Singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Danielle Davis aka Dani Darling is one of the Ann Arbor area’s most prolific performers, headlining multiple festivals, including The Ann Arbor Summerfest, and revered by fans and fellow artists alike as one of the city’s premier talents. This is why it came as a shock to everyone that she is deciding to step away from music indefinitely following her upcoming project “Cazimi,” scheduled to release on July 31st.
Davis’ last project, “The Future,” released in 2021, is a mesmerizing six-song EP that showcases the Galaxy queen herself creating songs that range from trance-inducing tracks like “The Down” to funky big-band six-minute jam sessions like La Femme. During this time, Davis publicly expressed her battles with her then-recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a medical condition she received following the album’s release.
However, four years later, Davis states that the battle against MS has reached a point where playing guitar has become too burdensome to continue with music.
“I bring the song to the guys, and we flesh it out, get the bassline, the lead guitar and we start trying to record it. But the process has been hard because I feel like I’m the weak link,” Davis said. “There were times in the studio where I would get really frustrated, and it became difficult. That is why I knew I would have to take a break after this, but I think just knowing when to say enough is enough is what I realized working on this EP.”
Davis stated that “Cazimi,” her upcoming five-song EP, has been her most taxing project to date, with the artist explaining that mundane cords have become difficult to play. She describes the project as a multitude of sounds that explore her story since the release of her 2021 project. Between exploring love, battling against the disease and life as a mother and educator.
“I am a certified Hellenistic Astrologer, and the cosmos has been a big theme in my music as Dani Darling,” Davis said. “A cazimi is a cool cosmic transit where a planet gets pulled into the sun’s orbit. It’s this beautiful moment, and it’s almost like a cosmic hug. In astrology, when we talk about themes, it is almost like an infusion of light, energy and heart, so the planet continues its journey through the universe. I was thinking that it would be cool to get a cosmic hug. Basking in the sun.”
Sonically, Davis’ music is a fusion of soul, pop-disco, vibrant soundscapes and psychedelic funk. Her music has also served as an inspiration to other artists such as Baddie Brooks and London Beck.
RELATED: Dani Darling Releases Latest EP, ‘The Future’
While the project is complete and ready for release, she admits none of this was possible without her team, longtime bandmates and key collaborators such as guitarist Joel Harris and engineer Taylor Greenshields, whom she broke the news to before going public with her decision to walk away indefinitely.
“I have to thank Taylor and Fundamental Sound Co., because he is a musician’s musician. He knows somebody who can do everything,” Davis said. “We were able to bring in Jordan Smith on the keys, Jordan Adema on violin. We were able to bring in other sounds to flesh out the sounds and make it more cinematic and more orchestral.”
With her final project set to release at the end of July, Davis also prepares for her final show on August 9 as one of the key performers for the upcoming Fun Fest taking place on August 9th in Frog Island in Ypsilanti. Following, she admits that musically, she is not sure where her career will go next.
“I hope that my story is an inspiration. I never thought I would even get this big. I never thought I could do anything on my own, without my sisters, being one of the triplets. When I started, even if I get a couple of shows one day or a few people to know who I am, that would be pretty cool,” Davis said. “This has honestly been a dream come true, and that is why I wanted to do one more project, even though it was hard. What I would like to say is, follow your dreams. You never know what is going to happen. I think of the time leading up to when I found out I had MS; that was the time of my life. I was on the cover of Metro Times, and there have been so many magical moments. I want to keep that going and leave something that is just as magical as this whole experience has felt for me.”
Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. His coverage of music festivals and interviews with local celebrities appeared in The E-Current Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, RichMagDigital, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.
