Dana Colley, the legendary saxophone player and original member of Morphine and Vapors of Morphine, has seen lifetimes of change over his decades of writing, recording, and touring with his various projects. Aside from carrying the torch of the storied band he founded in 1989 with the late great Mark Sandman, Colley’s legacy as a musician and writer in his own right is astounding. From Orchestra Morphine to Vapors of Morphine, to Twinemen, to A.K.C.O.D, or his countless collaborations with acts such as Club d’Elf, Dub Apocalypse, Hybrasil, Kings of Nuthin, SeepeopleS, theWorst, Whitney Walker, Sparxsea and numerous others, Colley’s distinct sound and penchant for creating haunting and enduring melodies provides more than enough testimony to the fact that his contributions have proved timeless and his influence spans generations.
As Vapors of Morphine announces another European tour alongside constant and consistent touring in the US, Europe, South America and Australia, and of course, on the verge of the first new Morphine release in twenty seven years, LMANDR sat down with Dana Colley to discuss both bands’ legacies as well as some thoughts on Cocoon, the newly rediscovered and reimagined Morphine album that drops on December 4, 2026.
With the forthcoming release of a new Morphine album, and one that seemed to arrive from out of the ether for fans of the band, what was it like to revisit material that you had begun recording with your bandmates decades later? As far as the release I think it’s better to have it out in the world then sitting in a storage facility. Many of the songs were on either Sandbox or At Your Service and to have them all together on one record with Partisan behind them gives the material a second chance to be heard properly.
What was it like to be present when recording alongside tracks with your former band mates? Was it easy to slip right back into the material, or did it feel brand new to you, or both?
It kind of felt like finishing a conversation that had been dropped decades before. There were elements that were so ingrained in my recollection much of my recorded additions felt like muscle memory.
A lot has been written over the years about the music you helped make with Mark Sandman, and perhaps not as much about your direct working relationship with him. Did you find yourself trying to serve the song, or the songwriter, when revisiting this material?
Both. The song and songwriter are one in the same. But the song ultimately would be the final arbiter for what works.
What was your approach in honoring the original vision of the new album? Or in your eyes, was this more of an addendum to The Night, until now, the band’s most recent release?It was both an addendum and a prologue to The Night. These recordings pre-date The Night and were the first attempt at writing for what became The Night
Fans of the band have only yet been treated to the new single, “Cocoon”,. Was there something profound or new you learned or experienced from doing Morphine again, in this way, versus playing the classics live at shows via Vapors of Morphine.Cocoon was a song we used to try a lot in rehearsal searching for the right feel. It birthed Mirror on the Night It was a very early concept that never got the full treatment. I am glad it is finally seeing the light of day.
Vapors of Morphine has always tread the line of both honoring the legacy of your former band, and as a new and different band, albeit, continuing to explore and expand on the sonic narrative that you helped define. What have been some of the unforeseen or foreseen challenges of holding the earthly torch of the bands’ storied, but also, complicated musical legacy?I don’t really see playing in Vapors as having to overcome challenges other than learning a song or finding the time to write and record while maintaining civilian life. It is a privilege to take Morphine music and more, around the world. To meet people who have seen a show back in the day who are now there with their kids or grandkids is pretty freeking cool. The everyday challenges exist as they do for everyone.
Vapors of Morphine have been busy these past few years on a seemingly endless international and national touring schedule. Having seen the band many times myself, and as an old Morphine fan, it has been inspiring to see so many young fans find their way to the music you made with Morphine via Vapors of Morphine shows and albums, but also seeing them revel in the new material you’ve made with your current band, some of which treads in virgin waters, when head in contrast with the tried and true Morphine territory. Vapors often finds you covering the bass parts via your saxophone, and with Jeremy Lyons sometimes moving to guitars for some of the newer material. Even the drumming of Tom Arey, who doubles time playing in G. Love’s band, has added new flavor and energy to the Morphine fan favorites, as well as bringing something entirely different to the table with Vapor’s originals. The same can be said with Jeremy’s uncanny adeptness at capturing Mark’s slide bass playing but also introducing something fresh and something entirely his own.
Please if you can , tell us a little bit about and what it’s like playing with Jeremy and Tom in Vapors of Morphine ?
The unique language bandmates develop through playing together night in and night out can only be achieved by playing together a long time. It is a an unspoken language of sound. It is dependent on listening to each other and feeding off each other until you become lost in the whole of the sound and no longer are a singular entity. Playing with Mark and Billy was like that, and playing with Jeremy and Tom it’s the same.
While we and the world wait in anticipation for the new Morphine album to drop on DEC. 4th, it begs the question – does Vapors of Morphine currently have plans on recording some new material to follow up the band’s first two releases (A New Low 2016, Fear & Fantasy 2021)?I hope so, I have a fantasy of taking even a month and going into a studio and making some shit up and see where it goes.
Having toured the world now almost countless times, seen highs and lows that most musical acts can never imagine experiencing, what keeps you going? What keeps this fresh, new, or even magical for you, after all these years? I think it is the celebration of the moment that happens when live music is taking place. I am a musician. A compulsion to play despite the unknown in search of discovery. It’s the shared community of those who understand the importance and fragility of what makes us human.
TOURDATES:
OCT 23 – Shea Theater Arts Center – Turners Falls, MA TICKETS HERE
NOV 5 – Copérnico – Madrid, Spain
NOV 6 – Estraperlo Club del Ritme – Badalona, Spain
NOV 7 – La Lata De Bombillas – Zaragoza, Spain
NOV 8 – 16 Toneladas | Rock Club – València, Spain
NOV 11 – Gazarte Ground – Athens, Greece
NOV 12 – Route 66 Bar – Ioannina, Greece
NOV 13 – Blues Bar – ΓΑΛΑΝΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ Κων – Karditsa, Greece
NOV 14 – Soul SKG – Thessaloníki, Greece
NOV 15 – House of Culture “Sredets” – Sofia, Bulgaria
NOV 17 – Elektropionir – Beograd, Serbia
NOV 18 – Elektropionir – Beograd, Serbia
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