Instead the Forest Rose to Sing

Product Description An Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter with an incredible national and international buzz going for him, Danny Schmidt draws frequent comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt. Praise from critics has been ecstatic: "Best new songwriter in the last 15 years" (Sing Out) "I've not felt a performance with this much intensity since I saw Neil Young solo" (The Filter) "beautifully crafted... complex beguiling words" (Q Magazine) "5 out 5 stars" (Maverick/UK) and the list goes on. Now with his Red House debut, he is poised to burst into national prominence and the promotional push on this title will be rigorous. Review "5 out of 5 stars" -- Maverick/UK "Best new songwriter in the last 15 years." -- Sing Out "I've not felt a performance with this much intensity since I saw Neil Young solo." -- The Filter "beautifully crafted...complex beguiling words" -- Q Magazine Like Richard Thompson and Townes Van Zandt, Schmidt writes with a clarity that's never verbose of flashy, just simple words attempting to unearth simple truths. -- Dallas Observer From the Artist There's a million different ways that we conceptualize money. Money is fundamentally a symbolic notion, a representative idea. For some people it represents the hours they've spent behind their desk. For some it represents the education of their children. For some it represents their own luxury and comfort. For some it's their security and insulation from the uncertainties of the world. For others, the money is their ticket to engage with the powers that be to try and have some measure of control over the uncertainties of the world. And for some, the money itself is just a trophy. It just represents winning a game. About the Artist A traveler, tequila lover and Texas Longhorns football fan, Danny Schmidt is a songwriter who draws from his varied life experiences. Although he currently lives in Austin, Texas (where he was raised) Danny got his musical start in Virginia, where he lived after he spent a year in Missouri's Ozark Mountains. After working on a sawmill and living on a commune for several years, he moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where he helped found a musician's co-op called Acoustic Charlottesville and recorded his first CD Live at the Prism Coffeehouse. After recording two studio albums, Danny decided he did not like the business of music and returned to Austin to work in film and video production. Unfortunately, just before he arrived, the production company shut down and while looking for steady work, Schmidt was diagnosed with cancer. Being without health insurance, Danny released Home Recordings, a self- produced CD he sold to fans to offset his mounting medical debt. The album did its work and within the year, Danny was healthy, debt-free and back as a full-time musician. A prolific writer and busy touring performer, Schmidt has recorded three albums in the last four years and won fans across North America and Europe, where he tours regularly. His 2008 release Little Grey Sheep was a simple recording done at the home of Charlottesville musician Paul Curreri, but was picked up by Waterbug Records and became one of the most popular albums on folk and Americana radio that year. This combined with his winning of the 2007 Kerrville New Folk Award caught the attention of legendary roots label Red House Records, who was hearing a lot about this young songwriter. After being blown away by performances at the 2008 Folk Alliance and South By Southwest (SXSW) Conferences, Red House signed Danny Schmidt to the label, adding to their impressive roster which includes such notables as Greg Brown and Jorma Kaukonen and hot rising stars like The Wailin' Jennys, Meg Hutchinson and Storyhill. Danny's Red House debut Instead The Forest Rose to Sing was recorded in Austin by Mark Hallman (Eliza Gilkyson, David Byrne, Ani Difranco) and is a rootsy mix of songs exploring people's varying perspectives on wealth and the joys and sorrows that accompany it. W