Owen Danoff

Singer-songwriter Owen Dan­off has been making the rounds at Washington-area venues for more than five years. A performance at Ebenezers Coffeehouse. A show at Jammin’ Java. Opening for other musicians at the Hamilton and the Birchmere. At most, he played for a few hundred people; at the least, a few dozen.

But since early March, his music has been reaching millions of ears that tune in on weekday evenings to hear him sing and strum his guitar.

Danoff’s latest gig: contestant on “The Voice,” the NBC singing competition.

On Tuesday, he advanced to the top 11 after a nail-biting elimination-round performance against Emily Keener, a 17-year-old who sings in sepia tones.

“It’s crazy,” Danoff said by phone from Los Angeles a day after the live show. “I have gotten so much farther than I ever expected.”

If serendipity — or rather, the suits from Hollywood — hadn’t stepped in, his career might have unspooled in a different direction. Danoff is the son of Bill Danoff, who won Grammys for such singalong hits as “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Afternoon Delight.” Now, the folk-rock musician son, who started writing music at 15 and graduated from Gonzaga College High School in Northwest Washington, had been toying with the idea of auditioning for the show since Season 3 (in calendar years, September 2012). In July, now living in New York, he signed up for open calls. But he never showed up.

“I chickened out,” he admitted. “I thought I occupied a different space in music than what you see on music shows.”

Danoff, who gravitates to the lyricism of folk music and the energy of rock bands, doesn’t have a big bowl-you-over voice or a flashy stage presence. And yet the show’s producers noticed a spark in his YouTube videos and contacted him. In early March, Danoff appeared at the so-called blind auditions with a guitar slung around his T-shirted neck and Bob Dylan’s lyrics on his tongue. The four coaches — Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Pharrell Williams — all swung their chairs around and fought for the right to nurture the voice covering “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” Levine won that battle.

“He had no preconception of who I was,” said the admitted fan of Levine’s band, Maroon 5. “He gives me honest comments and just wants me to grow.”

Since earning a spot on the show, Danoff has been spending hours a day with Levine and vocal coaches, practicing, selecting songs and honing his craft. He works with the show’s staff to select songs that reflect his aesthetic and style of music but also resonate with America’s viewers. His fate rests with the public’s voting thumbs.

“The song is on my mind all week,” he said. “It never stops.”

On social media, followers have suggested that Danoff perform one of his father’s songs, but he balks at the idea.

“It’s a little too close,” he said. “I can’t divorce the recording from him. It’s like wearing his clothes.”

As a self-professed fatalist, he said, he was prepared for Tuesday’s elimination show. He imagined standing onstage as one of the bottom two, preparing himself for the decisive vote. “I think I go into some weird shock mode,” he said.

Now he can picture himself in next week’s live shows.

Danoff will have the opportunity to perform one of his original creations — if he makes it to the Final Four.

To remain in the competition, he needs the votes of the people. Across Washington, locals are drumming up support. The neighbor who lives across the street from his parents’ District home have put up a sign campaigning for him. Musician friends give him a shout-out at concerts. He even won the pop-rock vocalist category in April’s Washington Area Music Awards.

“The community is very tight-knit and supportive,” he said. “I have such a wonderful background in D.C. No matter where I am, I consider D.C. to be my home.”

Danoff knows that the unparalleled exposure of the TV show will help him elevate his career. He doesn’t know whether he’ll win — or even ascend to the next level. But he already has proof that his time on the show has paid off.

On June 30, he will appear at the Hamilton. Mike Schiavo, who was eliminated in the Battle Rounds, will open. Owen Danoff will headline. - The Washington Post

Last night on NBC, “The Voice” aired a performance show that, regrettably, we would label as disappointing more so than anything else. While we did like many of the performances, we didn’t love very many of them, and we see stronger artists on Team Blake and especially Team Christina, which is really firing on all cylinders. There are two exceptions here in Owen Danoff and Hannah Huston, who we think both have a reasonable shot at this.

In looking at the iTunes results this morning (around 12:00 p.m. Eastern time), the biggest surprise to us is seeing Shalyah Fearing’s version of “Listen” by Beyonce at #14 on the chart. There’s nobody likely getting a multiplier, but she is looking like she has a very good shot at being America’s saved artist for Team Adam. We don’t think it’s 100% a lock right now, though, especially with Danoff at #25 with “Hero.” We also wouldn’t write off Laith Al-Saadi at #32 thanks to “With a Little Help From My Friends.”

If Adam makes his final choices based on iTunes alone, we’re feeling pretty darn confident at the moment that these will be the three who advance on Adam’s team; they’ve all got a pretty substantial lead on the remainder of the competition.

