Daniel Champagne is good. Very very good. You may already know this but if not it’s time to get on board with this astonishing talent. The Australian born, Nashville based singer/songwriter and one of a kind guitar virtuoso is about to release his first studio album in three years and perform an extensive list of Australian dates on what seems to be beginning to rival Bob Dylan in the never ending world tour stakes.
By way of background the story goes that a five year old Daniel first picked up a guitar after being inspired by a musical father, wrote his first songs at twelve, trained classically throughout his teens and began playing anywhere and everywhere he could around the far south coast of New South Wales It was here that he began to hone the astonishing live show he is renowned for today.
At eighteen Daniel left school, hit the road and hasn’t really stopped since. Really hasn’t stop and seems to rarely pause to draw breath. Subsequent years saw him tour endlessly around the world, playing some of the most renowned festivals and sharing stages with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Ani DiFranco, Rodrigo y Gabriella, The Waifs, Judy Collins, INXS, John Butler and KT Tunstall – all of this while writing, producing and independently releasing four albums and two EPs.
In 2014 Daniel made the move to America, basing himself out of Nashville and beginning to spread his music to all corners of the country where he played night after night, city after city, forever expanding and developing his craft and skills and digging deeper into his life experience as a songwriter. The culmination of this range of experiences to date are the songs on ‘Fault Lines’.
Recorded over a two year period, in Nashville for the most part during rare breaks from his American tour schedule and some closer to home sessions in Melbourne and the South Coast of NSW – ‘Fault Lines’ sees the troubadour branch out from behind his well know solo guitar and voice styling’s to explore a much broader sonic landscape throughout the thirteen pieces.
‘I’d say it’s more like an extension of what I do rather than another side’ says Champagne of his new offering ‘I mean, I know a lot of people know me as the high energy guitar player and that element will always be there. I will always love interesting guitar playing as long at it serves the songs, which are what this album is all about because between what’s around me and what’s inside me there’s always so much to write about. I come across a lot of people and places touring this world non-stop and they all come with their own stories that can wind their way into song.
‘So on the album, there certainly are moments where it is just me and a guitar, as I am every night on stage but there are also some big rock songs and elaborate string arrangements and electric playing and piano and I really think it takes the listener on a journey both musically and lyrically and I’m excited to show everyone what we’ve done and hope they can find themselves somewhere inside the picture’
‘Fault Lines’ will be released worldwide on March 20 through his own label Nightingale Records’. Its unveiling will come on the eve of a North American tour that will play out before Daniel returns to his homeland for what will be his most extensive tour yet – forty shows from April to July taking him to all corners of Australia and surely confirming him as a leading light in acoustic music with a reputation for making festivals buzz, holding crowds in his palm, dropping jaws and breaking guitars wherever he goes.
“The word Prodigy seems to entirely fall short of this soft-spoken young man’s skills, he coaxes sounds and melodies out of his instrument that literally drop jaws.” – The Calgary Herald, CANADA
“Today I saw the future of Folk – Festival goers flocking in their thousands towards the main stage to witness a young musical phenomenon from Australia dish out an absolute show-stopper.” – The Firefly Column, USA
“Daniel Champagne is a crossroads. Fusing the strong traditions of Blues, Folk and other roots art with pop showmanship and admirable lyrical ability. I firmly believe that he will become an ambassador for roots music in a time where it desperately needs representation.” – The Indie Blender, CANADA
“reinventing roots guitar” – Rhythms Magazine, AUSTRALIA
“Watching Daniel Champagne perform is a once in a lifetime experience. He is a true prodigy that plays like no one else could possibly play unless they spent at least two lifetimes studying the art.” – BW Review, NEW ZEALAND
‘Daniel Champagne exudes a natural ease on stage, as he sings poignant lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies that invariably whisk the heart up with grand romanticism. Coupled with an exhilarating guitar talent that transcends mere acoustic playing to replicate a whole band, Champagne is just magical’ Themusic.com.au, AUSTRALIA
