Bio

No matter how much life changes, destiny never detours from its course.  Life has certainly changed for Daniel Seavey, but he still makes the kind of music he was destined to make. The multiplatinum Why Don’t We Co-Founder, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer asserts himself as a bold and boundless solo artist with an ever-evolving collage of rock, pop, alternative, and electronic layers, shifting past one another in tectonic fashion. As he continues to explore his creativity, he introduces himself on a series of songs and album to follow in 2023.

“It’s fun to dive into who I am,” he observes. “For the last few years, I’ve been jotting down notes without even realizing I’m leaving this trail of who I am in the lyrics and music. I’m definitely a whole different person, but I’ve always been this artist. The texture of what I bring was there, but it’s being seen now. So many curveballs in life have changed me. In terms of the music though, it’s never shifted. I consistently try to take different sounds and assemble something you’ve never heard before. I’ve always wanted to do this, and I’m excited to be able to now.”

In many ways, everything led up to this point. At just nine-years-old, Daniel’s father encouraged him to busk at a local art walk on Thursdays. Sitting behind a piano with a small speaker, he attracted crowds of hundreds, filling a hat with enough dough to finance a personal bedroom studio. Since dad also served as a pastor, he developed his chops on the cello by performing in the church band. Growing up as a pastor’s kid, his exposure to secular music was limited until later in life – ultimately leading to an explosion of inspiration and possibility. After hearing “Jungle” by Drake in freshman year of high school, he embraced favorite artists such as Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd. In 2016, he co-founded Why Don’t We and embarked upon an unbelievable six-year journey highlighted by over 4 billion global career streams, two RIAA Platinum-certified singles, five RIAA Gold-certified singles, two Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, and sold out tours with multiple stops at legendary venues a la Radio City Music Hall.

“I grew up in a bubble of church, and I didn’t know too much outside of it,” he notes. “I’m so thankful, because it was such a pure childhood. The juxtaposition is I joined a band, moved to Los Angeles, and toured the world right after. Seeing some of the craziness influenced me, and you can hear it in my songs. There have been good times and bad times, but it’s interesting to put my thoughts on paper.”

Along the way, that’s exactly what he did. On the road with Why Don’t We, he often penned and produced nascent ideas that would eventually become the foundation of his own unique sound. In 2022, he hunkered down in his home studio and wrote and recorded what would become his debut. He not only sang and produced, but he also played every instrument, infusing a piece of himself upon each facet. During the process, nothing would be off limits. 

He only stuck to one rule…

“I’d just ask, ‘Does this song sound like me or not?’,” he recalls. “I’d write a catchy track, and then go, ‘How can I fuck this up and make it completely new?’,” he laughs. “I really squeezed the juice out of every melody.”

Fittingly, he kicks off this chapter with the unpredictable and undeniable push-and-pull of the first single “Can We Pretend That We’re Good?” On the track, acoustic guitar creaks beneath emotive verses and the pops of a plucked cello. It snaps into a rush of distortion and electronic feedback as his falsetto rings out, “I’ll never find another you.”

“It’s about the highs and lows of the last few years,” he admits. “I can pretend I’m good in a lot of situations, whether it’s losing somebody or just dealing with life in the moment. Some days, you’re up. Some days, you’re down. Some days, you’re pretending you’re good. I’m being honest, because it’s how we all are.”

Then, there’s “I Tried” where piano glimmers in tandem with his voice on the celestially catchy chorus.

“At the time, I was in a relationship,” he goes on. “I was trying to figure out how to balance my personal life and the obsessive devotion my career asks for. It feels like you have two people you need to give your full attention to. In my head, there’s a house on a beach with a dog on the sheets where the sun always shines. Then, reality hits with the price you pay for following your dreams.”

Meanwhile, the blissfully gauzy “Runaway” glides towards an entrancing escapist refrain underlined by cinematic production.

“This world is crazy, but maybe if we made it far enough, we could find a place to still be us,” he elaborates. “The relationship might work if we run away from this world.”

In the end, this is who Daniel always was.

“For me, it’s special when I listen to an artist and feel them through the music,” he leaves off. “I’ve never been honest to this extent with the lyrics. I’m writing my exact thoughts and feelings. I hope it connects to the moment you’re going through too.”