Before my introduction to Daniel Romano, I had no pull to country music. You could say he was my gateway musician to a fully formed addiction.
My first taste of Romano was the timeless, ‘When I Learned Your Name’. The Canadian singer’s heartfelt melody transports me to my inner 70s rock & roll cowboy – joyously doing so throughout his perfectly titled album, Modern Pressure. With an effortless authenticity, the enigmatic artist explores the intricacies of the heart and the weight of the world.
Even at home, it’s hard to sit still with Romano’s vibrant and upbeat guitar riff. One known to send live audiences into spells of screaming and dancing, as if watching a punked-out Bob Dylan protégé. But Romano’s strongest quality is the impassioned poetry in his lyrics, more often than not centred around and dedicated to a lover.
“When I learned your name
Every tree took blossom
In the rich golds of Autumn
Every season the same yeah”
‘When I Learned Your Name’ is the kind of song you wish you wrote – but if you listen carefully enough, it just might be. This is a song of self-discovery, self-realisation and self-celebration. Romano shamelessly sways in romance with the self and seduces you to sway too.
