#178 Danielle Todd
A week after playing at the Blue Bird cafe in Nashville Danielle Todd speaks with Rae Leigh on Songwriter Trysts about her new music, songwriting goals, inspirations and ambitions.
Over the last few years, Danielle has continued to hone her sound, resulting in a pop-country mix infused with undeniable Stevie Knicks-esque inspiration. With the pop sensibilities of the likes of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, a touch of edginess, and a little bit of quirk that Danielle finds indicative of her sound, songs like her debut single, “Crazy,” came to be. Released in early 2019, “Crazy,” co-penned with Bobbi Holliday and Caitie Thompson, took Danielle to higher heights, achieving accolades like Ontario’s Artist of the Month in April 2019 and winning Country 104’s “Women in Country March Madness” with Carrie Underwood as the competition. The fresh, upbeat tune even went so far as to enjoy a spot at #80 on Canada’s TRAX Report, #28 on Sirius XM’s CBC Country, and #34 on Australia’s Top 50.
Her subsequent and most recent single, “Backburner,” was similarly high impact in both Canada and Australia, landing a spot at #23 on the Music Network Hottest Country Charts and introducing the “soft edge” that is indicative of Danielle’s sound.
After a quiet two years spent uncovering what is most important to her, Danielle makes her highly-anticipated return to the music scene with the Feb 11 release of her single, ‘Heat of the Moment.’ This energetic, pop country track chronicles a coming-of-age and the wisdom that comes with realizing how good you had it back when you were young and carefree.
Connect with Danielle:
Transcript
Rae Leigh: Welcome to a Songwriter Tryst with Danielle Todd, how you doing?
Daniell Todd: I'm good. How are you?
Rae Leigh: I'm good. We made it. We're here. We're going to talk about you and your
music. I am excited.
Daniell Todd: Hi, I'm excited to.
Rae Leigh: I like to start by getting you to share with us a little bit about who you are and where you come.
Daniell Todd: Well, I am originally from a place called Gwelf Ontario, Canada, which is just outside of Toronto. But I've been living in Nashville for the last six years. I've been, you know, singing and performing pretty much all my life and, made the move to Nashville six years ago. And I've just been kind of cutting my teeth in the songwriting, circles And performance circles down here and getting to know people in Nashville.
Rae Leigh: And what's the, what was the big move? Like what inspired that for you?
Daniell Todd: I had been visiting Nashville for quite a few years. I would go about twice a year and I was making so many good connections and having so much fun, really just when I was going. And so I finally decided, you? know, if I wanted to kind of make it, I had to be where the, where the action was at. And so I just packed up my 1999 Honda Odyssey, mom soccer, mom, van, and drove down and, found a place to live and, and just started working as soon as I got down there and, and meeting people.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Okay, cool. So you just. Wanted to do it and he did it and he, that didn't have too many restrictions. Like that's fantastic. And it is it's such an inspiring place. Let's go back to the beginning. Where does music, the journey of music stuff for you?
Daniell Todd: Yeah. So my whole family is very musical. My dad was a musician. All while I was growing up, he still actually performed so alive. And, he is a bass player and a singer, and he performed in a band called hourglass. Back in the day. And, he had quite a big following back in the day and he would go around, you know, at that time there were a lot of hotels and bars and it was really big in the seventies and eighties. He was playing rock at the time, which is now, I guess you consider classic.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Daniell Todd: and in the nineties, he actually switched over to country and that's when I started to listen to country a lot as well was, you know, in the nineties when it was all those. Big female artists and stuff going on in the nineties.
And so that's kind of where music came from. My uncle was in the band with him and so they were the touring brothers and, and it's just, it's, it goes back to my great grandparents and stuff They sing and choirs, you? know, back in the day in England and stuff like that. So it's always been, music has been a big part of our family.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. So there was no getting away from it. You were born with it, it's in your blood. We get the picture. So you're a child of the rock and roll world, which sounds like it would have been an interesting influence on you as well. And then for it to move into country, that that sounds like a really big move for your dad to make was what sort of, do you know what happened?
Daniell Todd: Yeah, actually. That's how he made, that's how he made his living and that's how he supported his family. And in the nineties, Rock wasn't as hot as country was. And a lot of the rock bars were kind of closing down. And a lot of the country bars were really. thriving and he actually injured his back. And he ended up bedridden for about six months. And in that time that's when he sat down and he listened to country radio every single day. And he learned. An entire new set. And he said it was really, it's really funny being a bass player in the rock and roll world and moving over to the country world.
He's like, I thought it would be super easy, but it is completely different.
Rae Leigh: yeah.
I feel like there'd be quite a bit, a big difference between those two genres in that and in the base space, for sure. So did he teach you, w w where did
you start learning music?
Daniell Todd: Yeah. So I I mean, I always just sang that came very naturally to me. That's, that's where I kinda started with singing. I remember I, like, I remember stories of me singing in the crib and I remember watching, you know, Mariah Carey on television and singing along with her and all that stuff.
Rae Leigh: yeah.
Daniell Todd: but he did, he had, a studio in our house and so I grew up with a music?
studio.
