Country music may not have seemed like the most obvious career path for a young boy growing up in South Yorkshire, but for singer songwriter Danny Smart, the stars aligned through Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton tunes blasting on his parents’ car stereo, some well-timed primary school guitar lessons, and his less-than-intentional first gig as the front man of a band. By the time he was 16, Danny was writing his own songs and starting down the road that would take him around the world, sharing stages with the likes of Old Crow Medicine Show’s Charlie Worsham, New Zealand folk singer Aldous Harding, and the UK’s own Rob Heron and the Tea Pad Orchestra.

His original tunes nod to his deep respect for country music’s roots, layering Cash’s rakish storytelling with a bit of Brad Paisley’s effervescent charm and a Keith Urban-esque ability to swing from summer single to heartbreaking ballad quicker than you can tip your hat. He’s country with the sort of distance-makes-you-fonder diligence that comes to those who fall in love with a genre from afar, and in the UK’s booming country music scene, he’s well poised to be a serious contender.

The authenticity in Danny’s songs and stage presence comes from the attention he has paid to traveling and witnessing the world. In the years since the release of his last single Go Go Go! in 2016, he’s been on the road collecting tales and techniques that will culminate in the release of internationally crafted new songs in 2020. Highlighted among them are the Blackbird Sessions, a collection of songs recorded at the iconic Blackbird Studio in Nashville, TN. Recording in a space where so many fantastic country albums were made renewed Danny’s commitment to authenticity and music that honors and celebrates its history. 2020’s upcoming releases mark his return to songwriting with new, hard-won stories to tell.

Watch for new music coming in 2020.