New England folk songwriter Dan Pallotta has a new single entitled, “Working Man’s Son,” a powerful, upbeat and introspective folk track that captures the emotional tension of gratitude and guilt in a son’s relationship with his father.

The inspiration for the song came from Pallotta‘s relationship with his father, who passed away three years ago. Pallotta reflects on the complex feelings that come with being the son of a working-class father.

“You hope that you’ve made your dad proud and honoured his sacrifices, but you also feel heartbreak at the thought of the dreams your father gave up for you to be able to pursue your own. There’s beauty and tragedy in that dynamic,” Pallotta explains.

 What can you share with readers about your new project?

I’ve recorded two albums and six singles in the last three years. “Working Man’s Son” is my latest release – a song I began writing when I knew my dad was dying, trying to deal with what they call, “anticipatory grief.” It too four years to write and few of the original words survived. I wanted it to be more than a tribute song. It’s about the gratitude and the guilt that come with being the son of a working man who set aside many of his own dreams in order to make room for the dreams of his children.

How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?

It uses electric guitar throughout as a thread from beginning to end, which I don’t usually do.

What about this single makes you most proud?

The lyrical and psychological honesty of it. Getting to the line, “I feel your heart breaking when you were young,” took a lot of digging. It’s really the fundamental truth of my relationship with my dad – I felt that I was carrying his broken heart throughout most of my life, and that’s not easy to admit. If you stay on the surface of things, you know, “You were such a great guy,” you can’t get to your psychological and emotional truth. And it’s a beautifully simple phrase that captures so much.

Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

Honesty, honesty, honesty

What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

An insatiable desire to express put into honest words what it feels like to be this human being called Dan Pallotta and what it feels like to be A human being. It’s a great challenge, because the feelings are so much bigger than the words we have available to describe them specifically, so when you can weave lyrics together that land as relatable or an epiphany to yourself and others, it’s very satisfying.

If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.

Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle, both because of the honesty and reality of the characters they create, and because of their unbelievable facilities with melody. I’d love to be sitting with Steve or Bruce and have them say, “Maybe this guy should say this,” or, “no, that woman would never say or do that,” or, “maybe try going upon on the melody here and down here, or turn-around to that chord again like I did on such and such song.” Heaven!!

What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?

Bruce Springsteen’s new, “Rain in the River.” His throwaways are better than most peoples’ best work. For me it’s him, Steve Earle, Tom Waits, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Johnny Cash, to name a few. I love Lord Huron.

Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

danpallottamusic.com