Category: News

Nashville, TN – A Young Man’s Country, the debut album from 25-year-old Nashville guitar ace, songwriter and vocalist Daniel Donato is set for release on August 7th (13J Productions/Cosmic Country Music). A Young Man’s Country serves as an introduction to a gifted, young artist who merges his extraordinary guitar chops with traditional outlaw country, Americana and Grateful Dead influences to bring his brand of cosmic country into the 21st century. Listen to an example via the first single “Luck Of The Draw” HERE.

Donato’s musical journey is one of discovery, determination and epiphanies. Before he even picked up a guitar, he realized he had a natural aptitude for the instrument by playing the Guitar Hero video game incessantly. Donato’s “big bang” moment took place at 12 in the form of Guns ‘N’ Roses’ “Paradise City”. Hearing that song was his first major musical epiphany, not unlike seeing The Beatles debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. There was no turning back. He practiced his guitar day and night, whenever time allowed. He was on a mission and would not be deterred.

As a young teen, he began busking on Nashville’s Lower Broadway playing up to eight hours a day on weekends for tips. Epiphany number two came the day he snuck into the legendary Robert’s Western World and had his mind blown by one of the venues amazing house bands, The Don Kelly Band. He eventually got the call to sit in which led to 450+ shows with the band and the chance to play with some of the finest musicians in Music City. This musical education was invaluable.

Epiphany number three came at 18 in the form of a wonderful gift from one of his schoolteachers who saw him play at the famed honky-tonk. Donato’s teacher gave him 200+ Grateful Dead bootlegs and other live recordings that completely blew his mind while opening it up to endless musical possibilities. He began to incorporate his experiences and discoveries into what would become his signature style, cosmic country.

A Young Man’s Country features eight original songs and three covers that offer a glimpse into the barely tapped potential of Daniel Donato. His renditions of Waylon Jennings’ “Ain’t Living Long Line This”, The Dead’s “Fire On The Mountain” and John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” (recorded before his passing) find Donato as a distinctive interpreter. His own songs, such as album opener “Justice”, the infectious “Always Been A Lover” and the epic rocker “Meet Me In Dallas” showcase the promise of an ambitious young artist with no ceiling in sight.

Ambitious, creative and hyper-focused are apt descriptions of Donato, who has already amassed a large social media base with over 90k followers on Instagram before ever releasing an album. He also hosts his own podcast, “Daniel Donato’s Lost Highway,” where he already has an impressive list of guests including Brothers Osborne, Brent Cobb, Orville Peck and Garry Tallent of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.

A Young Man’s Country was produced by revered guitarist Robben Ford (Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Yellowjackets, John Mayall) as the first project under 13J Productions, his newly minted production company. The album was recorded at The Sound Emporium in Nashville.

Have you wanted to know why Guitar Hero inspired me to play real guitar? Or how I got into the Grateful Dead? If I am more hippie than a cowboy? Well, darn, you’ve found yourself in the right place, yeehaw! Giddy up and read this spectacular interview I did right before we start the first #COSMICCOUNTRY tour of this decade! ❇️🤠

Daniel Donato: Cosmic Country

#COSMICCOUNTRY Tickets Available on this site in the TOUR section! ❇️🤠

https://reverb.com/news/videos-daniel-donatos-cosmic-country-guitar-lessons

This is a series of videos, free lessons, that cover an array of topics:

1. What is the #COSMICCOUNTRY sound?
2. What have I learned from playing over 1,000 bar gigs?
3. The difference between blues and country?
4. What have I learned from my heroes that I have met and jammed with?
5. How do I learn to actually play around the whole guitar?

All of these things are covered here. For free. In these Reverb lessons. Drop a comment on those videos and let them know what the #COSMICCOUNTRY CLUB is all about! I love y’all! ❇️🤠

❇️🤠Make sure to get tickets to the SPRING TOUR! ❇️🤠

This is an incredible interview in which I discuss how I went from playing on the streets for tips to touring around the world, the upcoming “#COSMICCOUNTRY INTO THIS DECADE” Spring Tour, and why I love The Grateful Dead and Country Music so much! Thank you Ridge Bethea, Luke Levenson of New Tone Media, and everyone else on my Cosmic Crew for helping my dreams manifest into pixels and reality.

❇️🤠 Get tickets on the TOUR tab of this very site! ❇️🤠

Titan of the Telecaster: A Chat With Daniel Donato About His Upcoming Tour, Recent Video With Taylor Guitars, & More

The Acoustasonic guitars are changing the game. It is an honor of a lifetime to be apart of telling the story of this instrument alongside Tyler Bryant! Watch it here! Recorded at Sound City!

❇️🤠 Make sure to grab a ticket, or two, to my #COSMICCOUNTRY Spring tour — Into This Decade — before we SELL IT OUT. Tickets on the Tour tab! ❇️🤠

Guitar World. The magazine we all know. We all love. They say I am top 10 for this entire year of 2020. How fantastic is that? What an absolute HONOR. I used to read this magazine in study hall. Now, me and my #COSMICCOUNTRY self are in it.

❇️🤠While you’re here, you’ll want to get tickets to my upcoming #COSMICCOUNTRY Spring Tour — Into This Decade — over on the ‘Tour’ section on this site. Tickets are going fast and the venues are small. ❇️🤠

https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/these-are-the-10-guitarists-you-need-to-hear-in-2020