B-Side Guys

Hereditary musicianship reveals itself in unexpected ways. Released February 6th, “Never Knew” finds Gooseberry frontman Asa Daniels momentarily stepping away from alt-rock confines to explore jazzier territory with the confidence of someone born into multiple generations of musicians.

The track establishes its mythological tone immediately with “A toxic butterfly/Wings spread wide at her side/The winter’s fall/She holds the moon and the sun until she decides that springtime has sprung.” These opening lines position the feminine figure as both goddess and manipulator, setting up the song’s central question about knowing others versus knowing oneself.

Daniels’ vocal delivery carries both warmth and danger, perfectly matching the track’s ambience. His phrasing shifts seamlessly from narrative observation to direct dialogue, creating dramatic tension within the jazz-rock framework. When Death appears as a third character offering “a wild grin,” Daniels delivers the line with just enough menace to maintain the supernatural atmosphere without overplaying it.

The production, handled by Grammy-winning James Meslin, creates the promised “smoky jazz club” environment through careful instrumental balance. This sonic framework provides the perfect backdrop for the philosophical confrontation at the chorus: “And he says, well how can that be?/’Cause if I’ve never known myself/Then how could you know me?” This existential question transforms what might otherwise be a standard relationship narrative into something more profound.

Most striking is how Daniels flips the perspective in the final chorus, having the feminine character echo the male’s earlier philosophical doubt—suggesting either character development or revealing that both figures represent aspects of a single identity struggling with self-knowledge.

After multiple tours with Gooseberry and a supporting slot for Ringo Starr, Daniels demonstrates on “Never Knew” that his family’s musical legacy continues to evolve in fascinating ways. Like his great-grandfather who led a band in the 1920s, Daniels understands how to merge classic influences with contemporary sensibilities, creating something both familiar and freshly unsettling.