P R E S S

“Escape Artist is intimate and plaintive, yet purposeful and triumphant. Even in its most lowkey or solemn-presenting moments, it glistens and perseveres.”

— Sputnik Music

“... a gentle wonder, its soft-focus songs full of yearning and effortlessly melodic.”

— Bandcamp New & Notable

“Expressive and emotional indie folk pop tunes with gorgeous, layered vocals, lush and atmospheric instrumentation, solid arrangements, some incredible crescendos and melancholy undertones.”

— KEXP

“Danielle Durack is the future of indie pop/rock”

— MXDWN

PRESS LINKS

P R E S S B I O

When Danielle Durack sings, people listen. Not from head-turning vocal acrobatics, powerful belting, nor showy stage presence — Durack commands attention with a clear and simple voice that sounds like the truth. Her music blends warm melodies with unflinching honesty, creating space for listeners to sit with their feelings without ever losing a sense of hope. Durack captures the messy, tender, complexities of being alive with songs that feel just as personal as they do universal.

L I F E S T O R Y

So we did another record together, and this time, gotta say, way less magic. Trying to muster the confidence and decisiveness required for art-making while actively going through heartbreak and a full blown identity crisis made me an actual monster and incredibly hard to work with. Bless Sam, bless the team he assembled. The record got made.

And then, we yeeted it out into a pandemic! NPR Music liked it! American Songwriter Interviewed me! Pitchfork gave it a 6.8! Again hoping for life-changing momentum to sweep me away!

It didn’t!

But it was still really fucking cool!

Notebooks continued to accumulate, Bob helped me jump on some support slots touring the country with some really established acts (did I mention that Bob is an angel?), I was playing, I was writing, I was playing and writing. I was doing everything else, too (insert monologue about being 100% independent and 100% self funded).

Another album. I recorded some bones of songs with Sam in their shed in Seattle. Those demos brought back some of that magic. I felt the soft-pinkish-glowy light of god or whatever again, and felt the creative force in me come back to life. It felt like I was making something special. Something important.

The record got done and I sat on it for like a year, trying to shop it around to labels, trying to find a booking agent, trying to add some folks to my team. Well, nobody bit and Bob retired (which he obviously deserves because Bob. is. a. fucking. angel.) so I was, and am, as indie as indie can be.

I fell in love and moved to Nashville. I thought for sure I will find my team there. I did not find my team, but what I have found, is many many other people who are also looking for their team. Which is basically just as good.

I’ve been writing. I’ve been working. I’ve been writing and working. I’ve been touring. I’ve been going back to school (?!). I’ve been planning a wedding and trying to drink at least as much water as I do coffee. I’m still doing my thing, and god willing, I’ll probably keep doing it until I die.

Any questions?

Hey, I’m Danielle Durack.

After trying to write a fancy, 3rd person, so-far-up-my-own-ass bio, I have simply given up. You’re stuck with the un-fancy, 1st person, less-up-her-own-ass Dani that I was born to be.

I was born in phoenix. Fast forward like 20 years—still in Phoenix. Shelves chock-full of notebooks. Notebooks chock-full of songs.

I guess rewind like 10 years— started writing songs.

Okay fast forward again. Shelves chalked full of notebooks. Notebooks chalked full of songs. I decided to finally do something with them. I hit up my 7th grade boyfriend to track some demos. Spent a year recording vocals and guitars in that guy’s closet and ba-da-bing ba-da-boom, I had myself a three track demo to throw on Bandcamp (shoutout Bandcamp!).

This was inspiring and highly motivating. I wanted to do it again but longer—but better. I recruited like everyone I knew who played an instrument to help me with a new batch of songs (fuck it, throw some cello on there!). Paid everyone in beer and pizza. Again, boom, eight song album(?) that I made with my friends from choir and, once again, my 7th grade boyfriend.

After releasing that album(?) I started consistently playing shows in Phoenix. I played anywhere I could—obviously venues, but also coffee shops, hotel lobbies, restaurants, living rooms, I even played a ditch once (completely true story, there’s a guy in Tempe who hosts shows at a ditch next to his house, look it up, it’s a thing).

Somehow I didn’t drop out of college like I desperately wanted to. I kept thinking, “if only I had ownership of my time to do all the music stuff I want to do—I would be unstoppable!”

What actually happened is I graduated and immediately hit a massive depressive episode. So after about 6 months of doing nothing but vibrating in place with dread and fear, my anxiety catapulted me into action and I created my best work yet, Bashful.

Continuing to raid the fridge of my social network, I hit up my friend Sam who lived up in Seattle who had also just graduated from record-making school.

Sam had (and still has) intimidatingly great taste in music. I was still listening to songwriters who unironically wore fedoras at the time, so in a way, Sam saved my life.

Making bashful was my first time in a studio, and when I say it was magic, all I remember from that week was the laughter, the glowy, soft, pinkish light, and feeling like I was making something really special, really important. By some miracle, when Bashful came out, one of the songs got picked up on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist, and my listenership grew exponentially. It felt like my life was going to change overnight.

It didn’t, but it was still really fucking cool.

I started reaching out to folks about touring and got connected to Bob from Undertow Music Collective (literal angel of a man). Initially, he responded to my cold-email with a polite pass, and then kindly bought my album on Bandcamp (shoutout Bandcamp!) as a bit of a consolation prize I think. A week later he reached out and said he loved the album and wanted to manage me.

Ah! To be managed!

MEANWHILE, my romantic life was in absolute ruins so naturally I had another album on the way. Me, Sam, Bob, formative heartbreak… a perfect storm.

E S C A P E A R T I S T

New album Escape Artist out now:

Danielle Durack · Escape Artist

S U P P O R T I N G S I N G L E S

Danielle Durack · Shirt Song

11/13/23

Danielle Durack · Good Dog

1/8/24

Danielle Durack · Dean (single)

2/5/24

P R E V I O U S R E L E A S E S

No Place
January 15, 2021

Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by Samuel Rosson Mastered by Ed Brooks

LISTEN

Bashful
January 11, 2019

Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by Samuel Rosson
Mastered by Levi Seitz

Listen

H I G H L I G H T S

Escape Artist Charted on NACC Radio
Music City Mayhem finalist

P L A C E M E N T S

Spotify Editorial - New Music Friday, Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds: Indie, Fresh Finds: Folk, Folk & Friends, Chill Singer Songwriter, Badass
NPR - NPR New Music Friday, NPR Music: Bob Boilen, Bob Boilen’s Favorite 40 Songs of 2020
SXSW - Official SXSW 2021 Playlist
Nike Women - NTC: Studio Sounds