Daniel Neihoff

That songwriters come from the the western Kentucky clan of Neihoffs is a surprise to no one aware of the land and family. In number and colorfulness, there aren't many rivals. But few have natural storytelling and melody baked in quite as thoroughly as in Daniel Neihoff. The youngest of six siblings, Daniel wrote his first song at 8 years old as he grew up around family fit for country songs - the old kind about struggle and lonesomeness, mistakes among enduring love. The melodies and legends were all around him in his family, and it all seeped in. Over the years, whether it was for paying gigs or for open mics at Paducah's bars, Neihoff turned heads with his voice and rewarded the interest with his lyrics. The simmering burn of his talent and craft suddenly led somewhere big. At 20, his first audition for a set at Nashville's iconic Bluebird Cafe was successful. The Reidland kid's smooth and soulful sound had already landed on Music City's doorstep from the river town's flood planes. The area's journalists took notice: WKMS's Something From Nothing Podcast and The Spiel in Southern IL delved into his work. Neihoff was recently a semi-finalist on Nashville Rising Song. The world is hearing his range of traditional country to modern pop all with a soulful bend. We are hearing the launch of a voice familiar and unique that feels as if it began quite a while ago.