I watched chamber chord and I watched his band practice at our house and I watched what it was like to be, you know, in a band and the front man. He was the front man as well. And so I learned a lot from him over the years. Just. And I learned, I remember one of my very first jobs as a kid, I used to, it was back in that day, they used to have to print out, mailing lists.
And so I would be the person that would fold every single letter and put it in the envelope and stamp it and send it, you know, for like, you know, a thousand people, every single city that he would go to. And so I learned a lot about the business, a lot about performing. And a lot about music in general from my dad.
For sure.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. I don't feel like he can get much of a better education than just that experience from such a young age and, and going into the industry with your eyes wide open as well. Seems like, Hey, this is a industry. You gotta hustle. You gotta work hard. It doesn't just happen. Easy, which, you know, I think for people who aren't in the industry from the outside in, if, if all you see is red carpets and, you know, fancy dress parties and things, it can, it can look very glamorous and in sometimes it is, but there's a lot of hard work that goes into, into the in-between bits of those,
those awards, ceremonies and things like that.
Daniell Todd: Absolutely. And, and there has, you know, there's been so many times where I've come across situations in the industry or, you know, feelings or like, you know, doubt and just, you know, up and down all the time. It's a roller coaster in this industry. And. It's always so interesting talking to my dad because I'll call him up and I'll be like I just don't know what to do.
You know, I have no idea what to do. And he goes, oh, I remember back in my day has a situation where he went through the same thing and he said, you know, he always has advice and it's really good to have. You know, have that.
connection with my dad and somebody to lean on because he really truly does understand, even if it's different, like the whole industry is different than it used to be. yeah.
Yeah. But it's really good to have someone who understands it from who lifted, you know,
Rae Leigh: I actually just want to borrow your dad for a bait. Can we just do rent a dad and be like, Hey,
Daniell Todd: Yeah. You know what my dad
is, he is so wonderful and he is so good at like, I've learned so much over the years, not just for music, but even just from how to talk to people. Like he's such a people person and he's so wonderful. And, and I truly do feel really lucky to have him.
Rae Leigh: Oh, that's beautiful. I love that. I think my dad has that same nature. He does not from the music industry, but he could walk into any situation and just make everyone smile and calm and happy like that. That's such a talent.
Daniell Todd: It truly is. It is such an important thing. and I like I just aspire to be like, somebody like that. And I, I try and I learned there was so many things that I've learned, from my dad watching him perform too. And, and I used to his tricks every single night that I play, you know, it, that's where I learned it from. So it's good.
Rae Leigh: that's the best. Okay. So when did you start performing? When, when was the sort of, this is what I'm going to do now with my life, moment. Was it very young.
Daniell Todd: Yeah. So when I Was a little girl, I was always in like little school talent shows, but I remember third grade was my very first, performance where I sang and I was so terrified. I sang Whitney Houston. I will always love you. I don't know why I
Rae Leigh: Oh,
Daniell Todd: an easier song,
Rae Leigh: You mean the one that Dolly Parton wrote.
Daniell Todd: Yes. Yes, but I did the whitney version. Okay.
Rae Leigh: sure. Okay. The good one.
Daniell Todd: and I was out there and I'm was so nervous. I cried through the whole thing. And at the end of it, I remember everybody stood up and clapped for me. So this, all my friends in school. And I, after, after it, when everybody's clapping and I was like, oh, that was awesome. Let's do it again. And I, I don't ever remember feeling nervous after that.
Like, I've always just been excited after that experience. yeah, When I really started to perform out live, I was in high school and I remember taking to my, my dad out to bars and saying, going up during the daytime and finding the manager and saying, can I perform here on the weekend? And they would say, oh, Just drop off your elbow and then we'll take a listen to it.
And at that time I, I didn't have an album, so I was like, I'll just sing right here. And I would just start singing in the middle of the bar. And I like, I don't know if they just wanted to like, get me to stop singing or what, but they would just run into the back and be like, Okay. okay. Here's our booking, you know, like, let's, let's get you, let's get you in for next Friday kind of thing. And, yeah.
So that's how I started. And I would go into coffee shops and do the same thing, and I was just like so determined to perform. And I was like, you know, when I was in high school, all I wanted to do was just get out of high school. And so I wanted to have a plan to be in music. And so I just kind of made it happen.
Rae Leigh: that's, that's incredible and well done because it takes so much guts. Like I, I could not have done that at that age. Like, I mean, I
Nope.
Daniell Todd: it's so funny because I think about it now. And I think to myself, Like, wow, I don't know how I did that. Like, that was just so gutsy of me to just go in there and expect them to hire me. But I really did. Like, I just, that's how I made, I was like, I'm going to be a musician. And so I got to start somewhere and
Rae Leigh: Giga to start somewhere. That's brilliant. And you just, you just went out there and did it, even though you didn't have your album, you didn't have all the things, you know, but the perfectionist inside of me, and I think a lot of people who are creative would have gone, oh, okay. I'm not going to do that. I have to go get an album, but it's like actually, you know, getting that feel for earth live performing before you start recording, I think is actually really important. I don't know about you.
