Rising Stars: Meet Danny Stevens of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Stevens

Hi Danny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in Metro Detroit, I was inundated with many musical influences from an early age. It was Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Conway Twitty in my Grandpa’s stale cigarette silver Dodge pickup truck. It was Bob Segar, Mo-town, and 90’s country music in my parent’s light blue mini-van on hockey tournament road trips. And it was Blink-182, New Found Glory, and The Used walking through my high school halls, feeling like I had finally found myself. Music had entrenched my life for most of it, and at 18, I made the bold and somewhat naive decision to move to Chicago and take on the lead singer role in an “emo/pop punk/pop rock band called The Audition. The next decade of my life was an absurd whirlwind. After five albums, 30+ trips overseas, festivals, multiple Warped Tour’s, and countless other tours around the US, The Audition officially called it “quits.” After a few years of feeling lost and floating around, I landed in Nashville. I immediately started making my way into writer’s rooms on Music Row, writing with some of the top writers in country music. After several years of learning from the best, I met my producer, Sammy Mitchell (Luke Combs), in a co-write, and it was a match made in Heaven. We started working together exclusively, and after a few years and a global pandemic, my debut LP, “Better Than You Left Me” was born. I’ve been rolling out songs every six weeks since the beginning of ’24 and will continue into ’25.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is any road in life smooth? One of my all-time favorite songs is called “Life is Wonderful” by Jason Mraz, and it states…

“It takes some fears to make you trust
It takes those tears to make it rust
It takes some dust to have it polished”

This speaks to me so much. Life is a series of challenges, and depending on how you handle them determines your future outcome. But you can’t know what smooth is without things being rocky.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work is a culmination of effort over decades, persistence, and paying attention. I’m most proud of my ability to try new things while being able to look doubt in the face and tell it to buzz off. I’m known for my big yet concise singing style and my seasoned and dynamic stage presence. I always look to find a middle ground with my writing, making it easily palatable for an average listener, but being able and willing to create things that give credit to those who want to dig a little deeper.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a shy kid with little to no confidence. I was easily bullied and never stood up for myself. I honestly believe that putting myself on stage at 14 years of age changed everything. I also played ice hockey, which taught me many invaluable lessons like teamwork, leadership, commitment, and perseverance. But all I really wanted to do was ride my bike with my friends around the neighborhood.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/dannystevens
• Instagram: @dannystevens
• Facebook: @dannystevens
• Twitter: @dannystevens
• Youtube: @danny.stevens
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5EpvatwhvFVtPEqOfvAYrt?si=GbwQ4EOLRpeqcBKzpukQGA