Talent makes a great artist. But connections can never be understated. Just ask Danielle Marie King, 19, one of ReverbNation’s hottest recording artists.
Known to fans simply as Danielle Marie, the former Cardiff Echoes resident recorded More Than Just a Girl, her first album in 2013 at Omni Studios in Nashville.
Within a year of its release, her fan base on ReverbNation grew to over 40,000 and she sits at No. 1 locally, nationally and globally in the country music charts.
The showbiz newbie’s career momentum picked up after the much sought after country music producer Tom McKillop, father to Britt and Carly McKillop of the duo One More Girl, agreed to produce her second album, a 13-track titled Here Right Now.
“Working with Tom McKillop was an amazing experience. The amount of knowledge he has is incredible and he’s a multi-instrumentalist. He knows what people want to listen to and he’s not going to put anything out there that people won’t listen to,” says Danielle Marie in a long-distance call from Vancouver.
She is now basking in the sunny climes and splits her time between the West Coast and her Alberta roots. On Saturday, Jan. 31, Danielle Marie returns to Morinville’s Rednex Bar to sing songs from her new album.
Several of the songs on tap are Drive Away, a slow love ballad; the self-titled Here Right Now, an ode that encourages listeners to pursue their dreams, and The Most Country Song, a humorous string of country music clichés.
The King family knew Danielle Marie was destined for a music career when at the age of 10 months she was singing the ABC’s instead of reciting it.
But her first light bulb moment occurred in Grade 9 during the school’s mandatory job shadow program. Danielle Marie had elected to job shadow Juno recipient Sheldon Zaharko, a Vermilion raised sound engineer.
Danielle Marie was born in Vermillion and moved to Cardiff when she was seven. However, her parents remained long-time friends of Zaharko.
He had spent the bulk of his career in Vancouver, but moved to Bon Accord and set up ZED Productions, a recording studio for artists searching for a quiet spot to flex their creative muscles. Zaharko has since returned to Vancouver.
Danielle Marie job shadowed as a sound engineer’s assistant doing setup, performing sound checks and fetching food.
“I was a studio rat for a day,” she laughs at the 2010 memory. “But being there made me realize I wanted to be a singer not a sound engineer. That day turned things around for me.”
Although Danielle Marie is a relatively young voice in the music industry, the last three years experience have honed her songwriting craft and added weight to lyrics.
There have been a few bumps along the way such as her first record producer, a “scam-artist” less interested in crafting a listener-friendly album and working with Danielle-Marie than being paid.
“Now I’ve taken charge and I have a strong team around me. No one butts heads. On this album, it’s co-produced and I had a better handle on the different instruments we used and the sound I wanted.”
And with the buzz about the new 13-track album, Gord Bamford contacted her. It turns out Bamford’s nephew used to go to school with Danielle Marie and he mentioned her name to his uncle.
But Danielle Marie is no lightweight depending only on connections. She was a semi-finalist in the 2013 International Songwriting Competition for her song Back Road, an addition to radio stations across Canada. The latest accolade is an honourable mention in the 2014 Unsigned Only music competition.
The only performer Danielle Marie is inviting to the stripped down Rednex show is guitarist Andrew Christopher. He will also sing a few of his songs including Sweet Heart, an ode to Lilee Jean, a two-year-old daughter who died of brain cancer.
For Danielle Marie, the Saturday concert is a special homecoming.
“There will be a lot of friends there – from Vermilion, Cardiff, Morinville, Sturgeon County. It’s going to be a crazy night and I’m going to play lots of songs. It’s going to be like a reunion.”