If you're recording something and I, I had done, I had recorded before I really started performing live. And there's such a huge difference because all of a sudden you're actually thinking about the energy. That's going to be on stage that you want that song to portray when you do go and perform it live, which if you haven't performed it live before, and you're in the recording studio, you, you don't know.
Daniell Todd: Exactly. Yeah. I've learned so much about performing over the years and I've learned like, Yeah, I've went to seminars and I've watched people and I've watched my dad and I've gone to concerts and everything. And, and it's, I feel like sometimes I am not even able to enjoy a concert because I'm sitting back like taking notes, you know, try, like how
Rae Leigh: I can relate.
Daniell Todd: and make my show better? You know? And so, and, and that's, that's kind of what I've always done. And that's how I've studied myself. It's just by seeing what other artists do and, and then going out and try it and trying it myself and seeing what works and yeah.
Rae Leigh: All right. Now you have to give us your biggest tip. The biggest thing that you've learned that you've went and use yourself, you go. Yup. That's that, that works. Share with us your wisdom. You've studied it.
Daniell Todd: I, you know, what I, one of my biggest tips is to practice, practice, everything that you're going to do, some people are like, you know, I just want to wing it.
and that's super cool. You can always have spontaneity during a show. And, and I do, especially with the work that I do, I work downtown on Broadway in Nashville, and you have to be very, you know, on the ball and try new things and things are thrown at you all the time.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Daniell Todd: when it comes to my original music, I have everything planned out. Like even, even what I'm going to say before the song and after the song. And, to a certain extent, you know, I have an idea. I have the story. Yeah.
And I think that that is what I've learned over the years to not just go out there because that nervous feeling that people get when they perform it, it's almost because they're not prepared, you know?
And maybe not everybody, I know that lots of people struggle with nerves and, but when I'm not prepared, that's when I'm nervous, you know, it's like going into
Rae Leigh: I agree.
Daniell Todd: it's like going into an exam in high school and not knowing the answers to any questions. Like that's when you feel nervous is when you're not prepared.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Or like, I still, I think I still, even if I know I'm as prepared as possible, I'll still have a bit of jitters, but yeah, that confidence, I think that you get from knowing I'm, I've done as much as I can. And I think the same, like you said, with exams, it's like, if you've, if you know that you've done the best you can, then that's all you can do.
It's when, you know, Probably could have been more prepared or you could, you could have done more for me. That's when I'm like, oh, I didn't do enough for this. And
Daniell Todd: Yeah, exactly. Like you're always going to be more disappointed in yourself. I, and another piece of advice somebody gave me, I wish I could remember who it was, but somebody told me once that everybody that's in the audience, when they're seeing you perform, they want you to succeed. They're hoping that you're going to succeed.
They're on your side. And so if you remember. The, the odds of them, you know, not liking you is so, so low, you know, they're there for you, they're there because they want to see you. And and you're doing something that they just don't know how to do. And that's already just like really cool for them so that I I've always held onto that piece of.
Rae Leigh: It's a hard, like everyone thinks about what other people think. Like we all do. We're all like, oh, what are they thinking about me? Are they judging me? Like, that's, I mean, we all think like that. And I think someone like along the lines of what you said, you know that yes, they, they want you to do well. And like, You've we've all seen someone be awkward in like a performance or a speech or something. How awkward do you feel when they feel awkward? Like
Daniell Todd: Yes exactly.
Rae Leigh: and, and our job as a performer is to make people feel good. So you got to do whatever it takes to make yourself feel good on stage, because if you don't feel good, no one else is going to feel good.
And it, it is, it takes like practice, like you said, and being prepared to get there, but also. You're the one that's on stage when you're on stage. And like, I think for me, I've, I would worry, like when I'm on stage, I used to think all everyone else is better than me and someone said, yeah, but they're not on the stage.
You know? It's like, you're the one that had the guts to get up on stage and do your thing. So you just do the best you can. And don't worry about if other people could do it better. And so you don't because you're the one that's there. And that helped me get over that whole yeah. Thinking about what other people think.
Daniell Todd: exactly. And people are always going to judge you. I remember, like I was, I was. 18 or 19. And I used to play a little place in my hometown every single Thursday night. And I had a really good following. I, you know, I got a bunch of people came out and I made a bunch of fans and a bunch of friends really.
And we would just have a party every Thursday night. And, but one night I remember. There, it was just me, the bartender and a table of four people that I had never seen before. And they were probably in their twenties, like a little bit older than me and I was singing and they were like laughing at me.
And I was like, what the heck? This is like weird and uncomfortable. So I took a break and. After they left, they left a big, long note to the bartender saying how, the music was just awful and amateur and not great. And, that it, yeah, and they like wrote this really horrible letter to the bartender. And I was like young. I was like 18 or 19. And I remember thinking at that moment, like, who are these people to even say that,
Rae Leigh: yeah.
Daniell Todd: like what, like I'm so surprised. yeah. You know, industry pro pros and
stuff. And, I'm just lucky that I get, I guess I was like a little bit resilient and I mean, it always kind of stings when you get those people that don't like the music, but they're going to be everywhere. And
Rae Leigh: I was going to say, how did you deal with that?
