Daniel Lanois Discusses Motorcycle Accident, New Memoir in New York

Daniel Lanois has been to the crossroads and lived to tell the tale. He's published a memoir 'Soul Mining: A Musical Life,' and been tearing it up with his band, Black Dub, on a tour of select venues in the US. On top of that, after surviving a nearly fatal motorcycle accident this past June, Lanois has a new outlook on life. As one would expect from the acclaimed musical arranger and musician, it's a rejuvenation rooted in the deep healing power of song.

Appearing Thursday on "Upstairs at the Square" at the Union Square Barnes and Noble in New York to promote the book and the band, Lanois was reflective about his recent brush with death and humble about his place in the annals of music history. As he revealed, it's not about the fame or the money -- it's about the pursuit of something ethereal yet tangible, the art of creation and finding that piece of yourself in music that you never knew existed. It's a journey and a constant revelation.

Lanois told host Katherine Lanpher that after the accident the world seemed different, more special. "Everything was pastel. Colors were important. Someone walking a dog was like ... great." he explained. The experience also imbued his music. Lanois said that he gained an "appreciation of life. You realize it's about the music and the people you love," which is a sentiment that appears throughout 'Soul Mining: A Musical Life.' Lanois noted that he wrote the memoir -- he started it prior to the accident -- in an effort to "inspire other dream catchers," before reading an excerpt on the importance of mastering your "tools", an artistic, craftsman approach he learned from Brian Eno.

At heart, Daniel Lanois is a storyteller. It's ingrained in his music, his writing and when he speaks. Great jocular stories flow from him like fearsome guitar riffs. Recalling how he was given a choice as a kid to study either accordion or pedal steel guitar, he chose the pedal steel. And, after a few lessons sitting at the odd, legged, horizontal instrument, he asked his teacher: "When do I get to hold it like Elvis?"

'Soul Mining' is out now via Faber and Faber.