Danni Nicholls Will Touch Your Soul With Her Lyrics
From milky vocals to lyrics that touch your soul, Danni Nicholls will wrap her music around you with her songs that will inspire your own journey. When Danni isn’t creating music or living through the experiences that inspire her music, she is advocating for kids, the arts, or playing at benefits. To learn more about Danni Nicholls, please read on!
Where are you based?
I’m based in East Nashville, but I’m originally from Bedford in England, so I’m back and forth across the big pond quite a bit. I’ve been living full- time in Nashville for four years and visited for many years before that. I am loving the adventure of living in a different country.
What inspired you to start making music?
I grew up around music; it was always on in the house, and I remember always being very attuned to it. It would affect me. My first instrument is the saxophone, which I begged my parents to let me learn after a family holiday when I was 7, where I heard a live jazz trio, and it changed my world. Later aged 15, I inherited an electric guitar from my uncle, and immediately I thought I was drawn to songwriting as a way to process things I didn’t quite have the words for otherwise, and once people started enjoying hearing the songs and relating, I was hooked.
Congratulations on the release of your new single, “The Wreckage.” What was the inspiration behind this song?
Thank you. “The Wreckage” came out of a period of pretty big upheaval—personally and emotionally. It’s about that strange in-between space after something ends, where everything feels uncertain, but there’s also a quiet sense that something new is beginning. It’s also a song where I was attempting to process a strange sensation I had been having after a period of big stress surrounding moving to the US and some personal relationship struggles combined the sensation was like out of body, looking in — the song uses that as an image. I later found out what I was experiencing was dissociation. So it has a mix of themes and inspiration, but coming back to the self after getting lost in the chaos is the central one.
“The Wreckage” is the lead single off your upcoming album, “Making Moves,” which is set to release in June. How does this single represent some of the themes we might hear on the rest of the album? How does it differ from other tracks?
It really sets the tone for the record. A lot of the album lives in that messy middle — between endings and beginnings, between feeling lost and choosing to move forward anyway. “The Wreckage” is probably one of the more restrained moments sonically. There are other tracks that lean more into groove or feel a bit more driving, but thematically they’re all connected — working through change, trusting yourself again, and figuring out what comes next. Self-discovery and growth are big themes too — stepping into a more confident place and taking up more space, having more conviction in who I am and what I want to say. It feels freer.
What’s the story behind the creation of “Making Moves”?
Seven years after the release of my previous album, this collection of songs was amassed over that time period… a pandemic, relocation, heartbreak(s), hard lessons, and growth. Producer Sarah Peacock and I worked together to build a wonderful team of talented humans who came together over 13 days or so at Yackland Studio, East Nashville, in June 2024. It was just the right time, the right place, the right team — everything felt aligned and right, and I had a lot of support and safety around me to return to the studio and try to step into some unknown territory on this album — playing with sounds and vocal performances that pushed me out of my comfort zone.
“Making Moves” will be your fourth studio album. How has your creative process and identity as an artist evolved over the course of each of these albums?
I think I’ve become more confident in general and more trusting of my instincts. Earlier on, I probably second-guessed myself more or felt like I had to fit into a certain sound, perhaps worrying too much about what other people might think, too. This album was really just to please myself more than anything and enjoy the process. It feels more joyful, free, and more bold.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I just hope it connects in some way. If a song stays with someone or makes them feel something they needed to feel, that’s enough. It could be joy, could be feeling seen or understood, or less alone or moved in some way. There’s always the hope of just some connection, whatever that may be.
You ran a six-week program teaching music and drama to orphans in Nepal. Can you tell us more about this program and how you decided to get involved?
That was a really incredible experience. Nepal is an unbelievably special place. A friend of mine had been there and met an organisation who were looking for more volunteers to come teach the kids some English and some skills, and asked if I’d like to go. We got a group of six together and raised money to go to the orphanage in Hetauda. The orphans were rescued by The Esther Benjamins Trust (which has now become the charity Pipal Tree) from Indian Circuses and brought home to Nepal, where some were unable to return to their villages and their families. It was incredible not to be able to speak each other’s language, but to use the theatre and drama as a form of communication and expression. To be welcomed into their world and immerse ourselves in the culture, witness such beauty and kindness, see the kids laugh and play, and learn. It was an experience I’ll never forget.
You run regular benefits to raise money for different causes. What are some of the causes you’ve supported and why?
It’s varied over the years, I just like to do what I can to make a little difference — I ran a big benefit after the Nepal Earthquake a few years back, I made an album called the vintage TV recordings, and a portion of sales went to supporting the Music Therapy charity Nordoff Robbins — they do great work. I like to play sets at benefits to raise money for good causes because it just feels good to do something. A lot of the time, I feel overwhelmed and helpless… but this is something I can do, you know, use the thing I know how to do for some good. I recently enjoyed playing a benefit show for an amazing local organisation in East Nashville — SAFPAW — I saw close up the incredible work they do for people in our immediate community, and I love to support and help where I can.
As a queer artist, what changes do you hope to see regarding representation within the music industry in the future?
I think it’s getting better, but there’s still a long way to go. There are so many incredible queer artists, but fewer who are actually being supported in a way that leads to long-term careers.
A lot of people are still navigating subtle bias or feeling like they have to shape themselves to fit in. So while visibility has improved, what’s happening underneath still isn’t balanced.
What needs to change is real support — more opportunities, more investment, and more queer people not just on stage, but behind the scenes too. Producing, signing, booking, and making decisions.
What advice do you have for queer individuals who may be afraid to be fully themselves because of the current political climate in the U.S.?
It’s a complicated time, and I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer. I mean, I don’t really know what else to say other than it’s hard. Everyone’s situation is different, and safety has to come first.
But finding local community spaces or like-minded people can make it feel less scary and less isolating. Even small pockets of connection,people you feel safe with, can make a difference. And just try to hold onto some hope that things can and will shift in a better direction.
Are there any upcoming projects you are currently working on that we should be on the lookout for?
The album Making Moves is coming out June 26th, and I’ll be touring around that in both the U.S. and the UK. There are a few more singles leading up to it as well, and I’m already starting to write again, so there’s always something quietly in the works.
It has been a crazy few years, and we expect at least three more. How have you been staying positive?
Honestly, I don’t always. I try not to put pressure on myself to feel positive all the time — it’s okay to grieve the hard, sad things that are happening.
But I do try to stay hopeful. I’m not sure exactly how…I just am. Mad and sad much of the time, but also hopeful and joyful. We have the capacity to be so many things all at once. A lot of it is about staying grounded, taking things day by day, staying connected to people I trust, and doing things that feel nourishing. Getting out into nature helps, too; it gives me a bit of perspective.
What is your motto in life?
Trust. Your gut, the process, the unfolding.
To learn more about Danni Nicholls, please check out the links below:
www.danninicholls.com
Photo credit: Sarah Peacock, Peacock Media
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum id ligula porta felis euismod semper.