Daniell Todd: Yeah. I just remember like, the bartender was like, we have the best sales the night that?
you're here usually. And so I was like, okay, well, I guess I'm doing okay. You know? And now I think about it and. I'm in Nashville and I'm like living my dream, and this is the, if I would have let those people kind of tear me down at that point, like I could be working in a bank or something, which is not at all what I want to do.
So I'm really glad that I just like, you know, kept going and, and doing
Rae Leigh: Water and a Duck's back.
Daniell Todd: yeah. Yeah. I wonder where those people are now. Like maybe bullying somebody else.
Rae Leigh: Probably. And. Th there's no way that they could know who you are or what you've been through and what you've done to get to where you are at any given point. Like no one can ever know someone else's full story. And so I, you know, when stuff like that happens where it's, a judgment on a moment or an a night,
it's like, It can't be personal.
There's no way it could possibly be personal. It has to, the only logical reason is it has to be a projection onto you of their own insecurities and beliefs. And. You know, fees, which has probably stopped one of them from being a singer or a performer, because they had those beliefs and fears and insecurities, and now they're just projecting them onto you because you've actually moved past what further than they've actually been able to get past in their own head.
that, I mean, that's how I get through it, but it is, it's hard because you do become a bit of a projection board for everyone else's insecurities and fees and belief systems. When you're an artist.
Daniell Todd: Well, you know, I think it's just like Music Music is, for me it, music is what I am best at. Like people come in to my shows and they just say like, wow, like you. You sound really great. And I'll say, thanks. I've been practicing because like, this is what I do. Like this is, you know, other people are really good at accounting or, you know, building bridges or whatever it is.
And like, this is what I'm, I'm good at. And so I feel like you have to have a certain amount of confidence. To handle the doors shutting in your face, because this is that's all that happens in the music industry is that you get doors slammed in your face
Rae Leigh: yeah.
Daniell Todd: all the time. And so you just have to, like, you just have to be resilient or else, you know, cause, i, I actually played the Bluebird for the very first time, a couple of weeks ago. Thank you. It was really,
Rae Leigh: so exciting.
Daniell Todd: amazing. And. But I spoke with Tony errata and he was the songwriter for the dance, by Garth Brooks and yeah. and among about a bazillion other songs, but that was kind of his first big hit. And Tony said to me, he's like, whatever you do, just keep trying. And he's like, if the door slams in your face, 300 times before it's opened.
He said that was actually the best thing that ever happened to me because for three years, Garth Brooks waited for a record deal. And once he got that record deal, he went back to Tony errata and said, I heard you sing this song three years ago and I want to record it. And Tony said, could you imagine if.
If somebody else recorded that song and it wasn't Garth Brooks, he's like, no, the best thing that happened to me is three years of nos from everybody else until the biggest superstar country superstar said. Yes. And so Yeah.
he's just, you kind of have to be resilient and think, well, that person didn't like it and the next person, hopefully, well,
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Like a certain level of self belief and faith that things are going to work out and it's going to be okay. And you kind of just have to trust. the future, especially in this industry, you never know where your next gig is going to come from. Sometimes. Like, I mean, we all want a residency gig, but that's not always secure.
Like, I mean, a regular jobs, not always security that like there are redundancies, especially in an ever-changing world. Security is such a. Unusual thing these days, but in the music industry, it's always been like that. It's always very shaky. You know, it's the first, especially during COVID, everyone's been aware that, you know, music in the arts is the first thing to be dropped as far as what we have to close down to keep everyone safe.
And so it's, it is hard and you have to. Be optimistic through, through all of that rejection, if you're going to survive and just believe in yourself when no one else does. Because I think if you don't believe in yourself, then no one else ever will probably. Or even if they do, if you don't believe in yourself, you probably won't believe them when they do believe in you.
But so, I mean, and it's not, it's not arrogance. It's not, you know, being up yourself to do that. It's just. Knowing who you are. And that, that is a gift because most people in the world don't know who they are yet, you know? So once you do, oh, that's amazing. I love it. Well done for Kiki, you know, getting through that and the blue bird, that's a mate. That would be a dream of mine. I would love to do that. How did that come about for you?
Daniell Todd: So I. Like I said, I moved to Nashville six years ago and I made like a little quiet promise to myself. I never told anybody this until after I played the Bluebird, but I promised myself that I wouldn't go in there until somebody asked me to play, which is funny because. Like, first of all, I wish I didn't make that promise because that place is freaking amazing.
And I should be there every single night, but honestly, there's just, there, there are so many places in Nashville to perform, and there's so many, fans going out to see original music that they've never heard before, but I just knew that the Bluebird it's just really special and it's really. Magical. And I wanted to go in there and walk on stage and I thought, you know, this is like, this is an attainable thing that I could do.
I, I like, I really thought that I could do it. And so sure enough, I had have a mutual friend who, contacted me and he hosts rounds there and he said, he said, I know you're releasing your single. He said,
I would love to have you do around with, with me and Tony errata. And, also my husband, he did the round with us, so it was really, really amazing to be on stage with Tony errata.