As for Team Pharrell, the competition’s a little bit murkier. Despite being the Coach Comeback artist and performing first (which is always a roadblock, Daniel Passino is strong with “If I Was Your Man” at #40. We still think that Hannah Huston (who is at #44) will be the first artist declared safe from his team, though; she performed last on the night, which could be a huge boost to her internet / text votes. Also, keep watch on Emily Keener. While her “Crazy After all These Years” was a little lower at #58, we think that her vocal here coupled with modest sales for a song not too familiar to modern audiences could lift her into the next round. - CarterMatt.com

D.C. native Owen Danoff turned heads -- and all four chairs -- during a heart-tugging performance on NBC's "The Voice" this week.

The singer-songwriter, 25, has deep personal and family ties to the D.C. music scene, and it took mere seconds for three of the judges to face Danoff after he began his performance of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right."

Pharrell Williams, Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine nearly immediately turned to face Danoff, indicating they'd like to work with him. Blake Shelton appeared to be the lone holdout at first, but later into the performance, he too turned his chair.

"You were just so involved with what you were doing, and so meaningful," Aguilera told Danoff. "...I do know the place that you're coming from, and I think music is music, no matter what genre it is. If you feel it with your heart, then it speaks to the world."

At first, Danoff modestly told the judges that he'd grown up "in a musical family" and his dad is a musician -- but the real story is actually a whole lot more impressive.

"He is a songwriter also. He had a band in the '70s that won a couple Grammys and stuff," Danoff told the judges. Then he dropped the name of the group: Starland Vocal Band.

"'Afternoon Delight'?" asked judge Blake Shelton. "Whoa!"
Turns out Owen's dad is singer-songwriter Bill Danoff, who formed the group famous for its #1 hit "Afternoon Delight" in 1976, according to NPR.

Bill Danoff also wrote numerous hits for John Denver, including "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which helped launch Denver to fame. Danoff first shared the song with Denver in his D.C. apartment when Denver was passing through town, NPR previously reported.

Owen Danoff now lives in New York, but he grew up in the area and has performed at nearly every major DMV music venue, including the 9:30 Club and the Birchmere, according to the bio on his website. He's also nabbed three Washington Area Music Awards and was selected as a Strathmore Artist in Residence, his site said.

While all four "Voice" judges were eager to work with him, Danoff ultimately decided to go with Levine.

"You, Owen, have a very strong identity, very heart-breaking and crushing and sensitive, and that is a very difficult combination of things to exist in one person," Levine told Danoff before he made his pick. - NBC 4 Washington

"No alcohol is needed at the legendary Blue Bird Cafe, an intimate venue for songwriters to share their music and the stories behind them. Their regular gathering, In the Round, brings four musicians together to take turns in what feels much less like a performance than a jam session among friends. On the evening I went, Gordon Kennedy, who penned Eric Clapton's hit, "Change the World," stood out. He opened with the hit and later played a great track ("I Will Not Be Broken") that was initially rejected for the movie "Spirit" before Bonnie Raitt made it a success. He brought a young songwriter, Owen Danoff, on stage midway through who blew me away with his atypical love song, "No Such Thing (As You and Me)." There was a quite excitement in the air throughout as if discovery was underfoot."

-Chris Kompanek - Huffington Post Blog

"IT'S ABOUT THE WORDS AND MUSIC"

The inaugural Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards, founded by Cathy Bernard, is named in honor of Fred Ebb, one of the great American songwriters and creator of Broadway hits such as Cabaret and Chicago and iconic songs including NewYork, New York.

A live concert featureded the 9 finalists out of more than 250 songwriting submissions. The grand prize winner, Owen Danoff, was announced and awarded $10,000. The young songwriter (under the age or 18), Lexi Peto, was also be honored and received $2,500. Click here to read more about the selected songwriters. - Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards

“No Such Thing (As You And Me)” 1st Place Written by Owen Danoff Interview by Caine O’Rear How long have you been writing songs? I started when I was 15, so for about 10 years now. I see you attended Berklee College of Music. What did you study there? I graduated with a major in film scoring. Did you take any songwriting classes? When I first went to Berklee I planned on a songwriting major, but then I find out about film scoring and then my plan was to do a dual major, but then I called my Dad – who’s also a songwriter – and he said that it’s not something you have to go to school to do. For example, John Lennon didn’t have to go to school for it. You can just write songs on your own from writing a lot and listening to really good music, he said. So I figured I would need school a lot more when it came to scoring a film [laughs]. Have you scored any films yet? No films, but I just finished doing the music for some PSAs for the American Medical Association. I know someone who was in charge of putting them together and they asked me to do the music. When did you write “No Such Thing (As You And Me)”? I wrote it last June. I released my first album last May and this was the second song I wrote since writing that album. Do you think this is a typical song for you as a songwriter as far as the style or genre goes? I think it is pretty typical. When I was writing it I was thinking about a musical. I had this whole scenario of who would be singing this song and why they would be singing it, and it formulated like that, which was something that was new for me, even if it sounds like the things I’ve written in the past. Did you move to New York for music career reasons? Yes, that was the intention. How have you found the songwriting community there? There are some really, really incredible songwriters there. There’s a place called Rockwood Music Hall that’s free and has live music all the time. For me I’m still trying to ingratiate myself into that whole scene. I like it so far. I’ve been there since May but I’ve been traveling a lot and going to D.C., so it’s been a lot of back and forth. So your dad, Bill Danoff, was a pretty successful songwriter. He wrote “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” right? Yeah, he had a band called Starland Vocal Band and they did “Afternoon Delight,” which he wrote as well. And then John Denver ended up recording a bunch of his songs, I think it was 12. Did you grow up under his tutelage as far as playing music goes? When I was growing up it was sort of inescapable. I would go to shows with him as an 8-year- old kid and get up on stage with everyone. And there was always music around the house and at parties there would always be people around the piano at the end of the night and people playing guitar. So it was always a huge part of my childhood growing up, before I started writing. Do you try to write every day? I try to write every day. My phone is full of notes and voice memos because I try to break down ideas when they come to me. I have a stack of them that I can pull from whenever I want to write. I try to stay in the mindset of it and try to write as much as possible. Who are your favorite songwriters? Right now Paul Simon is the biggest one for me. Bob Dylan, of course. John Mayer is another huge, huge inspiration of me. Warren Zevon is another huge one for me. - American Songwriter

I can always gauge how good an album is by my friend’s reactions when I have it as background music playing in my car. Usually it’s tuned out when the conversation starts, but D.C. singer/songwriter Owen Danoff’s first full-length album, Twelve Stories, received several queries of “who is this? I really like it.” As many times as I’ve listened to this album, it never fails to accomplish what I look for in a remarkable piece of work: it has guts, it has elegance and I can relate to the themes and emotions conveyed by the songwriter.

Funded through a Kickstarter campaign whose top supporter was actor Nathan Fillion (Castle, Serenity, Firefly), and with an abundance of guest musicians including Rami Jaffee (the Wallflowers, Foo Fighters), Twelve Stories is a thoughtful, refined musical masterpiece. Each track tells a story, whether it be a quiet road trip allowing pause for self-reflection or an ode to the City of Angels, the songs flow organically from the album’s opening monologue to it’s conclusion.

“Never Been Kissed” was the first single released and one of the most requested songs at Danoff’s live shows. It’s a fun, catchy tune you can’t help but sing along to and really, who wouldn’t want to be this girl: “They can call me crazy, another hopeless fool, but they’ve never been kissed, they’ve never been kissed by you.” One of my favorite personal touches is the little laughs Danoff subtly injects into a few of these songs. They add personality and a human element to punctuate the lyric.

“I Wish I Knew Better” is an honest, bittersweet song and one of my favorites for the images it conveys such as “the ghost of the smell of perfume” or the recording Danoff made on his phone of a slowly falling rain shower and people talking on the streets of the West Village which was then used as the tune’s intro. Danoff wrote this “completely intellectually within three hours while sitting in my friend’s apartment.” The final verse hits a nerve every time I hear it because it’s just so relatable: “this time tomorrow, I’ll be away, on the long roads that lie from NY to LA; chasing a lover that I can’t get to stay, and I wish I knew better. This time tomorrow, I’ll be so far, from the memories we made between people and cars, but people don’t change, they just change where they are. And I wish I knew better than that.”

Twelve Stories is an inspirational and compelling volume of work; overwhelmingly romantic, at times lonely, wildly cathartic and timeless. John Mayer once said, “life is a beautiful thing. Pack a bag, make a playlist. Watch the world. Don’t speak. Just listen.” So include this album in your playlist, get in your car, put on the CD, watch the world go by and don’t speak, just listen. - That Music Mag

There were several reasons D.C. singer/songwriter/ WAMA nominee/ 2012-2013 Strathmore Artist in Residence Owen Danoff listed as to why his album release show at Virginia’s Jammin’ Java on Sunday night would be amazing. They included the fact that it would be his first full band show of the year (he’s been playing solo shows so far), Pittsburgh’s Joy Ike would be opening, the venue is kick-ass and also, for sci-fi buffs like us, it was Star Wars Day (if The Imperial March was played half-way through the set, I was totally going to be geeking out). From full-on electric rock tunes to unplugged traditional ballads, the show was, in a word, exhilarating, not only for Danoff’s poetic lyrics and the incredible talent he had joining him on stage, but for the powerful and awe-inspiring way Danoff connects with his audience.

