Dan Wilson

Grammy-winner and creator of the quintessential "last call" anthem, Dan Wilson is one of Minneapolis' most assiduous songwriters, producers and collaborators. Lead singer of the band Semisonic and former member of cult rockers Trip Shakespeare, Wilson began work on his solo album, Free Life, in 2002. Delayed by legal constraints among Rick Rubin's American Recordings label, the album took five years to release. Over that period, Wilson kept a demanding schedule that included collaborations with artists like Nickel Creek, Rachael Yamagata, Jewel, Jason Mraz and Mike Doughty. He also joined forces with the Dixie Chicks, co-writing six songs on their Grammy-sweeping 2006 album, Taking the Long Way. His efforts earned him a Grammy for Song of the Year with "Not Ready to Make Nice." Between projects, Wilson gathered local musicians and friends, including Sheryl Crow and Mason Jennings, to contribute to Free Life, an album that combines his distinct poetic simplicity with the softer rock sensibility of his on-again, off-again band, Semisonic.