Above: Dann Saxton is seen in his home studio, where he will be producing his new show, “Cabin Chat Weekly.” Photo courtesy of Amber Maday Photography.

FAIRMONT– Martin County native, Dann Saxton, has recently returned to the area in order to work on a new project. Saxton’s video podcast series, Cabin Chat Weekly, will launch today.

Saxton grew up nearby and graduated from Granada-Huntley-East-Chain School in 1999. However, Saxton has spent about half his life in Los Angeles, CA. There he’s been involved in a number of exciting projects and has received a host of accolades, including two Emmy Awards.

Saxton explained how his interest in the entertainment industry first started.

“My uncle had a video camera and that inspired me in the beginning. My friends and I would make music videos and other fun videos,” Saxton explained.

Once he graduated, Saxton went to the Academy for Film and Television in Minneapolis to pursue acting, but a year into his time there, an opportunity presented itself and he moved to L.A. Within a week, Saxton landed a job starring in a McDonald’s commercial.

“I remember I called my mom and said, ‘I told you, mom! I’m not crazy,'” Saxton recalled with a laugh.

He would go on to act in a number of productions. However, Saxton’s passions lie not in just acting, but music. He was a member of several successful bands, as well as manager of the famous music club, The Roxy.

With the continuing advancement of technology, Saxton’s endeavors have changed, too. He’s a founding member of VRLIVE, a virtual reality studio that specializes in 360-degree live broadcasts. Saxton is also a partner in Digital Nation Entertainment, which develops and powers VR experiences.

All of that, yet Saxton never forgot where he came from.

“When I would come home, always during Christmas time, I liked how it felt. The feeling of a slower pace and a smaller town… there’s more sense of community,” Saxton explained.

For several years he had been thinking about launching some kind of media here. And then the pandemic hit, which stalled some plans, but also gave him a flexible work schedule.

“The fact that I can work remotely on projects in L.A. is a huge realization,” Saxton said.

He moved back to the area in September but said he kept it “under wraps” for awhile so he could start on his new project.

“Cabin Chat is a weekly show about the area, covering anything that’s happening. It’s not political or religious. Just fun,” Saxton explained.

He said the point is to shine a light on the area and provide a window into this world, and beyond.

“I feel like it’s important for everyone here to get a sense of what people are like outside of this area, too,” Saxton said.

Not only will the show feature people from Martin County, but it will include conversations with people Saxton has met throughout his life that are outside of the area. He hopes people will find the various stories inspiring.

The first episode includes a conversation with his friend, Jason Achilles, an L.A. musician.

“He also led the team that put the microphones on Perseverance, which went to Mars. That audio we heard from Mars, he did that,” Saxton explained.

Since he’s been back, Saxton has been busy. He has quite a few friends and family here who have been supportive and have helped him make other connections. He’s also been meeting with local school officials and business owners.

He’s building a roster of sponsors right now and is also speaking with area schools about the possibility of starting a Cabin Chat content club, as Saxton would like to be a mentor to students who have an interest in content creation.

Of course, he’s also been spending a lot of time producing his show, Cabin Chat Weekly. While it’s classified as a video podcast, Saxton said it’s essentially a TV show. Every Saturday at 1 p.m., he’ll be releasing a new episode on cabinchatweekly.com.

“The following week, I’ll be releasing each segment,” Saxton said.

Each episode will also include area school updates as well as a round-up of area sports.

Most interviews will be done virtually, over Zoom, in the studio Saxton’s built in the house he’s staying in. He said some of them will be done in person as well.

Saxton said he’s excited about finding local people who want to be on camera, but more than that, he’s looking forward to seeing what kind of visibility the episodes provide for Martin County.

“This area is so special and people need to see that,” Saxton said.

Saxton shared that he’s always been an optimist and ultimately he’d like to spread that feeling here.

“The goal for me is to lift the energy here and make people smile and laugh and see the area as something special, in a way that maybe they didn’t see before,” he said.

More information and segments can be found on Facebook and Instagram @cabinchatweekly. Anyone interested in sponsoring can contact team@cabinchatweekly.com.