Today we’d like to introduce you to Dannie Walker.
Hi Dannie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story feels like it starts with me being plopped into my destiny while being entrusted to find my own path. I feel like my journey is a filled with hidden trails that I anxiously discover – constantly leading me back to myself, my purpose, and my mission. My musical journey as a singer / songwriter is filled with pleasure and disappointment. I’m rediscovering my voice and reintroducing myself to my passion. I’ve gotten sucked into the “corporate America” portal which consumed me with guilt and confusion. I took some time away from that world, off the beaten path of comfort, and ended up on the outskirts of what creativity looks like for me now as an evolved woman. I’m ready to dive in the deep in and discover new depths that are waiting to be brought to the surface.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
After the release of my first EP “Sing Dannie Sing” in 2019 I didn’t realize how that creative exercise was really a journal entry. I created it as a part of my grieving process from losing my mother. That EP took 5 to 6 years to come to the light after my mother passed away in 2013. That project was a soul release but was very hard to share as a performance piece because it held a lot of emotional memory. Couple those feelings with the imposter syndrome I was already carrying, it was easy for me to go into hiding and process alone. I desired creative emotional safety and a community, but I didn’t know how to access it or trust myself enough to be free in my creative expression. I suffocated my art by diving head first into my responsibilities as a Single working mother. That’s all that I became, a robot. My humanity longed for more. Purpose kept finding me, but I kept denying myself the right to enjoyment through my artistic rituals because I had to keep food on the table. It just didn’t make sense AND my work life balance was so incomprehensible that it drove me into a depressive state. So deep that I couldn’t access my creative history even if I wanted to. I was miserable, but I knew I had to do something about it. Thank God for my friends who never let me forget who I am even when I couldn’t see it at all!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m most known for being a sultry R&B singer/songwriter. However, I’m discovering a new vocal sound and challenging my writing abilities. I’m in my collaborative era, and I’m super proud of that for me. It means that I’m trusting myself to be open to critique and compromise. I took a mental leave of absence from work for 7 months. I’ve been broooooke as a joke, but the happiest I’ve been in very long time. I’ve written several songs during this process. Ready to curate a new project and experiment. I’m so proud that I’m giving myself grace to practice creating in new ways that feel good to me. I think what sets me a part from others is how much I’m willing to give to other people with hopes of truly seeing other people shine. I love offering the support to other projects. I’m learning to accept reciprocity without questioning motive. I’m loving this part of the journey, it feels different than ever before.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am shy as ever. I present very confident, but I am hella sensitive about my shit!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: _danniewalker_
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/singdanniesing
