Considering his humble upbringing in Anderson, Indiana, Dane Clark has pounded out quite an impressive mark on the music business. During his career, Dane has played drums for an eclectic mix of artists including Steve Earle, Bob Woodruff, Carrie Newcomer, Kennedy Rose, Lisa Germano and Donovan. However, his most notable affiliation has been with the every man heartland rocker, John Mellencamp. Clark has anchored the rhythm section on several of Mellencamp's albums, including his highly acclaimed and most recent CD, Freedom's Road.
While Dane is widely respected as an accomplished drummer, his versatility transcends any notion that his talents begin and end in the percussion section. Dane has produced Carl Storie's self-titled album and Rusty Bladen's new Christmas album, while also working with some of Nashville's most decorated writers and producers including Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy.
Born and raised in Anderson, Indiana, I started playing the piano at age 8, the guitar at age 9, and drums at age 10. I sang my first original song at my 6th grade talent show, but lost to a one-legged ballet dancer! I took that defeat in stride and tenaciously kept chasing the muse.
After growing my hair long in high school, I immersed myself in the 1950's beat poets like Kerouac and Ginsberg, as well as the 1960's archetypes like Dylan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Byrds, the Doors, and the Kinks. I then headed off to college on a music scholarship and graduated with a degree in percussion performance. I started doing session work as a drummer in the Indianapolis area, all the while continuing to hone the craft of songwriting. I joined John Mellencamp's band in 1996 as a drummer and have enjoyed that position ever since.