Hailing from a legendary family (dad Bill Danoff was a founding member of the Starland Vocal Band in the late 1970s, winning a Grammy for “Afternoon Delight” and co-writing John Denver’s hit song “Take Me Home Country Roads”), Danoff didn’t become serious about music until his mid-teens. “I think that I wanted to play music [as a career] right around the time that I realized I had to have a job and I knew it worked for my dad and seemed like the most appealing option. I eventually grew into loving it more than when I first thought about it.”

Owen Danoff and Rami Jaffee (photo credit, Jane Roser)
Owen Danoff and Rami Jaffee (photo credit, Jane Roser)
Danoff moved to Boston to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music (John Mayer, Melissa Etheridge, Gillian Welch and Quincy Jones are all alumni) studying songwriting, composition and bass. Danoff worked on his first EP, Icarus, at this time as part of a school project in collaboration with the music production engineer students. “Their final project was to record a three song demo, so we recorded “Abandon Ship” and “See This Through” (which were reworked on Danoff’s current album, Twelve Stories). The original version of “Abandon Ship” was a big production and I was very proud of writing all of the string parts myself, but I felt it was a little too epic for what I wanted to do this time around.”

Danoff moved back to D.C. after college and only planned to stay through the summer before moving to L.A., but through going to events with his dad while he was growing up, Danoff started to meet people in the D.C. music scene and realized it might be a smarter idea to stick around a bit longer. “I wanted to establish myself here, independently of my dad, but using these introductions. I wanted to have a foundation here before I moved somewhere else. I like how small the music scene here feels sometimes. I’ve played as a backup musician to several different artists here and everyone helps each other out, there’s a real feeling of community here,” Danoff says.

Twelve Stories started off after Danoff was making plans to collaborate with a friend of his. “We both had all of these songs we hadn’t recorded yet and one day he called to say he really needed to record his songs before doing anything else and I had been thinking along the same lines, so I decided it was time to record my songs, too.”

Danoff began a Kickstarter campaign to fund his album and found an unlikely backer in actor Nathan Fillion (Castle, Waitress, Firefly). “We met through a mutual friend in L.A. and were at his house one day. My friend handed me a guitar and asked me to play something, so I played “Abandon Ship” and Nathan filmed it on his iPhone. He was so nice and supportive from the get-go, but it was a huge surprise when he put the Kickstarter funding over the edge.”

Finding his title inspiration from J.D. Salinger’s book, Nine Stories, Danoff’s album is a beautifully cohesive collection of newer and older tunes. “There were a few songs that I felt had to be recorded for this album,” explains Danoff. “”Never Been Kissed” was one because every time I played it at a show, someone would come up and ask me where they could find it. “Amsterdam” and “Hometown Headstone” were important to me and I really wanted to record them, then “See This Through” and “Abandon Ship” I wanted to re-do.”

Danoff recruited fifteen musicians and vocalists to assist him on this album, including long-time colleagues Mike Squillante (guitar, bass), Adrian Godat (guitar), Miles Nasta and Isabelle De Leon (drums), as well as a special guest appearance by Foo Fighters/Wallflowers keyboardist Rami Jaffee.

“Hometown Headstone” came about from the huge chunk of time Danoff spends driving to and from gigs (when we met to do this interview, he had just returned from playing a show outside of Philly). “I think for me, when you’re driving, it’s a reflective time because you can’t really focus on anything else, but what you’re doing is really boring, so your mind can wander. It’s a reflection without a whole lot of emotion, which is really interesting to me.”

“Amsterdam” and “I Wish I Knew Better” both won honorable mentions in the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest and Danoff explains he wrote “Amsterdam” after a friend of his who was in the Marines passed away. “A month later I was scheduled to go to Europe with some friends. I went to his funeral with a change of clothes in the car and then went straight to the airport. I wanted to write about it, but didn’t want it to be too heavy-handed; I wanted to pay tribute in a respectful way. Amsterdam was the third place we visited and throughout the entire trip I’d been playing the guitar part that became the melody for that song.”

“See This Through”, with it’s electric riffs and vintage sound, stands out from the other tracks and I mention to Danoff that it reminds me of a song you would hear in the climatic scene of a Quentin Tarantino film, to which Danoff smiles and tells me that was exactly what he was going for. I mean exactly as in I’m either very intuitive or scarily psychic. “I wasn’t thinking about that, but my friend’s dad suggested it before we recorded the album, so I called my band and told them we needed to record it Tarantino[esque].”

