Interview by Jeremy Kinser
Photography by John Skalicky
www.skalickyphoto.com

Daniel Holguin is a singer/songwriter who performs at Café Marco (formerly Buzz Coffee), located at 8200 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood on alternate Wednesdays through February. His next performance will be Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. For more information on Daniel, visit
www.myspace.com/rockstarzncigs.

Where are you from originally?

I grew up on a farm in central California.

So you trained your voice singing to the chickens and cows on your farm ?

Exactly. (Laughs) I just spent a lot of time listening to the radio and I didn't figure out I could sing until high school when I tried out for choir. At 19 I went through a bad breakup and I was listening to a lot of music to comfort and console me and at that time I just wanted to say what I wanted to say about love and what I'd learned about loving and losing. I picked up the guitar and went through trial-and-error and wrote my first song in about half an hour. The words just came out when I started playing, and I'd written a couple of songs. At a party a while later the manager of a coffee shop heard me play and said, "You're really good. Would you be interested in playing?" It became a huge passion of mine and I decided to pursue it professionally.

And is that why you moved to Los Angeles?

I came to L.A. for a lot of things. Ultimately, to have the opportunity to do what I want in life.

Do you write your own music?

I do cover some people but the majority of my show is my work. I tend to not personalize it much because talking about a song too much robs the listener of empathizing with it. I do cover other artists. It depends on who's in the audience.

Which performers inspire you?

Willie Nelson, Marilyn Manson, Joni Mitchell. I love Matchbox 20. I love Elliott Smith. Nine Inch Nails and Shelby Lynn. I'm drawn to anyone with a specific view of life, whether it's love or loss or pain. People who are over-the-top and poignant and passionate about what's going on in their lives.

What's your audience like?

My shows have been pretty full. There have even been shows with people standing outside and inside. The venue at Marco's Café is really fun to play in.

Do you have groupies?

I've mentioned Myspace in a few of my shows and I got messages from people that I didn't know, which felt kinda weird. Sometimes people are pretty forward on the Internet when you're not face-to-face, so they'll ask what I'm looking for in a boyfriend and I think, "Wow. I don't even know you." I'm flattered, but at the same time I don't like walking down the street alone.