Episode 11: Daniel Donato

We talk with Nashville musician Daniel Donato.  At the age of 24, Daniel has already established himself as one of the top guitarists in Nashville, logging thousands of hours playing live shows, and landing a nomination for Americana Music Association’s Instrumentalist of the Year award.  Now Daniel is writing, singing, and recording his own music, and hitting the road leading his own band.  We discuss his recently released music, what he learned about live performing from his countless hours on stage, how the musicianship of Jerry Garcia influenced him, and the joys of getting up very early.

Instrumentalists bear the burden of communicating musical ideas without the aid of lyrics or storytelling proper. For many years, that’s how 2018 Americana Award nominee Daniel Donato operated as the guitarist for Nashville acts like The Wild Feathers, Paul Cauthen and The Don Kelley Band.  From age 14, Donato has developed his brand of crisp, soulful, on-the-edge telecaster picking under bar lights, honing his skills and proving his mettle within the city’s prominent live music scene. All the while, a growing love of songwriting mirrored the pace of his ever-improving guitar chops.

Now, a short three years after his departure from Kelley’s classic country outfit, Daniel is signed to William Morris Endeavors as an artist with a docket of jam-ready country and bluegrass songs. Backed by his three-piece “Cosmic Country Band” – cosmic country is a catch-all term for experimental roots music, often assisted by electronic sounds – Donato stands at the frontier of his career with characteristic intrepidity, no longer bounded by the expressive limitations of his instrument.