Danielle Nicole has announced the release of her new album Fireflies, due out August 28 via 40 Below Records. Along with the announcement, Nicole released the new single “Tug Of War.”
“I wrote ‘Tug Of War’ for anyone finding themself no longer willing to accept the terms of a one way relationship,” says Danielle.
The album was produced by Tony Braunagel and recorded in Nicole’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. According to Nicole, the material on Fireflies was shaped during a difficult period following the death of her brother Kris, who was also her longtime bandmate and collaborator.
“Every album is an era of your life, where you write about whatever you’re going through,” Nicole explains. “When my brother passed away, I was still writing a lot, but my grief kept me from completing some of these songs. I had to push hard through the mental blocks.”
Nicole said the album leans heavily into soul and storytelling while continuing to incorporate blues, R&B, and roots influences.
“There’s a lot of soul-driven music here,” she says. “A lot of storytelling. It’s a major step forward in my songwriting.”
The album also features collaborations with guitarist Brandon Miller, keyboardist Jim Pugh, and Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars, who appears on the song “Take Me Back.”
Nicole traces the beginning of her musical ambitions to seeing Etta James perform live in Kansas City as a teenager.
“We had a great blues festival in Kansas City,” Nicole recalls, “and I was able to see Etta James perform. She was fearless. My parents were musicians who played in cover bands, so music was always part of my family — but I didn’t realize I wanted to sing and perform, too, until I heard Etta.”
Nicole will support the album with an extensive run of tour dates across the United States and Europe.
Tour Dates
May 22 – Tampa, FL – Skipper’s Smokehouse
May 23 – Biloxi, MS – Ground Zero Blues Club
May 24 – Montgomery, AL – Capitol Oyster Bar
June 6 – Greeley, CO – Greeley Blues Jam
June 7 – Casper, WY – The Rialto
June 10 – Colorado Springs, CO – Lulu’s Downtown
June 12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah Blues Fest
June 16 – Clarksdale, MS – Pinetop Perkins Workshop
June 20 – Kansas City, MO – Knucklehead’s
July 18 – Cadiz, Spain – XXVII Festival Isla del Blues
July 19 – Madrid, Spain – Sala Villanos
July 21 – Brezoi, Romania – Open Air Blues Festival
July 23 – San Sebastián, Spain – Jazzaldia
August 22 – Sacramento, CA – The Sophia
August 23 – Livermore, CA – Almost Famous
August 25 – San Francisco, CA – Biscuits & Blues
August 26 – Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley
August 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Peppermint Club
August 28 – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
August 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
August 30 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
September 2 – The Woodlands, TX – Dosey Doe
September 3 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas
September 4 – Austin, TX – O4 Center
September 5 – Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard
September 12 – Escondido, CA – Center for the Arts
September 13 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender
September 22 – Sellersville, PA – ST94
September 23 – New York, NY – DROM
September 24 – Turners Falls, MA – Shea Theater
September 25 – Thomaston, ME – Watts Hall
September 26 – Old Saybrook, CT – The Kate
September 27 – Boston, MA – City Winery
September 30 – Buffalo, NY – Sportsmens Tavern
October 1 – Cleveland, OH – Music Box Concert Hall
October 17 – Fairfield, IA – Fairfield Arts
November 3 – Leiden, Netherlands – Q-bus
November 4 – Verviers, Belgium – Spirit of 66
November 6 – Joldelund, Germany – Gerd’s Juke Joint
November 7 – Rheine, Germany – Stadthalle
November 8 – Weert, Netherlands – De Bosuil
November 9 – Kassel, Germany – Theaterstübchen
November 10 – Hamburg, Germany – Nica Jazz Club
November 12 – Sumperk, Czechia – Blues Alive
November 13 – Vienna, Austria – REIGEN Live
November 14 – Budapest, Hungary – Analog Music Hall
November 16 – Salzburg, Austria – Rockhouse
November 18 – Hembrechts, Germany – Textilmuseum
November 19 – Fulda, Germany – Kreuz
November 20 – Oss, Netherlands – Groene Engel
November 21 – Gaildorf, Germany – Haberlen
November 22 – Aalten, Netherlands – LSAmusic
The post Danielle Nicole announces “Fireflies” appeared first on Blues Rock Review.