One of my really good friends and my husband. So it was just like the perfect situation that I could have ever asked for. And I still feel high and it's like two weeks later.
Rae Leigh: the six year wait. And I was there in November, 2019, and I feel like I went just about everywhere and I didn't get to the blue bird. And you know what, when I left, that was probably my biggest regret is that I didn't go visit the blue bird. But it is such a magical, beautiful city. And. It's inspirational and it's good.
And I'm glad you're there. Cause it's I want to be, I was going to come back. I was like, yep, I'm going to go home. And then coming back, like in six months time, and then COVID hit and I, was like, oh, okay.
Daniell Todd: Well,
Rae Leigh: not happening.
Daniell Todd: still, you know why you let's go to the Bluebird when you come here next time?
Rae Leigh: Oh, I'm going to hold you to
that.
Daniell Todd: Yes, absolutely. I will go cause I love it.
Rae Leigh: I need someone to hold my hand and I'll be like, I'm coming with her. Cause she's performed here before and I'll be
Daniell Todd: Yes, that sounds amazing. And I will do it.
Rae Leigh: Okay. So surely you've done a lot of co-writing and being in Nashville. And you said that you were coming for years before. Tell me a little bit about your, your writing journey. Is there something that you as an artist always like to portray in your musical, you always are thinking about when you're writing your song and what do you do to prepare for
it?
Daniell Todd: I I'd like to start, I guess, really from the very beginning of. When I was in high school, I had a, there was a girl in Gwelf Ontario. Her name is Amber McLean. She was a singer songwriter. She still is. And I saw her performing one day and I thought she was just phenomenal. She is phenomenal, all original music.
And, she also taught vocals at a little local. Music school or music store. And so I went in there and I asked her if she would teach me and we ended up getting along really well. And I wasn't writing at the time I was just singing. And I remember her saying to me like, girl, you've got to write your own music.
And I was like, I guess I just never really thought too much about it?
Wasn't really my thing, but I was. I would write like poems or little stories that I would never finish or whatever, like just for fun. And, and uh, I thought, okay, well, I'll sit down and I'll write a song. And so she was really the person that kind of got me started in writing and I, the very first co-write that I ever had, I guess, was with her as Well,
And she. Not only was she such a great friend of mine, she was also a really great teacher and we went on to be best friends. And so Yeah.
when I started writing, it was with her and
she has, she is singer songwriter, I would say, to a T like she does not write for anybody else, but what she wants to write and.
I, I started out writing like that. Like I would just sit down at the piano and think, I don't know, some, some boy made me sad at school and so I'm going to write a whole album about it. And, and so that's how I really started was, just writing out my emotions and putting them to lyrics and melodies and piano.
I really was, heavily influenced on, piano when I was younger.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, me too.
Daniell Todd: Yeah.
And then flash forward when I moved to Nashville, um, I found it really hard to kind of integrate at the beginning because I, it is, everyone has to find their own little pocket because there's so much music here in Nashville. That you kind of have to figure out what you do best, where you fit in best and what works for you.
And when I first moved here, I was meeting people that are like, oh, you know, I write twice a day or I write a single song every day, or I wake up at 6:00 AM and I go jogging and then I do yoga and then I meditate and then, and it's all and the whole time I'm like writing. And so I just put so much pressure on myself.
Rae Leigh: Uh, keep up.
Daniell Todd: Yeah, yeah. To keep up. Exactly. And, and it was like, and I heard all the time when I first moved here, like if it's not a radio hit, it doesn't matter. Like there's no point in writing it. And so, Yeah.
And so I was
like, I know, but when I first got here, like I was like, gosh, I gotta write, like I got to write hits.
I got to write hits. I got to write 17 songs a day. And, and so it almost. Um, kind of put a, like a pause, like it was, it was like the biggest writer's block I ever had was
Rae Leigh: I bet that amount of pressure.
Daniell Todd: Yeah. It was when I moved to Nashville and I would show up to REITs and I would think like, I wasn't on the same wave length as the other two people or, um, you know, so I really kind of struggled when I first got here and, um, I almost would say up until. Like the last, probably three years. Um, I struggled, I struggled with that the first three years, probably just trying to find my way and find where I belonged. And now I have found, um, writers who want to write about the same topics who, um, are in maybe in different genre to genre, but really add to, um, My genre when we write together.
Um, and just people who are, don't put so much pressure on themselves to be a songwriter. And I kind of at first it was really pushed into like getting a publishing deal. Um, but I didn't. I, I'm not really sure I would really want that. Um, because I just like to write, um, to enjoy it now. And, and that's where I'm at now.
I feel like that was a really long explanation for where I'm at now, you know? And, and, um,
but I really feel like now I'm in this spot where. I'm going to write a song that I want to write. And if, if radio likes it, That's awesome. And you know, if they don't, I do. And that that's kind of, what's important.
And then also my fans are what is important to me and what I didn't realize when I first moved here is that my fans fell in love with me when I was writing those albums about the boy in high school and not when I was like trying to write radio. And so I know that what I put out my fans are gonna love, you know, so, um, and everybody has their own tastes, but they really, I have a really supportive fan group.