Danoff recently wrapped up a mini-tour of the South, including stops in Nashville and Georgia where he played the open mic at the famed Eddie’s Attic. “At the end of the night they call back three finalists and there’s like a shootout where there’s only one winner. John Mayer and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland have won in the past. I got to the finals and then I froze up, but it’s one of the coolest venues I’ve ever played. I like to play venues where people listen and are really into the music.”

Musician Jon Carroll, who performed with Danoff’s dad in the Starland Vocal Band, had this to say: “I’ve known Owen to be, even as a child, extremely thoughtful and circumspect, with his nose always in a book. It wasn’t until his high school years that I noticed how resolute and focused he had become as a writer and musician, as if he’d known that all along and it was high time everyone else cottoned to the concept. One oughtn’t be surprised, but in light of his humility, irony oriented humor and kind demeanor, it’s quite astounding to see how applied and devoted he’s been from the start; to the work, the craft, the entire process. Despite this being his first full-length album release, it-in so many ways-feels, sounds and comes across as something more mature. It’s a bit uncanny, as most artists prove to be.”

Hoping to one day play such venues as World Cafe Live or Mountain Stage, Danoff is next relocating to New York City for the summer and will continue to showcase his talents there until his travels take him elsewhere, or as a verse in “I Wish I Knew Better” goes: “this time tomorrow, I’ll be so far; from the memories we made between people and cars, but people don’t change they just change where they are.”

There are few artists in our lifetime who can carve out perfection to create brilliant pieces of work. Owen Danoff is one such artist and thankfully for us here in D.C., we won’t have to wait too long for an encore. - That Music Mag

If great music had a poster child, it's name would be Owen Danoff. On the artist's latest
release, Twelve Stories, it's hard to understand why so many record companies are
forfeiting signing great artist like Owen so they can relearn what sells. This guy is by far
one of the purest male vocalists I've heard in the indie music circuit, and I couldn't
imagine how anyone wouldn't like Owen's voice.

Twelve Stories starts off strong with the amazing songwriting, music, and vocal
performance that brings to life, Hometown Headstone. This is the song I foreknew and
heard 14 years ago when I left my small hometown in Illinois for the opportunity available
to me in Atlanta. What a great recording! Everything is in the right place and really makes
a strong case for "Song of the Year" honors in just about any songwriting contest.
Sonically, the song (really, the entire album) is well mixed. The right compression on the
vocals and instruments really does make the record come to life and I'd love to share this
song on The Miews podcast some day.

Other songs on this album that I really felt a connection with include: I Wish I Knew Better,
Alone Life, Hollywood, Abandon Ship, and Nowhereland. All of these songs hit home for
me, but Hollywood struck a nerve. Anyone who has dealt with the smoke and mirrors of
"Tinsel Town" have felt the same things Owen expresses in this song. I'd absolutely
encourage you (the reader) to support Owen Danoff by visiting his Bandcamp page and
buying "Twelve Stories" at http://owendanoff.bandcamp.com/album/twelve-stories - I Am Entertainment

Owen Danoff is a singer-songwriter who has a roadmap laid out in front of him. He knows where he wants to go, has a plan of how he wants to get there, and has a support system ready to encourage him along the way.

With the impending release show for his first full-length album, “Twelve Stories,” at Jammin’ Java on May 4, Danoff is eager to use this collection of songs as a springboard to the next level of his musical career.

After a stint as a Strathmore Artist in Residence and a successful Kickstarter campaign in June 2013, Danoff exceeded his intended monetary goal and now finds himself overwhelmed by the support he’s received for not just “Twelve Stories” but for his songwriting endeavors as well.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Danoff was brought up in a musical family. His dad is songwriter Bill Danoff of the Starland Vocal Band. So clearly, music runs in the kid’s blood. At the age of 15, Danoff wrote and self-produced his first original song and subsequent recording on the same day his dad first gave him an audio recorder. But he didn’t always know he wanted to pursue music as a career.



After high school, Danoff enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

“As soon as college came around, everything sort of like flipped,” Danoff said. “I think I realized that I needed a job at some point in my life and I didn’t really know what I wanted.” What he did know, though, is that he enjoyed music. Plus — a career in music did end up working out for his dad.

“I decided to experiment, like get a little better and see how I felt about it,” he said.” I like fell in love and wanted to actually do it, not just because I thought it might work.”

At Berkelee, Danoff decided to enroll as a Film Score Writing student with his primary instrument being bass. Why bass and not piano or guitar? In his younger years, he played a little clarinet and learned piano as well as a bit of guitar but it all goes back to a decision he made in middle school.

“All my friends in middle school were playing guitar so I was like ‘I should probably play bass so I won’t be useless’.”

Now that he’s graduated, Danoff’s looking to see how far his original songs will take him. They’re personal and mean a lot to him.

“I think at the root of everything [on this album] you can find insecurity and a fear of the future,” he confessed.

