David Karsten Daniels is an American singer-songwriter with an affinity for "slow-creeping songs that, once at full power, are like nothing else". His recordings are typically combinations of many styles of music sitting underneath lyrics that explore topics such as life & death, family dynamics, religion, neuroscience, the nature of change and the natural world.

Early life

Daniels was born in

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Lubbock County. With a population of 272,086 in 2024, Lubbock is the 10th-most populous city in Texas and the 84th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the ...

. His formative years were spent in

Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...

, singing in school and church choirs, and studying the piano and guitar. Daniels spent two years in the

American Boychoir School The American Boychoir School was a boarding/day middle school located in Princeton, New Jersey, and the home of the American Boychoir. The school originated as the Columbus Boychoir in Columbus, Ohio. In 1950, the school relocated after receivin ...

, an all boy's boarding school in Princeton, New Jersey where he was exposed to college level music theory and ear training. He played in jazz ensembles throughout high school in

and

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

. In college, David majored in music composition and played double bass in the symphony orchestra. A course in Free Improvisation taught by trombonist/improviser/lecturer Kim Corbett would prove to be major turning point in David's approach to composition.

Career

While obtaining his bachelor's degree from

Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...

, through which he studied in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, as well as in Texas, David worked on the recordings that would become his first two albums, ''The Mayflower'' and ''Out From Under Ligne 4''. Following graduation in 2001, David moved briefly to Portland, Oregon where he began work on the recordings that would become his third album, ''Angles''. in 2002, David moved to

Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, Orange and Durham County, North Carolina, Durham counties, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 United States census, making Chapel Hill the List of municipa ...

. There, the Bu hanan Collective was formed by David and longtime friends and band mates Daniel Hart and Alex Lazara. In 2006, David was signed by

Fat Cat Records FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

, England, and released his fourth album, ''Sharp Teeth'' as a co-release between Fat Cat and Bu hanan. He followed that with ''Fear of Flying'' in 2008, a meditation on death and the afterlife. His next LP, "I Mean to Live Here Still," (2010) is a song cycle using the texts of Henry David Thoreau, with Daniels' music and singing accompanied by

Fight the Big Bull Fight the Big Bull is a Richmond, Virginia based improvisatory ensemble with two 2010 recordings selected for NPR's best of the year lists. History The band was founded in the mid-2000s (decade) by guitarist Matthew E. White, one of the organiz ...

, a nonet from Richmond, VA led by

Matthew E. White Matthew E. White (born August 14, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and arranger. He has worked as a collaborator, producer, and arranger for acts including Bedouine, Natalie Prass, Cocoon, Foxygen, Justin Vernon, Hiss Golden ...

. That album, characterized by The Line of Best Fit as "brave and beautiful .. marrying the North American folk vernacular with interesting free-jazz textures and atmospheres" was called one of the "5 Best Genre Defying Albums of 2010" by

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

. In 2014, Daniels created the score for S. Cagney Gentry's feature film Harvest. David released his first largely instrumental album ''The Four Immeasurable Minds'' in 2015. In 2016 he released 2 records, ''The Teacher'' a lo-fi full length heavily dependent on field recordings as well as his 9th studio album ''Kaleidoscope'', an EP released May 19, 2016. A Single, ''Rules for Rules'' is out November 2019. David has toured with Frightened Rabbit, Mice Parade, Tom Brosseau, Nina Nastasia, and Arboretum, and played shows with Animal Collective, Vashti Bunyan, Okkervil River, the Bowerbirds, the Mountain Goats, Low Barlow, Vetiver, David Bazan, Roman Candle, Richard Buckner, St. Vincent, Cass McCombs, Shearwater, Castanets, the Twilight Sad, DeYarmond Edison, and Retribution Gospel Choir.

Discography

Collaborations

In 2008,

Fat Cat Fat cat is a slang term for a wealthy person, originally used to describe a rich political donor. Fat Cat may also refer to: * Fat Cat (singer), a South Korean singer, also known as Defconn Girl * Fat Cat, Norwich, a pub in Norwich, England * Fa ...

asked Daniels to do additional recording and remix

Frightened Rabbit Frightened Rabbit were a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. Initially a solo project for vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchison, the final lineup of the band consisted of Hutchison, his brother Grant (drums), Billy Kenned ...

's ''It's Christmas So We'll Stop''. In 2011, Daniels contributed a remix to Our Brother the Native's '' Rhythm Hymns''. In 2014, Daniels contributed string and horn arrangements to Penny and Sparrow's '' Struggle Pretty''.

