for the past twenty years. There are more challenges, but there are also more tools to help out musicians. You just have to figure out how to navigate it.

AM: I’ve talked to some musicians focusing more on releasing music and building a fan base through streaming and social media to avoid the hardships of touring. Is that something you’ve thought about?

DL: We had to cancel two tours during the pandemic. We have switched gears and looked at other ways to better utilize our time. It’s allowed me to work on other projects outside of Spirit Award. Being in a band isn’t always fun, but you don’t want it to be a drag.

Daniel Lyon performing with Spirit Award. Photo by April Massey

AM: Spirit Award is predominantly your project?

DL: Yeah. It started more collaboratively, but I did most of the writing on the last few albums and brought in a few people to add to that. It’s constantly evolving. We’ve been talking about writing together more as well. The writing process doesn’t have to be the same every time. Changing it up can yield better results.  

AM: What are the differences between writing alone and collaborating?

DL: I like both, but the solitude of working alone is nice. I get lost sometimes and work for ten hours. You get into a groove; it’s almost meditative. Working with someone involves much more communication and finding a middle ground. 

AM: Is it more middle ground in those collaborations, or does one idea win?

DL: It’s both. Sometimes someone is adamant that a song needs to be a certain way. I may not love it, but we can leave it that way or revisit it later. When I bring songs to a collaboration, I don’t have an ego about it. It’s okay if we don’t use them. I can always put them somewhere else. 

AM: Your new album, The Fear, addresses mental health, which is being discussed more within the music community. What do you think has sparked that conversation?

Daniel Lyon performing with Spirit Award. Photo by April Massey

DL: We were already moving the conversation in that direction; the pandemic accelerated that. It drove me to examine a lot about myself. The pandemic put everyone in a protective mode, and it can be challenging for people to come out of that. I think everyone can benefit from seeing a therapist, even if they feel like they don’t need to. 

AM: Do you think music is a natural outlet for expressing trauma?

DL: Definitely. I have used it for that. Digging in and finding those emotions that need to be dealt with can yield great results. Music is so much about feeling and dealing with yourself and others. It’s cathartic. And you always hope your music can be that outlet for other people.   

AM: This album also addresses facing your fears. How has doing that changed the way you make music?

DL: That just kind of happened. I wasn’t necessarily looking to write about facing my fears. Reminders kept coming into my life, so I decided to explore that. I stopped turning away and faced them. 

Daniel Lyon performing with Spirit Award. Photo by April Massey

AM: Was there stuff coming up that you hadn’t realized was a fear for you?

DL: I didn’t think I had an intense fear of death, but the more I examined that, I realized I did. That turned into a whole new exploration. Why am I afraid of death? A lot of it was trying not to worry and seeing the beauty in everything. With fear, it’s like, “What’s the worst that could happen?” So you do it and find out. 

AM: When was the last time you faced your fears?

DL: During the pandemic, I lost myself and wasn’t showing up for my partner as much as I should have. I feared that I’d lost that person forever. We started seeing each other again, but she was hesitant. Finally, I had to stop fighting, face that fear and step away. We were able to reconcile through that. I had to learn not to force it and just let things happen. 

AM: You’re currently touring the new album; what comes after that?

DL: We have a few more tour dates this summer, then we’re going to Europe and the U.K. in the fall. I’ll start working on a new record this winter. 

This article has been edited and condensed.