KEVIN DANIEL: ‘Things I Don’t See’ Debut Album + U.S. Tour (8/30 – 1/26)
August 29, 2019 by 1888media
With critical acclaim from Relix Magazine, No Depression, Under The Radar, Blue Ridge Outdoors, Ditty TV, Radio Woodstock, Blurt Magazine, Americana Highways, and The Alternate Root, Brooklyn-based Americana artist Kevin Daniel has announced a September 20th street date for his debut album, Things I Don’t See (via Smith Music Group).
The emotional centerpiece of his 11-track excursion is the twang-fueled, gospel-tinged, “Used to Be,” a soul-stirring slice of self-reflection produced by Kenny Siegel, known for his work with Langhorne Slim, Joseph Arthur and Chris Whitley.
With nods to Langhorne, Ryan Bingham and Jason Isbell, Daniel’s rugged, open-hearted vocals power the track down the alt country highway, sizzling with slide and B3 in between the seams. Siegel was also at the helm for the title track and the rollicking “Xanax, Cocaine & Whiskey.”
For the Old Soul Sessions, the incendiary studio band included Will Bryant (organ/keys), Lee Falco (drums), and Brandon Morrison (bass) of Hudson Valley’s, The Restless Age, and guitarist Jon LaDeau, from The National Reserve.
The balance of Things I Don’t See was produced by Ben Rice (Norah Jones, The Candles, Aoife O’Donovan) at Degraw Sound in Gowanus. New album anthems, “City That Saves,” “Name of Fame,” “Jupiter,” and “Time To Rise (ft. Shannon Söderlund)” showcase Daniel’s fluid ability as a songwriter to seamlessly incorporate bits of rock, soul, country, blues, roots and Appalachia into his thoughtful examination of pain and awakenings, visceral and spiritual.
Debut single “Pour Me A Drink,” dubbed “intensely soulful” (JW Vibe) speaks to maturity earned from scars beneath the surface. For the Degraw deep dive, Daniel was flanked by an esteemed cast including Muddy Shews (bass), John Hummel (drums), Judd Nielsen (Organ), Erica Mancini (Accordion), vocalists Irene Blackman and Roman Urbanski with guitar by Anthony Krizan, formerly of Spin Doctors.
The journey has been cathartic as music is the only path he’s ever known. Starting when he was five, singing Disney songs into a turkey baster, Daniel studied piano and saxophone, and by middle school was playing in state symphonic bands, touring with classical horn trios, and singing his heart out while exploring a growing passion for guitar.
By the time he graduated from George Washington University, Daniel had played in two quartets, four high school orchestras, two jazz and blues bands, one bluegrass band, one punk ska group, and even sang tenor in an acapella group. In the years since, Daniel’s songs, the ones that thread his EPs, 2014’s FLY, a collection written in the painful aftermath of a tragic plane crash that took the lives of his parents, and 2017’s Myself Through You, have led him to discover things he couldn’t see.
With the LP’s release looming, Kevin and his ace slingers, The Bottom Line, are ready to burn rubber for the next six months with West coast dates, a Midwest trek, a Texas run with Johnny Chops from Randy Rogers Band and a Southeast co-headlining tour with American Idol soul singer, Seth Power.
September kicks off with appearances at the 20th Annual AmericanaFest in Nashville and a special hometown record release show at Cutting Room in New York City. Offering a nightly revival that echoes the everyman vibe of Tom Petty while conjuring the gut-busting grooves of Drive-by Truckers, Daniel and his motley crew recently joined the likes of Gary Clark Jr, Over The Rhine and The Raconteurs as one of “7 Buzzworthy concerts” to see by Charlotte Observer.
With a mission to deliver his country rock repository to every nook and cranny across this great land, Daniel is an apt observer. He sees the need for a sense of community, with seeds sown from sea to shining sea.
“‘A sublime lamentation of country-tinged Americana” – No Depression
Tour Dates
8/30 – Saugerties, NY @ Opus 40 Sunset Sessions
9/01 – Norwood, MA @ Fallout Shelter (Extended Play Sessions)
9/03 – New York, NY @ Rockwood Stage 1 Summer Residency
9/06 – Washington, DC @ Sofar Sounds
9/20 – New York, NY @ The Cutting Room (Record release)
9/25 – Tulsa, OK @ The Whittier Bar
9/26 – Tahlequah, OK @ Illinois River Jam
9/27 – Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley (WMOT Finally Friday)
9/30 – Albany, NY @ WEXT (1:30pm EST)
10/4 – Teaneck, NJ @ APCA Conference
10/9 – S. Pasadena, CA @ Wine & Song
10/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe
10/11-13 – Woodland Hills, CA @ FAR-West Conference
10/30 – Austin, TX @ Saxon Pub (w/ Johnny Chops & The Razors)
10/31 – New Braunfels, TX @ Freiheit Country Store (w/ Johnny Chops & The Razors)
11/01 – Dallas, TX @ The Blue Light (w/ Johnny Chops & The Razors)
11/02 – Ft Worth, TX @ Twilite Lounge (w/ Johnny Chops & The Razors)
11/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Sofar Sounds
11/21 – Cleveland, OH @ Westside Bowl
11/23 – Stevensville, MD @ Cult Classic Brewing Co.
11/24 – New York, NY @ Bowery Electric (w/ Lorena Leigh)
12/04 – Nashville, TN @ The Crying Wolf
12/05 – Chicago, IL @ Sofar Sounds
12/06 – Chicago, IL @ Independence Tap
1/15 – Charlotte, NC @ Evening Muse (w/ Seth Power)
1/16 – Asheville, NC @ Isis Music Hall (w/ Seth Power)
1/17 – Starkville, MS @ State Theater (w/ Seth Power)
1/18 – Nashville, TN @ True Music Room (w/ Seth Power)
1/20 – Tupelo, MS @ Blue Canoe (w/ Seth Power)
1/21 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement (w/ Seth Power)
1/22 – Jackson, MS @ Hal and Mal’s (w/ Seth Power)
1/23 – New Orleans, LA @ The Starlight (w/ Seth Power)
1/24-26 – New Orleans, LA @ Folk Alliance International
1/28-30 – London, UK @ AmericanaFest UK
2/07 – Easthampton, MA @ Abandoned Building Brewery
2/08 – Ewing, NJ @ 1867 Sanctuary
18//88 