“Twelve Stories” features an assortment of original music Danoff composed over the course of his songwriting efforts thus far and features a majority his old favorites. In fact, only one or two new songs were written fresh for the album. The rest of the songs were selected for this particular release because Danoff felt he wanted to do justice, in the studio, to the songs he wanted to be able to perform live the most.

The official release show for “Twelve Stories” will be a hometown affair at Jammin’ Java that just so happens to also fall on one of Danoff’s favorite holidays. As a self-professed “huge, gigantic Star Wars fan,” he couldn’t be happier about that fact that May 4 — aka Star Wars Day — coincides with his release show date. - We Love DC

Owen Danoff, one of the top contenders from Team Adam Levine for this season's "The Voice US," competed for a spot in the top 11 before being eliminated in Week 3.

Danoff, who was one of those few contestants in this series who got four chair-turn by all the four judges, has been familiar with music since an early age. His father, Bill Danoff, is a Grammy award winner, and also a songwriter and one of the original members of the Starland Vocal Band. So it doesn't come as a surprise that after finishing high school, Owen enrolled in Berklee College of Music, Boston, and graduated with a degree in film scoring.


Danoff finished at the 11th place in Season 10 of "The Voice US." In an exclusive interview with International Business Times, India, he shares the highlights of his journey in "The Voice US" Season 10.

International Business Times: How was your experience on "The Voice?"

Owen Danoff: Totally magical. It was fun, stressful, enriching, and inspiring. I grew immensely as an artiste and a performer but also as a person, and came away from the experience with many lessons learned and more than a few friendships that I'm sure are going to last a lifetime.

IBT: How did the guidance of your coach, Adam Levine, enhance your singing skills and help you improve?

Danoff: The most important thing that I took away from working with Adam Levine was that I don't need to change who I am in order to succeed as an artiste. Since my Blind Audition, Adam has been supportive of me the way that I am and has worked hard to nurture my sense of self-confidence and assurance in the fact that what I do has merit and worth. I think it's very easy, especially in a situation like The Voice, to compare yourself to other people who are doing what you want to do, and Adam's big point to me was that I should focus on being the best version of myself instead of worrying about how I would look as compared to anyone else.

IBT: Looking back, would you have rather chosen a song other than "Burning House"?

Danoff: I think "Burning House" was the perfect song for my second Instant Save performance. It's beautifully written both in terms of the music and the lyrics. I believe the song was a great choice.

IBT: What is your most memorable moment from "The Voice" Season 10?

Danoff: The most memorable moment was when Team Adam rehearsed "If You Want Me To Stay" by Sly And The Family Stone together before we performed it on live TV. In the rehearsal, I was playing bass, Laith Al-Saadi was playing guitar, and Adam Levine was playing drums. The three of us, along with Shalyah Fearing, were singing as well. It was an incredible moment for me because I had always wanted to play bass and sing on the show (something no other contestant has done), and because I got to do so while also playing with Laith and Adam. Music is its own language and getting to play with Laith and Adam allowed us to connect on a musical level and not just a personal level. It was one of the most fun times I had being on "The Voice."

IBT: You were a professional singer before joining "The Voice." How do you think this experience will enhance your career?

Danoff: This experience has enhanced my career since the day I knew I was going to be auditioning. Since then I have worked harder than ever before on my vocal technique and ability, pushed myself out of my comfort zone over and over again as a performer and a musician, and learned how to deal with a level of pressure that I'd never experienced before. This show has also granted me a ton of exposure and a wonderful relationship with fans, both old and new. People have been amazingly supportive and I really feel as though I have a wonderful support network out there that wants me to succeed. I'm so grateful to everyone who has put in time and effort to let me know they've listened to my music and are invested in what I'll be doing next.

IBT: What was your reasoning behind choosing Adam as your coach? How did he help you through the various rounds?

Danoff: I chose Adam as my coach because out of all the coaches, I feel I have the most in common with him musically. We are both songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, and I have the utmost respect for his ability as both a writer and a performer. He has helped me greatly by encouraging me to stay confident in who I am and to stay true to myself, above all.

IBT: If Adam hadn't turned around, who would you have chosen as your coach?

Danoff: I would have been incredibly fortunate to work with any of the coaches, but if Adam hadn't turned around I think I would have chosen Pharrell. Aside from being brilliant and amazingly talented, Pharrell is an incredibly genuine, kind, and grounded person. I spent a little bit of time with him throughout my run on the show and I was always amazed at how obvious it was that he had the best interests of his contestants at heart.

IBT: Who is/are your favourite contestant(s) this season?

