BGS 5+5: Daniel Donato

Artist: Daniel Donato
Hometown: Spring Hill, Tennessee, an hour south of Nashville.
Latest Album: A Young Man’s Country (August 7, 2020)
Personal Nicknames: DD, sometimes.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I was walking by Legend’s Corner, a bar in Nashville with my father. This was the first day I ever busked on the street, and I made $0. The lead singer was taking a break to pass the tip jug. The bass player called me on stage, over the microphone. “You look like you play guitar,” he said. “I try,” I said! I got on stage, plugged in, and played for two songs that were completely improvised. That was it for me. I knew the stage was my soon to be dojo.

What other art forms inform your music?

Podcasts are big for me. Hence, why I started my own “The Lost Highway.” I think podcasts and jam bands aren’t all that different. What you have is complete improvisation with the instrument of language. Improvisation forces honesty but also unique expression out of your skill with said instrument. A moment in time is created by humans that truly could never happen again. It also is OK if this moment lasts a few hours! That sounds a whole lot like the Grateful Dead. Or a Cosmic Country show!

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

DD’s 3 P’s! Patience. Persistence. Positivity. These fuels are essential to keeping things Cosmic.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

Songwriting is day one, each time. A perpetual white belt. Because each song is different. Quite literally, each song is the toughest one to write. Performance, content creation, and guitar playing are not like this at all.

What rituals do you have, either in studio or before a show?

I get as calm as possible. I get stoic. Essentially, view yourself outside of being yourself. This gives you a humbling perspective that allows you to see that everyone is quite on the same level. On stage, it is important for me to keep that in mind, so I can steer the wheel in the way that the audience will get the most out of the experience. It is all about the people. The more calm I am, the better the moment will be for the listeners on the other side of the guitar.

Photo credit: Jason Stoltzfus