Tag: Danielia Cotton

You Gotta Hear This: New Music From Danielia Cotton, Unspoken Tradition, and More

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

To say good bye to the week and to August, we’ve got one more premiere round-up for the month – and, as always, You Gotta Hear This!

Among all the fine new music being released, we’re highlighting a handful of tracks newly minted or arriving very soon. First, there’s “Bring Out The Country (In Me),” the sole original number from Danielia Cotton’s new EP paying tribute to Country Music Hall of Famer Charley Pride. Then, check out singer-songwriter David Luning’s “Every Day I Am,” which explores the fear and anxiety of being a fugitive on the run.

As you continue, John Surge and the Haymakers bring us a properly Tex-Mex track, “Marisol,” from their upcoming album Maybe You Don’t Know Me. And, to bring us home, North Carolina-based bluegrass outfit Unspoken Tradition have a stellar cover of Alabama’s hit, “I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why).”

It’s all right here on BGS and You Gotta Hear This!

Danielia Cotton, “Bring Out The Country (In Me)”

Artist: Danielia Cotton
Hometown: Hopewell, New Jersey
Song: “Bring Out The Country (In Me)”
Album: Charley’s Pride: A Tribute to Black Country Music
Release Date: August 29, 2024
Label: Cottontown LLC with Symphonic Distribution

In Their Words: “Coming to New York City from a small town was a major transition for me. What surprised me was how much of my small town ways and sensibility I didn’t lose. The big city can engulf you, however that made me more myself and embrace more of my country roots. Big cities, especially New York, are full of what is seemingly countless numbers of confident people, when in fact so many are struggling with the same need to define themselves and stand out. I think I finally realized that what makes me most unique is when I am true to myself.” – Danielia Cotton

Track Credits:
Danielia Cotton, Marc Copely – Songwriters
Danielia Cotton – Lead vocals
Marc Copely – Guitars, backing vocals, programming
Andy Hess – Bass
Aaron Comess – Drums, percussion
Ben Stivers – Piano, organ
Rocco DeLuca – Pedal Steel
Produced, engineered, and mixed by Marc Copely at Casa Copely Recording, NYC.
Mastered by Greg Calbi.

David Luning, “Every Day I Am”

Artist: David Luning
Hometown: Los Angeles via Forestville, California (Near Petaluma)
Song: “Every Day I Am”
Album: Lessons
Release Date: September 6, 2024

In Their Words:“Movies, songs, and stories, particularly set in the American west, have highly romanticized the life of running from the law, but in reality, in the long run, it’s gotta suck. So much fear and anxiety all the time. Always on the run. ‘Looking over your shoulder.’ Fleeing the consequences of your actions. Can’t trust anyone. At least I know in my life, running from my fears or consequences of things that I’ve done has never improved a thing. So on the surface, ‘Every Day I Am’ is about somebody running from the law, but underneath lies the story of somebody that is ‘…always hoping that one day it’ll be alright,’ without realizing that it could be, if they stop running.” – David Luning

Track Credits:
Written by David Luning.
David Luning – Vocals, Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano
Linden Reed – Drums
Ben Dubin – Electric bass
Dave Sampson – Electric guitar
Alex Leach – Electric guitar
Damien Lewis – Percussion, sound design

John Surge and the Haymakers, “Marisol”

Artist: John Surge
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “Marisol”
Album: Maybe You Don’t Know Me
Release Date: September 6, 2024 (single); September 20, 2024 (album)
Label: Blackbird Record Label

In Their Words: “‘Marisol’ is a historical lament about a woman who claims ‘my love is like a heart attack, the kind of love that’ll keep you coming back.’ It has a rollicking feel that comes straight from the Doug Sahm playbook. The song has a natural Tex-Mex feel. I kept asking Tommy [Detamore], ‘What would Doug do?’ Detamore shared stories of producing Sahm’s final album, The Return of Wayne Douglas. We followed that inspiration and traveled down Sahm Highway.” – John Surge

Track Credits:
John Surge – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Randy Volin – Electric guitar, baritone guitar, harmony vocals
Brennen Leigh – Harmony vocals
Michael Guerra – Accordion
Brad Fordham – Bass
Tom Lewis – Drums
Floyd Domino – Organ
Kevin Jarvis – Percussion

Unspoken Tradition, “I’m In a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)”

Artist: Unspoken Tradition
Hometown: Cherryville, North Carolina
Song: “I’m In A Hurry (And Don’t Know Why)”
Release Date: August 30, 2024
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

In Their Words: “I was born in ’85, so ’90s country was a part of life during that period. I still use ’90s country to get back there, nostalgically. Alabama was an awesome country band, and vocally, this song is just so fun to sing. The a capella intro always grabbed my attention back then and knowing our band has so many capable singers, I wanted to give this one a try as a fun cover. As a father with a family, a full time job, and also juggling music and other things, the message of the song is a reminder to slow down some and enjoy the little things.” – Audie McGinnis, guitar and lead vocals

Track Credits:
Audie McGinnis – Guitar, lead vocals
Sav Sankaran – Bass, vocals
Tim Gardner – Fiddle
Zane McGinnis – Banjo
Ty Gilpin – Mandolin

Photo Credit: Danielia Cotton by Chía Messina; Unspoken Tradition by Sandlin Gaither.

BGS 5+5: Danielia Cotton

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Danielia Cotton
Hometown: Hopewell, New Jersey; now New York City
Latest Album: Good Day (out March 18)

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I live in New York City and just being outside with my headphones on listening to a great song is so powerful. Walking in the city that never sleeps with a great soundtrack in your ears can almost always lead to moments of inspiration and pleasure. Many times I have taken a run on the West Side Highway in downtown Manhattan and I come home and go straight to the piano or my guitar and begin a new piece. It is always tough to write when one is uninspired. There are times you can push through, others when you put the instrument down and either find inspiration in existing music or art you like, or simply wait it out until you are struck with a spark of lyric or melody that leads you somewhere substantive.

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

Right after one of my first solo performances at a “Save the Delaware” benefit in New Jersey. I had just learned to play acoustic guitar and I performed my three-chord song. It was the scariest yet one of the most exhilarating moments ever.

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

There is no one artist for me that encapsulates all that has influenced me. My sound has always been a bit eclectic so I pull from a few different musical genres. As far as rock goes, two huge influences are The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. The Stones are soulful storytellers with serious grooves. Zeppelin for me has a depth that hit me when I was young and feeling displaced that took me somewhere else. Robert Plant’s voice was incredible at that time and his range was inspiring. When it comes to soul, I would include in my top three: Prince, Stevie Wonder and Sly and The Family Stone. Prince and Sly meshed rock and soul in a way that spoke to me as rock music sounded the way I felt. Stevie Wonder was deep. To this day Songs in The Key of Life inspires my soul, my musical theoretical side and my heart.

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

There was a literary critic about a hundred years ago who was asked to define what is a great work of art, and that critic said, “It’s whatever adds to the available stock of reality.” To the extent that my career might mean creating something that becomes part, however small, of someone’s memory, someone’s sense of peace, someone’s sense of solace, or someone’s sense of joy. I guess that’s my mission statement.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I almost never hide behind a character when writing a song. I generally write in first person as the honesty in performance is crucial for me as I try to take the audience to a real place. If I can’t find myself in the story or some way to personalize it, my ability to really connect with my audience becomes incredibly difficult. I am not a fan of faking it.

Photo Credit: Chia Messina