Danoff: I love every contestant equally. Going through this experience together has made us all close friends, and I want everyone to succeed equally. Of the people who are left on the show I have spent the most time with Laith Al-Saadi and Shalyah Fearing because we were all on Team Adam together. Laith and I got dinner together all the time and Shalyah is like a little sister to me. Alisan Porter is also wonderful, and wore an Owen Danoff t-shirt to my Playoffs performance.

IBT: What is the most important lesson you learned from this chapter of your life?

Danoff: The most important lesson I've learned is that it's incredibly important to go after what you want and chase your dreams. No matter what rejection you may face, the things you gain make up for it – and then some.

IBT: Many of your fans were disheartened to see you go and have been blowing up social media pages. Do you have any message for them?

Danoff: Hi, everybody! I've said it before, but thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support. Not a minute goes by when I don't think of the crazy amount of love that has been directed my way since my journey on "The Voice" began. I feel it, and I appreciate it more than I can put into words. My time on "The Voice" might be over, but the journey is just beginning, and I am so happy to have you with me. - International Business Times

Singer-songwriter Owen Danoff earned some high profile, prime time exposure earlier this year when he landed a spot on Adam Levine’s team during Season 10 of The Voice. In his run on the show, which saw him make it into the Top 11, the D.C. native showed off his vocal skills by taking on songs both classic (“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”, “Fire And Rain”) and modern (“7 Years”, “Lego House”).

Today Idolator is premiering Owen’s first post-Voice single, “Love On Your Side.” It’s a Beatles-esque track that showcases both the 26-year-old singer’s folky side as well as his pop sensibilities.

“I wrote this song while living in NYC,” Owen explains to Idolator. “I love the city and the people in it so much, but in a place with so much going on it’s sometimes easy to feel interchangeable, which was a bit of my inspiration for the lyrics. ‘Love On Your Side’ was produced by Mike (vocals, guitar, keys, production) and Nick Squillante (vocals, production), with Ben Marino on drums and vocals. All are great friends of mine and really amazing musicians so we had a lot of fun putting this together.”



Danoff continues, “I’ve always considered myself to be first and foremost a songwriter, but being on The Voice made me much more comfortable as a vocalist as well, which made this song a lot of fun to write and sing. That said, the coolest part of this process was recording the harmonies, because we all just stood around a microphone and sang together. It was totally organic and I think it shows. I think it’s my favorite part of the record.”

Give “Love On Your Side” a listen above, before the single’s official release on July 8. - Idolator

At some point in our lives we make a decision that in scriptwriting is called, “the point of no return.” For three D.C. musicians, their choice to compete on two of NBC’s popular singing shows, The Voice and The Sing-Off, was the “point of no return” in their musical journeys.
Before Orlando Dixon had the opportunity to compete in season four of NBC’s The Voice, where he advanced one battle shy of the live playoffs, he was far from certain about the road ahead.
Orlando Dixon (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
While there were many high points like performing with Smokey Robinson and Philp Bailey of Earth, Wind and Fire, Dixon also experienced a good deal of setbacks like failed record deals and tainted working relationships.
“When the opportunity [to try out for the show] came along I knew the timing was right,” Dixon said.
The chance to compete in a singing reality show competition was one he could not pass up; Dixon knew the amazing opportunity that was in front of him. Dixon went into The Voice tryouts fully aware of what could happen and for him, the audition process required a lot of thought and strategy. He realized that the song he chose to sing was extremely important. This audition would be his first impression on not only the judges, but the show’s audience as well.
“[The song choice would represent] myself musically but also artistically. Now keep in mind that at the time, I was still figuring that out for myself,” said Dixon, “but I knew I was being given the opportunity to do it in front of millions of people. I wanted to make sure that my story and journey came across as authentically as possible.”

For some contestants, getting involved with a reality TV show was a little different. Afro-Blue, the premier Howard University a cappella jazz ensemble who competed on season three of NBC’s The Sing-Off, didn’t have much of an idea what they were getting into when they decided to try out for the show. Cedric Dent, Take 6 member and friend of Afro-Blue director Ms. Miller, suggested that the group audition after receiving an email from The Sing-Off’s casting department.
“[We] didn’t know much about the show beforehand,” said Christie Dashiell, member of the jazz group. “Sure, a few of us had heard of it, but other than it being a reality TV show competition, we sort of went in blindly. I think that worked out in our favor, as we didn’t really have a chance to get too nervous or anxious about it all.”
While The Voice contestants went through two rounds of callbacks singing current pop songs in front of the judges, the audition and preparation process for Afro-Blue was pretty easy; they submitted a video.

