Meet dannirose☆

We had the good fortune of connecting with dannirose☆ and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi dannirose☆, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk has definitely been a driving force in what has got me here today.
I think the biggest risk I took was pursuing music after high school.
I applied to a small handful of universities and I ended up getting accepted to Western Washington on a near full ride scholarship with no requirements to the school. I was handed a golden opportunity that anyone would be crazy not to take. Luckily for me, I’m crazy. No, I’m kidding, but I ultimately decided to pass up on the offer.
I thought about my life and if I went to university, and then I thought about my life pursuing my dreams. One was what society wanted for me, and one was what I’d already spent half of my life on so far. There was no reality I could have both, and truthfully, I didn’t want both.
I’ve never believed I’d need a backup because a backup is only necessary when you throw in the towel. I don’t have intentions of giving up or slowing down.
I think this is a testament to be brave enough to take those huge leaps even when it looks wrong to everyone else. I would not have had any of the opportunities I’ve had in the last two years had I listened to the people around me. I’ve never regretted my choice because I am living through the “what could’ve been”. Especially if you’re young, don’t be afraid to find out what could be, it’s harder to be adventurous later (on the contrary, it is never too late to follow your dreams).
Be smart but take risks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Growing up, my sister was and still is (haha) the biggest Taylor Swift fan I could ever imagine to meet. Basically, the only music I ever listened to was Taylor Swifts discography.
That being said, who I am as an artist and the music I write is heavily influenced by that.
My first ever single is infact a callout to Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me”.
I was 17 and going through my own teenage “the guy I like is dating someone else” drama and did not handle it well.
It was almost like “You Belong With Me” was the soundtrack to my life at the time. So, I decided to write my own version. I used the same the same chords and wrote my song in the same style as Taylor’s.
Thus, “Dear to You” was born. It was the first song I ever wrote that truly stuck out to me. It was something different.
Of course, I can’t give Taylor Swift all the credit. Another artist I deeply admire is that of L Devine.
My recent EP is a complete homage to her. I discovered her “Growing Pains” EP in middle school around the same time I first started writing music. Her song “Like You Like That” still stands to be my most favorite song I’ve heard to date and I honestly dreamed of making music like that. Another song to mention is that of “Nervous” from the same EP.
Fast forward to more present day danni:
When I wrote “dont be lyin” it had that bubbly indie pop feel and presented it to my producer, Joshua Hill. 13 year old me would’ve been obsessed with “dont be lyin” haha.
When it came down to naming my EP, as a nod to one of my favorite songs of hers, and something I felt encompassed the overall idea of my project, there was no question it’d be “NERVOUS”.
I think there’s beauty in art being made in accordance to other works of art. I hope someday people can be influenced creatively by me the way I have been by others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Olympia, Washington.
We would start the day at the Parkside Cafe in West Olympia. One of the most beautiful cafes I’ve seen, with some of the best and most inspired cafe food I’ve had. I recommend one of their pies!
After, we would walk out to the park on the same property and enjoy the Saturday Market and catch some tunes by the local talent!
Then, we’d drive over to downtown and hit up all the local shops and thrift stores. I know all the shops that have a piano and we will be playing every single one of them.
For lunch, we’ll head over to Saigon Rendezvous for some Pho! It is the best place in town.
A great mid-day/early evening activity would be The Painted Plate. Its great way to pass some time while getting to paint ceramics to take home. Don’t forget it also has a mini cafe, as well as ice cream!
As the sun starts to set, we’ll catch a concert at Wildman Brewing Gastropub and maybe grab a bite to eat while we’re there.
I like to end all my nights downtown walking by the water. There’s a blue heron that always shows up by the pier and I love to watch it.

I want to give an honorable mention:
Zoe Juice Bar is the best juice place I have ever encountered in my life. I go there at least once a week.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I was blessed with an incredibly supportive family. While, though, I’m pursuing something unwritten, they recognize how hard I work. They’re with me every step of the way and have gone great lengths to help me make this possible.
However, I wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge some other amazing people in my life.
After I graduated, late summer into fall, I started going out to my city more. I was looking for opportunities to be connected with the music scene in my area and eventually found a new and steady, weekly open mic. I went every monday for months; I met great people and was able to get more comfortable performing to a crowd.
One sunday in October, I was talking to my sister about my favorite band. I had been listening to their music since I was 16 and was devastated I never got to hear them perform live before Covid and wasn’t sure I’d get a chance to now.
Flash-forward, next day, at the open mic I frequented:
I walked in and saw the band had signed up. I proceed to silently freakout in my seat the entire time I was there. They eventually played and it was so surreal for me.
Then, it dawned in me…
I: was going to be playing my music for them. Which was really exciting and scary at the same time.
After I performed, they all came up and stopped me. I will never forget, they said, “We are your biggest fans that was so good”. Which was so funny to me because they had no idea I was THEIR biggest fan. Then, their bassist/producer introduced himself and said he wanted to work with me. The rest is history!
The band in question is a local group to Olympia, Washington, called WINEHOUSE. They have become some of my closest friends and I really owe a lot of what I have accomplished to their help and support.
Even now, I’m doing this interview per their recommendation. I could say a million words about how much they mean to me and I don’t think it’d be enough.
So if you guys are reading this, know how much I treasure you in my heart. I love you guys!

Website: https://linktr.ee/dannirjohnson

Instagram: @dannirosej

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Image Credits
Laura Ogren (Action Shots)
Gemma Cross (Branding/Creative Shots)