''Sharp Teeth'' Musicians

David Karsten Daniels - Organ, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass, Piano, Cello, Drums, Glockenspiel, Guitar (Electric), Tambourine, Vocals
Aimee Argote - Vocals
Aaron Bratcher - Trombone (Bass), Trombone (Tenor)
Dane Daniels - Drums, Tambourine, Vocals
Daniel Hart - Violin, Viola
Eric Haugen - Guitar (Electric)
Alex Lazara - Organ, Synthesizer, Piano, Vocals, Engineer, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes
Sara Morris - Organ, Cello, Vocals
Zac Petersen - Trumpet
Tim Phillips - Trumpet
John Ribo - Guitar (Electric), Vocals
Jason Sayers - Trombone (Tenor)
Joshua Snyder - Drums
Mara Thomas - Vocals
Erin Wright - Vocals
Perry Wright - Tambourine, Vocals
Joseph P. Zoller - Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)

''Fear of Flying'' Musicians

David Karsten Daniels - Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Drums, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals, Engineer, Mixing
Daniel Hart - Violin
Sara Morris - Vocals
John Ribo - Vocals
Wendy Spitzer - Oboe
Dylan Thurston - Drums
Perry Wright - Vocals, Handclaps

''I Mean To Live Here Still'' Musicians

David Karsten Daniels - vocals, acoustic guitar
Bob Miller - trumpet, piccolo trumpet
Jason Scott - clarinet, flute, saxophone
John Lilley - saxophone, clarinet
Reggie Pace - trombone, tuba, claps
Bryan Hooten - trombone
Cameron Ralston - upright bass

- horn arrangements, electric guitar
Pinson Chanselle - drums
Brian Jones - percussion
Gabe Churray - synthesizer
Alex Lazara - organ, mellotron
Trey Pollard - pedal steel
Eddie Prendergast - electric bass
Toby Whitaker - trombone
Perry Wright - bass voice

''The Four Immeasurable Minds'' Musicians

David Karsten Daniels - Guitar (Electric), Recorder, Keyboards, Vocals
K. - Vocals

''Kaleidoscope'' Musicians

David Karsten Daniels - vocals, guitar, bass, percussion, drums, keys, programming, violin
Chris Walker - drums, percussion, guitar, drums, keys, programming, violin, vocals
Dane Daniels - drums, percussion, vocals
Abbey Daniels - vocals, bass
Kyle Henson - drums, percussion, vocals
Ben Jousan - guitar, vocals
Lex Land - vocals
-topic - vocals
K8 - vocals
K. - vocals
Dashon Moore-Guidry - additional percussion
Juan Lopez - handclaps, vocals
Aaron Carpenter - handclaps

''The Teacher'' Musicians

David Karsten Daniels -vocals, guitar, bass, percussion, drums, keys, programming,
K. - Vocals Daniel Hunt. - Drums K8 - Vocals Tara Toms - Vocals

''Pictures of Pluto'' Musicians

David Karsten Daniels - Guitar (Electric)

Works in radio, film and TV

* David Karsten Daniels' track " That Knot Unties?" appears on season one, episode nine of SHOWTIME's ''

United States of Tara ''United States of Tara'' is an American comedy drama television series created by Diablo Cody, which aired on Showtime from 2009 to 2011. The series follows the life of Tara ( Toni Collette), a suburban artist and mother coping with dissocia ...

'' and in the closing credits of the film ''

DeadGirl ''Deadgirl'' is a 2008 American horror film written by Trent Haaga and directed by Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel. It stars Shiloh Fernandez and Noah Segan as teenage boys who discover a naked female zombie, portrayed by Jenny Spain. When on ...

''. * David Karsten Daniels composed the scores for S. Cagney Gentry's feature film ''Harvest'' and the documentary film ''El Paracaidista'' (2022). * David Karsten Daniel's track

Jesus and the Devil Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

appears in

This American Life ''This American Life'' is a weekly hour-long American radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internationally, and is ...

Episode 340 – "The Devil in Me" * David Karsten Daniels' track "

The Funeral Bell ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' ...

" appears in the short film '' Wait for Laugh''.

References

External links

Official WebsiteBu Hanan CollectiveFat Cat RecordsCarpi Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, David Karsten 1979 births Living people American male singer-songwriters 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American male singers