He calls it Cosmic Country

He calls it Cosmic Country

Daniel Donato is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and musician with an extremely busy tour schedule. He has a strong community of dedicated fans who turn out across the country to hear his unique style of music. He calls it Cosmic Country.

“It’s the kind of music I’ve played all my life,” he says. “It’s really just a combination of three chords and the truth, and then some.”

It blends his many musical influences from country to rock and bluegrass, his extraordinary talent as a guitarist, and his songwriting skills. He recently released an album of all original music called Reflector. 

Donato, who grew up in Spring Hill, has been playing music most of his life. 

"I've always been a very industrious, hardworking person, even when I was a little kid," he says. "And when music came about for me, it was the perfect avenue for my personality. It's creative, it involves discipline, there's community around it, and you can do it for as long as you're able to. There's no end to it."

Some of his earliest musical influences were rock guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Slash through his love of the game Guitar Hero. When he was just 14, he began busking on Lower Broadway in Nashville and soon got a regular gig with the Don Kelly Band at the iconic Robert’s Western World. There, Donato developed a deep appreciation of traditional country music and legendary artists like Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Bill Monroe, and others. His sound today is his own blend of all of those musical influences. 

“Music is a total canvas for somebody’s personality,” he says. “And I love how music uses so many different kinds of languages. There’s the language of rhythm, the language of lyrics, and the language of harmony. I love it, I really do, and I have a ball with it.”

For Reflector, Donato enlisted GRAMMY-winning producer Vance Powell, who has worked with Chris Stapleton, Martina McBride, Buddy Guy, and others. Steel guitar legend Paul Franklin plays on four of the 15 tracks. 

“Paul Franklin has been a hero of mine since I was about 15 years old,” Donato says. “That’s when I first met him. He used to come hear me play at Robert’s.”

Donato says he's been fortunate to have continued support and encouragement to follow his dreams of pursuing music.   

"Most importantly, through my parents, and their support for my life. I got to live in Spring Hill, close to Nashville, and it was all there for me. I took much of it in, and then all of my heroes like Paul Franklin, Brent Mason, and other musicians were so kind and gracious to me. I learned so much from them.”

He says he’s grateful for how far he’s come and the many fans who come to see him and his band perform. 

“I think people are finding the spirit in our sound,” he says. “They’re finding the same spirit I’ve been seeking my whole life. And our community is astounding. They make memes, they make t-shirts, they come to five shows one week. It’s the whole thing, it’s awesome.”

He hopes to continue building on that success and see what the future holds. 

“I just want to keep doing what we’re doing, and I just want to do it bigger. I want to keep putting out music and keep playing as many truthful shows as we can. I think that's the great adventure, and the call to life is to go where the truth takes you.”

To learn more about Daniel Donato and Cosmic County visit: danieldonato.com