And so I'm lucky. Yeah.
I'm lucky that way.
Rae Leigh: And you've probably connected to those fans at a time that they were going through something that you were feeling as well. I don't know about you. What do you, how do you feel.
Daniell Todd: It's funny because, I feel. Like I've grown up so much, especially in the last two years, there's been a lot of stuff that has happened to me. And for me personally, in the last couple years that, you know, pandemic aside, I've just grown a lot. I feel like I can write a heartbreak song now when I'm pretty much in the happiest place that I've probably been.
I could write probably a sad or heartbreak song than I've ever been able to feel before, because I truly know what it means to be happy. And I, and I know what it means to be sad. And I know who I am and. When I was, I, I turned 30 and when I turned 30, it was like, okay, first of all, nobody warned me that it was going to be like horribly hard to turn 30.
Rae Leigh: Okay. I was crying on my kitchen floor the night, like at midnight when I turned 30, I was,
Daniell Todd: Yes. Nobody talks about this. So I
Rae Leigh: no, no one
Daniell Todd: in the podcast
Rae Leigh: I will. You know, my little, my little sister turns 30 in like two days and she was like, I'm not going to do anything. And she's a new mom and I'm like, no, we are doing something. I'm taking her out the night before. I don't know what I want to do yet, but it, 30 is a big deal. It's a big deal.
Daniell Todd: It is a big deal. especially, and I don't want to touch on it too much, but being like a woman in the music industry, they, since I was, you know, a young girl, I've just been told like, oh, you're so skinny and you're so beautiful and you sound so great, you know? And, so, and, that's like a whole other topic.
But when I turned 30, I was like, oh my gosh, I feel like my youth is gone. And, I was really scared as to how the industry was going to see me now. Like, are they gonna, are they gonna think like, oh, she's too old to play for music or, you know, and then, and then something happened and I turned 31 and I.
It was like, I freaking love being in my thirties and I, because now I like I have, I have, I got engaged. I got, I bought a house, I got married and I have a dog. And like, I'm a grownup now. And I feel like I understand life in a way that I just did not understand it in my twenties and in my teens. And it has really reflected. On my writing and,
Rae Leigh: around the corner then.
Daniell Todd: well, we'll see. I mean, like, honestly, I just got the dog last week and she is a handful, so
Rae Leigh: Yeah. Fair enough.
Daniell Todd: yeah. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: love that I can relate to that. I actually didn't have the confidence, or I didn't know myself well enough to share my music. I've been writing for my entire life like you poetry, which turned into music. And I played piano and drown the guitar. And I worship lead at church and all that stuff, but I never shared my music with anyone.
And when I did, it was very, very sheepishly shy and, you know, had to be with someone I really trusted. And then I released my first song when I was 30.
Daniell Todd: Wow.
Rae Leigh: you know, I mean, it was, it was, it took a really, really, really long time to do that. Self-development but I think I went through the same kind of thing.
Like I wasn't doing it when I was younger. And I did feel like it was an, I was too old to be starting a music career,
at the end of the day, it's just, you've got to, you've got to follow your dreams. And I, I do have three children and I don't want to tell my kids that they. Can't do what they love because of anything like age or looks or intelligence, it's like, you just do what you want to do. And I was like, I can't tell my kids to do what they want to do if I'm not doing it, what I want to do. And so that kind of gave me a bit of a kick in the butt to
Daniell Todd: Yeah, you know,
Rae Leigh: it, you know,
Daniell Todd: Just like speaking about that, I
just recently saw Dina Carter at the Ryman. And for those listeners who don't know, she, sang strawberry wine in the nineties and that song just turned, 25 years old,
Rae Leigh: Wow.
Daniell Todd: what the heck? But it turned
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Daniell Todd: years. And so she did a performance at the Ryman to do like a CEL celebratory performance there for 25 years of strawberry wine and the album. And I went to it because I am a huge Dina Carter fan, and I loved that album and she stood up on that stage and she said that it was the first time that she ever played the Ryman. And it was 25 years later, she's in her fifties and she was like, dreams come true, keep going. You know, and I thought that was just, I was like, Okay.
cool. You know, I have way more years ahead of me and I can do whatever I want. And also she wrote, I didn't know this until I saw her, but she wrote, you and tequila by Kenny Chesney and. Yeah.
So just a few years ago, when that was released, after all those years of success, being an artist, all of a sudden she was behind the scenes and she got her first number one as a songwriter. And I thought.
Rae Leigh: crazy.
Daniell Todd: How cool is that, that you can just continue on and you can always find your place. And That's what's really cool with music and the music industry and the songwriting industry is that there's always a place for, for everyone who wants to be in that industry. You just have to find your place.
Rae Leigh: I love that there's always a place and yes, there is, it is not a big competition where they only pick the top 11, you know, it's you just got to find your spot within the musical creative world. I love that. What would you say. Out of everything you've done because you've just done so much. I think we could talk forever.
What would you say is the one piece of advice that's kind of stuck with you over the years? You'd like to share with the audience,
Daniell Todd: Oh, wow.
