New Hampshire-based folk duo Dan & Faith has crafted a deeply personal take on one of America’s most contentious issues. Their song “Se Llama Juanita,” from the album “Who We Are,” tells the story of a young asylum seeker’s journey to the southern border—but this isn’t your typical protest song.
The husband-and-wife team of Daniel and Faith Senie has built their reputation on what they call “dream-inspired folk,” weaving narratives that pull from both subconscious imagery and real-world experiences. With “Se Llama Juanita”—Spanish for “Her Name is Juanita”—they’re tackling immigration through the lens of individual human experience rather than political rhetoric.
The 3:08 track follows a young girl’s border crossing, focusing on the personal costs of migration rather than policy debates. It’s a storytelling approach that Dan & Faith hopes will cut through the noise of headlines and statistics. “There is nothing illegal about the people or their request,” the duo states. “These people simply want a chance to live in peace.”
What’s really striking about the song isn’t just its subject matter—it’s how Dan & Faith present it. The track features their signature tight vocal harmonies layered over Dan’s acoustic guitar and Faith’s acoustic bass guitar. The result feels intimate rather than preachy, like overhearing a conversation rather than being lectured.
Honestly, the production quality reflects the duo’s commitment to their craft. They collaborated with Joe Jencks from Brother Sun as producer, brought in Mark Dann (known for his work with Rod MacDonald) as engineer, and had Grammy-winning engineer Charlie Pilzer handle mastering duties. For a folk act that tours the country in a camper-van packed with instruments, it’s a significant investment in getting their message heard clearly.
That investment has paid off. The album helped Dan & Faith crack the Top 50 on the Folk DJ radio chart and earned recognition from music press for their songwriting craftsmanship. It’s validation for an act that’s been steadily building an audience through multiple studio albums and countless performances at coffeehouses, festivals, and house concerts across the U.S. and Canada.
The timing feels deliberate. Immigration remains a flashpoint in American politics, but Dan & Faith aren’t interested in taking sides so much as adding nuance to the conversation. “Se Llama Juanita” offers context to current events through what they call “a personalized way, centering on the story of an individual.” It’s an approach that feels refreshingly human in an era of soundbites.
Dan & Faith describe their music as rooted in dreams and everyday life, tapping into both subconscious imagery and daily experiences to craft their original songs. What emerges is something that feels both timeless and timely—folk music that could work in any era but speaks directly to today’s concerns. It’s accessibility paired with substance, something that’s harder to pull off than it sounds.
What’s notable is how the song builds to a powerful repetition before ending with the heartbreaking line, “She has traveled so far…” It’s a moment that encapsulates the duo’s approach—letting the human story speak for itself rather than forcing conclusions on listeners.
The thing that stands out about Dan & Faith is their authenticity. They’re not trying to be the loudest voices in the room or the most provocative. Instead, they’re offering something that feels genuine in a music industry often criticized for manufactured emotion. While they’re known as multi-instrumentalists who bring a variety of sounds to their performances, “Se Llama Juanita” strips things down to focus on the story itself.
“Se Llama Juanita” is available on Spotify, and fans can watch a live performance on YouTube. For Dan & Faith, it represents their commitment to using music as a platform to explore complex issues through the most human medium available—storytelling set to music. In a world where so many artists stick to safe topics, their willingness to tackle difficult subjects while maintaining their musical integrity deserves recognition.
