All this week, KUTX profiles the Ones To Watch—seven must-see artists at SXSW 2023. Hosted by Jody Denberg and produced by Art Levy.
Daniel Fears grew up in Houston, first falling in love with music at Sunday church services. Pop music was forbidden in his household, so Daniel took up trombone and classical music instead. A degree from UT and a master’s at Yale pushed him further down the classical path. But Daniel says writing horn parts for a friend’s song finally “flipped a switch,” making him want to pursue his own music.
A lip injury while at Yale forced Daniel to heal and relearn trombone. Friends in Austin bands like Wild Child, Ley Line, and Mother Falcon helped him find gigs, and soon Daniel was writing his own songs. The result is Canopy, his debut EP, which earned him an Artist of the Month feature from us at KUTX in 2021. Mixing R&B, electronic, and the pop sounds he had to secretly listen to as a kid, it’s hard to believe that Daniel is relatively new to songwriting, but we think he’s just getting started.
Support for KUTX at SXSW 2023 comes from PNC Bank and Chattanooga Whiskey