Rae Leigh: Big questions, just, you
Daniell Todd: yeah. Oh gosh. How can I, put
it all into one? I would say. If it was, you know, if I could talk to myself 10 years? ago, I would say to myself, it just keeps going because it, it really only does get better. In every situation, not even just music in. In life with friendships, with, love with your job, you know, everything gets better and you might fall into, you know, different dark spots along the road.
But if you just, keep going, you'll, you will never know what true happiness is, unless you experience those, those dark spots, because you'll never be able to appreciate it as much. If you don't know,
what it, if you don't know what it is like to truly feel sad or down, then you don't really know what it's like to truly feel that happy. And so
Rae Leigh: it's all relative. Isn't it.
Daniell Todd: Exactly. I feel really lucky that I went
through some really, really hard times. And even over the last couple of years, I went through some, some rough dark times and, I just feel so grateful now for everything that I have. Like, I'm so grateful that I have. And that I have my beautiful family and my fans and people who like people who buy my music.
Like, I didn't even know. People still bought me is like, but I got iTunes. It's saying that they, a couple people bought my song and I was like, oh my gosh, That's awesome. You know?
Rae Leigh: still a thing. Yeah.
Daniell Todd: Yeah. It's still a thing. So like, it's, I just say, just keep going. And you. people just know. You know, when you're doing the right thing and you know, when you're doing the wrong thing. And so just listen to your gut.
Rae Leigh: I love that my grandma used to always say, when you're going through hell, don't stop and make a picnic, keep going.
Daniell Todd: Yeah, that's a great one.
Rae Leigh: I, loved that one. It's like you just, no matter what, never give up, just keep going. And, yeah, I feel like that's kind of what you've just said. Reminded me of my granny. So if you could work with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Daniell Todd: Okay. I'm not going to be able to narrow this down to one. I'm just going to tell you
Rae Leigh: Okay. All right. All right, go on.
Daniell Todd: I would love to, I would love to have a conversation with John Lennon.
Rae Leigh: Oh, me too.
Daniell Todd: I know, right? Like I think that we have a lot of similar views on a lot of things. And even if I'm not able to. You know, musically collaborate with him.
If I could just be in the room with him and ask him questions about
what I should do and what piece of advice he would give somebody like me think that that would be one of the most valuable things ever. So that's one, two, lady Gaga is my absolute hero,
Rae Leigh: Okay.
Daniell Todd: I just have to say. I think she is so talented in so many.
Areas and genres, you know, she just did her jobs album with Tony Bennett. And, it, a star is born, was just phenomenal with her acting and, her music in there, but also, her and I are aligned in the way that I really think that mental health is very important and mental health awareness and. I would love to collaborate with somebody who, who believes in the same sort of values as me and the same sort of organizations.
And she has opened up an organization to support children who are suffering in mental health. And so I would love to. You know, collaborate with her in that, and also in music, because I think that she would make a killer country album. And I don't know why she hasn't yet.
Rae Leigh: that's actually a really good point. I
Daniell Todd: Yeah. Like, I mean, she did one song. She did, you and I and she, rerecorded it or she recorded it with mutt Lange who produced all of Shenaya's albums. And I thought it was like her best song. I thought it was so cool. And I just wish she would go country already.
Rae Leigh: I could say that about a few different people, but, I love that. And just by everything you said, for mental health, that's pretty much why I do music and yeah. Like to be able to do your acting and your singing, and also have such a heart of gold to be able to give. Everything that you're doing is to support other people in that the way that she does, she works so hard and she gives so much, it's inspirational.
And I think it's a beautiful thing because it takes such a long time and it, you know, what we see now is just like the tip of the iceberg of what has happened and what has come before that. And that is inspiring.
Daniell Todd: Yeah. And she has, she is in such a place of power and to use her voice, In such a positive way and trying to make such a positive change in the world. Like I, that's something that I idolize and that's something that I hope at some point, like my goal one day is to open up an organized an organization, that supports mental health in the arts.
And so I want to have, some sort of. Company that, lets people express themselves, whether it's through dance or, visual arts or botany or whatever it is, but just an outlet for people who are struggling with their mental health. And that's something that's so important to me. And that's like a long term goal of mine, but It's always been a goal of mine.
And to just bring those two worlds together, I think will be really, to me.
Rae Leigh: so therapeutic. And I don't know if we'll ever fully understand why or whether we really need to understand why the arts is so healing and is so powerful, but I think we just need to encourage each other and, and connect with each other as human beings, because we need to connect with each other and we need arts and the arts help us to connect to each other when we don't have the words and we don't have the, you know, maybe even emotional maturity to be able to communicate.
Has like a deeper level of just substance and it gets into those deeper sides of who we are as humans and it's, it's magical and it's beautiful. And I love it. And I love everything that you said in this podcast. I thank you so much.
Daniell Todd: Oh,
Rae Leigh: kind of the end of my official questions, but this is the part where I want you to share us about like what you've been doing, what you've got coming up this year.
What can we expect from people who are going to follow you? is there anything else you'd like to.
