While typically it’s the singer or the guitarist whose sound distinguishes a band, particularly in the blues genre, in the case of Seattle-based Michele D’Amour and the Love Dealers, it’s Patrick McDanel’s innovative, funky bass lines that truly make the band stand out.

McDanel grew up in Lake Forest Park, a suburb north of Seattle, where he discovered a love of music at an early age, beginning with piano lessons. He later gravitated toward other instruments, including bass guitar and trombone, the latter of which he played as a professional musician until the mid-1990s when an injury forced him to switch to bass full time.

Michele D’Amour, the band’s leader, singer, and chief songwriter, hired McDanel very deliberately when the band was formed in 2011. “I do a lot of songwriting on my bass, and I wanted someone who could play more complex parts than I can sing and play on my own, as well as someone who would contribute to the bass lines to make the songs more interesting and danceable. Patrick absolutely fits that bill and then some – he’s also been a real delight for our drummers to work with,” said D’Amour.

Funky, dance-worthy grooves…

When you listen to Michele D’Amour and the Love Dealers’ songs, particularly those on their 2017 release, “Lost Nights at the Leopard Lounge,” you immediately get a sense of Patrick McDanel’s contribution, along with drummer Ronnie Bishop. The songs make you want to dance. The album releases June 21; it has been called “a party on a platter” by Midwest Record and already has ten of its twelve tracks spinning worldwide.

McDanel’s weapon of choice is a six-string bass, an ESP LTD B206 he has dubbed Cerwyn, typically played through a Carvin or Avatar cabinet with a Quilter head and an Aguilar ToneHammer preamp. He prefers Strings by Aurora, but since the 35-inch scale of the LTD doesn’t fit them, he substitutes DRs.

More online at micheledamourandthelovedealers.com