INFLUENCES AND SUCH:
Danny has been a Philadelphia-based singer and songwriter since the 1990's.  Although there's not an ounce of Irish blood in him, his main vocal influences have revolved around Bono, Sinead O'Connor, Elizabeth Frazier, and Billie Holiday (who's obviously not Irish ..).  Recently he's taken a shine to the vocal styles of Jennifer Knapp and Tim Burgess. His musical influences range from classic blues styles, like Billie Holiday and Robert Johnson, to some of the classic cock artists like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors, to the more modern indie artists like The Cocteau Twins, The Charlatans UK, The Stone Roses, as well as Jennifer Knapp, Sarah Groves, U2 and The Cure (I'm talking about those old-school "The Top" days, savvy?).  Combining the sounds of those listed above with hints of some those interesting Yes and Jethro Tull-like composition transitions, and sparkled with a little funk and jazz, several fans and critics have so remarked that there's a "familiarity in Danny's music that one just cannot put their finger on" ... As one critic has exclaimed, "It's what makes Danny's music so universally appealing."  Ultraskye Records recently decided to promote Danny's debut album after listening  to several unbiased opinions of the album (while in the mastering stages)  ... "With the right connections, it truly has a chance to take off," was the consensus.   Hey, is there anyone out there who knows somebody? 

In early 1998, Danny was drawn to the true Gospel as he understood his need for spiritual restoration, which soon led to his spiritual rebirth in the Gospel.  Prior to his conversion, though, Danny spent several years struggling through a heroin addiction with which he fell in-love while singing for a popular Philly-based band in 1991.  The band's originality and ambient/indie sound, fronted by Danny's seductive vocals, quickly led them to a record deal with a local indie label, which then rapidly turned  into a courtship with a major record company based out of Philadelphia.  This fast rollercoaster ride of the typical sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, quickly ended in the crashing destruction of the band just as they were in site of getting where they wanted to be: signed with a major record company.  

From there, Danny set off on a hazed journey, pursuing a solo career; but Lady Heroin, like a dominating woman, kept him from getting out the door and fulfilling his dreams. As such, Danny neglected his talents, singing, and writing.  It would be another ten years before he played or wrote another song, for just as his spirit was dead, so too was the music ...

Several years later, after his spiritual conversion, Danny had more than enough to write about, but not simply about his drug experiences ... after all, there's more than enough of that in today's music anyway. And, as for "contemporary Christian" music, there's plkenty of "praise and worship" songs out there. Although there is certainly a place for such praise music, some of the "Christian music" today lacks an honesty of what the private Christian life is actually like, which can communicates a misconception of what life is like for the spiritually reborn.  That is, when a person becomes a Christian, they become saved, not perfect and jolly - life does not become "lollipops and sunshine". Rather, for those who are saved, there's a heightened awareness of the spiritual misery which besets us all, beginning with our own inner-being (hearts) - and that is the standpoint from where Danny was inspired to get back into writing - to spread a message of honestly combined with hope.

Compositions peppered with Classic Rock's psychedelic trippy sounds, combined with the shaggy, Indie-pop sound, and blanketed by strong melodic voclas, Danny's music brings a mixture of alternative acoustics and spiritual truth to today's music scene.  Lyrically, his songs represent a hope in the Gospel, but with an honest grittiness, which as one critic describes, "[the music] is about life, struggles, etc. but with a hope.  It's honest, but doesn't leave you feeling empty - you feel encouraged and inspired to get up out of the garbage and move-on to something better."

AND SO ON ...  
Danny now lives in South Jersey with his family and hopes to have the opportunity to spread the music on a full-time basis - sharing his music with all age groups.   He spreads his music and message to various venues: clubs, coffee houses, etc. - where ever he can set up his guitar.

"The music's for everyone -," he says, "for all of God's creation - unlike the stuff that's out there, which targets only the masses of unchecked teens and/or the yuppy-adults types who blindly drink the  kool-aid musings of the secular media.  There's just too many messages and pop-songs spreading lies that mislead people into believing that Christians are a bunch of bible-thumping, bigotted, intolerant religious zealots, or that Jesus Christ is just some Jewish genie who doesn't have any real say on their lives ...  but what's even worse is that a lot of those songs are filled with miserable self-cenetered complaints about life that are capped without any real hope whatsoever  - it's empty, sad, and everyone applauds their misery! - that's because all of us intimately relate to misery and so we're glad to hear and welcome anyone who might sing our anthem of woe.  But, the truth is, and what our music's about, is that there is hope, there is a real Savior, too - we don't have to reply upon our imperfect selves ..." 

"This Savior doesn't expect you to be perfect, He only wants you to throw your misery upon Him - to come to Him and find true salvation, and He will give it.  It's funny, we are so tied to ourselves, but we neglect to remember taht we are imperfect and dying - why then do we deny the One who is perfect, eternally living, and who offers us a freedom from our own misery, our own death, and promises to give us an everlasting kingdom?  From an earthly standpoint, no one would ever pas up such a free gift ... but we do, and that's why life seems hopeless."  

"You know, life is difficult, and when we pretend it isn't or we avoid what are hearts and consciences tell us is true about life, we're walking blind and living deafly ...  the music's about hope in a fallen world, and the desire to have our hearts spiritually transplanted.  I hope tha God uses it as an instrument in His hands for change."