Daniell Todd: Sure. Yeah. Well, I, I mean, I just released. My first single since,
before the pandemic, called heat of the moment. And it's actually all about a lot of what we've been talking about and kind of, you know, if I can kind of bring it back around to, it's about living your life to the fullest and appreciating the moment that you're in and, being in the present as much as you can, because life can just turn on a dime, which we've learned over the last.
Couple of years. And it's so funny. I wrote this song before the pandemic. It was like two years before I wrote it about four years ago. And I feel like I sing the song differently now because I can see, how much it actually. It is important to the world right now, to be said, and to listen to my own advice. And,
So that's, that's, what's been happening with my music as I just released that. And, I released a video. The video is super cool. I'm very excited about it. I shot it in Santa Monica, on the pier and Venice beach and it was just such a blast to film.
Rae Leigh: It looks like a lot of fun
Daniell Todd: It was amazing. I, oh my gosh. I was like roller rollerskating and it was like so fun. And I really actually, like, we were acting, you know, you have to take certain shots and stuff like that, but it was actually just living to the fullest. And
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Daniell Todd: the whole point of the song. And I just had an absolute blast filming it.
So that's kind of what's happening in, in the now right now. Looking ahead.
I don't have anything set in stone to come back to Australia. Just because of, you know, the way that the world is right now, but I have it set in my heart that I am coming back. And I whoever's listening if they enjoy my music, like I will be back. It's going to be a plant I'm I'm planning it. I just don't have anything in, you know, set in stone yet.
Rae Leigh: yeah.
Daniell Todd: And once I do, I just can't wait. I, I wanted to, or over there, I want to meet people over there. I just want to be back in Australia and,
that's. I'm really looking forward to you. And that's what I've been looking forward to throughout the whole pandemic is, you know, going to the beach and being in the sun and being with my Aussie friends.
So that's exciting. And also of course, new music, I, this is not the only single that I'm going to be releasing. So that's very exciting as well.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, cool. Well, it'll all in good time. I'm a big believer that things will happen exactly the right time and we can, come over and hit the road together. I think I'm in the gold coast, but, we've got some major floods happening at the moment. So it's probably not the best time to be here anyway. No, one's going to the beach right now, but, Yeah, hopefully you did get to come over and we'll get to see performance and, catch up and I'll, hopefully I'll be there this year and we can go to the blue Bluebird together. There'll be lots of,
Daniell Todd: Honestly for sure. Like, please look me up when you get here. I even have like a whole PDF of, all the things that people should do when they come to Nashville. I send it to people. I'm like, here's where all the murals are. Here's where all the food is. Like, I, have it all organized. So you just let me
Rae Leigh: I I need that. I need, I need that for sure. All right. I'm going to put all of your links to your music and your social so people can follow you and start supporting you. And they'll obviously then know when you are in Australia or anywhere else, where they might be all over the world that people listen to this podcast, but thank you so much for coming on.
And I really, I really do wish you all the best with your journey and your goals and just, I love. Everything. I've heard you sound like a very resilient, passionate, driven person, and I'm sure that nothing is going to get in the way of you playing at the ramen or wherever you want to play and doing whatever you want to do. And, when you do meet and
get to work with lady Gaga, say hi for me.
Daniell Todd: Oh, my gosh. That is
so sweet.
Rae Leigh: take care.
Daniell Todd: Thank you. Thank you so much. Can
I, actually just, say one thing,
Rae Leigh: please
Daniell Todd: yeah, if you're sharing my links, there's
another link that is not really easily found, but, I have a Facebook group called the hot toddies and it's my.
Rae Leigh: Okay.
Daniell Todd: I would love for people to join the hot toddies.
If they're out there because if they want to become a fan, it's just really cool, kind Of behind the scenes sort of stuff that's going on. And, I am trying to grow that group and they have official Merck coming out soon and all that stuff. So, if you could share the hot toddies, that'd be great too.
And I know that. Yeah. They, they listen to every single interview that I do and, you know, they read every blog, post and everything. So, I know that there'll be listening here too.
Rae Leigh: Oh, wow. They sound like the most amazing fans. Well done. We need people like that. It's a community thing. It's not just one person. It it's, it's who we are as a group, you know? And that's, that's beautiful that you have that group, the hot tardies behind you. Well done. I will, I'll get the link off you and I'll check that into the description as well. And, yeah. Thank you very.
Daniell Todd: Absolutely honestly, thank you so much. You were a wonderful interviewer and I really enjoyed this. I'm sorry. I was late, but I really did enjoy it. Thank you so, so much for the time and for, for doing this because. It, you know what it's like for musicians and it's hard to just, you know, get that recognition.
And so the fact that you're making another platform for people to be heard, I really appreciate it a lot. Like from the bottom of my heart. Thank you
Rae Leigh: Oh, thank you. I think it's, I think we need to lift each other up and support each other as, as artists. It's yeah, for me, like I said, it's not a competition, it's just beautiful and good things come from good things. So, you know, why not support each other and lift each other up. That's
Daniell Todd: Absolutely.
Rae Leigh: anyway, but yeah. So thank you so much. And yeah. I'll definitely let you know when I'm in town.
Daniell Todd: Yes for sir. Do it for sure. Contact me anytime.
Rae Leigh: Oh, thank you.