“We basically came together for a couple days to rehearse,” said Dashiell, “and at the end of the two days made a video and sent it in. We heard back from the producers that we made it about one month later.” Afro-Blue went on to become one of the top four groups in the competition.
Owen Danoff, who competed on the latest season of The Voice, already had released his first full-length album, Twelve Stories, before trying out for the tenth season of the show. The Voice was Danoff’s opportunity to promote himself, grow as an artist and learn from some the music industry’s great minds.
Once the musicians were chosen as contestants for the new season of the singing competition shows, they immediately began what Danoff described as ‘an artist boot camp.’
“I worked with a vocal coach and with staging coaches to improve singing and performance technique, learned how to handle myself in interviews, and spent time collaborating with and receiving feedback from the amazing Voice band and my coach Adam Levine,” Danoff said. “All of these tools are partially in place to ensure a great show, but they also provide invaluable experience for the artists that can be applied to post-Voice life.”
Owen Danoff (Photo: NBC)
The competition process for the contestants was rigorous. They rehearsed continuously and received advice from their coaches along the way.
Dixon, who was a member of both Team Usher and Team Adam, learned a lot about performing and developing as an artist from his coaches.
“The biggest piece of advice I got from both Usher and Adam (and Pharrell too, who was not a coach but was Usher’s advisor at that time), was to fully tap into the qualities that make ‘Orlando who he is,’” said Dixon. “Not just artistically, but on a personal level as well. Hearing that prompted me to really look inside myself to find my own voice.”

The ‘boot camp’ was fast paced, challenging and demanding both physically and mentally. The contestants also had to also juggle relationships during a period that left little time for communication with friends and family.
For Dashiell, there was little time for communication with the outside world during the competition. However, the intensity resulted in extremely close bonds between the contestants.
“Our schedule was jam packed with individual rehearsals, group rehearsals, choreography, press, camera blocking and obviously filming,” she said. “[It] was tough. We also couldn’t really disclose too much about what we were doing, due to the nature of the show. It’s like you’re going through one of the most amazing times in your life, but you can’t share it with your folks.”
Creating relationships with the other contestants was easy to do. But at times the experience was emotionally straining as well.
“There’s [this] internal competition among the contestants,” said Dixon. “By that, I mean you are bonding with other vocalists who you’re actually competing with. Mentally, that can hang you up because you don’t want to see people you’ve built a relationship with go, but it’s inevitable in that kind of situation.”
For Dixon, the competition proved to be a useful push toward identifying his strengths and putting them in the spotlight. “You learn what makes YOU unique in a competition like this, and how to fully embrace that in your artistry,” he said.
Each second of the crazy, high-intensity experience was well worth it to the contestants. Since competing on the shows Dixon, Dashiell and Danoff have all not only received many more musical opportunities, but they grew and evolved as artists.
Danoff, who reached the top 11 on The Voice, credits the show for helping to grow his fanbase. He’s about to release a new single called “Love on Your Side” on July 8 and tour across the U.S.

“I had always been a little skeptical about singing shows and wondered how things like artistic integrity and the wishes of the contestants factored in behind the scenes,” he said. “I can’t speak to how things are on other reality shows, but I was shocked at how respectful everyone on The Voice is towards the artists on the show. The show really does have the best interests of its artists at heart, and behind the scenes.”
Dixon has had the chance to work with a few of his favorite artists like Jason Derulo and the Zac Brown Band since The Voice. He was also the recipient of the House Studio Artist Grant in 2014 and has released his first studio album, Listen.
“The great thing about this show is it is a great training ground for the opportunities that come afterwards,” said Dixon. “I am grateful to be forever associated with something that changed me, and that changes lives and careers.”
Dashiell is still recognized as “the girl from The Sing-Off” and believes the show did nothing but help her move forward in her career.
“So many opportunities have come my way simply because I was a part of the show,” Dashiell said, “so I’m forever grateful for Howard, Connaitre Miller (creator and director of Afro-Blue), Afro-Blue, and The Sing-Off. I’m thankful that that’s a part of me and my journey.”

When it comes to whether they would go through the process again, however, all three musicians had varied answers. Dixon gave a firm, “YES!” when asked if he would ever do The Voice again, but Dashiell was a little skeptical.
“Being on The Sing-Off as a member of Afro-Blue was one of the most exciting, difficult and rewarding experiences of my life,” Dashiell said. “Not sure if I would ever do something like it again, but I’m so glad I went through the experience.”
Like Dixon, Danoff had overwhelmingly positive things to say about his experience. “I had thought, on and off, about auditioning for The Voice since season three, and I urge anyone else who has toyed with the idea to take the step and audition,” he said.
Being a contestant on a reality TV competition was hard work, but each of the artists found that it had a lasting effect on their careers. “It’s hard for me to imagine not having the things I’ve gained from my time on The Voice, whether it be the boost my career has gotten, the growth I’ve experienced, or the friendships I’ve made with the amazing artists who were on the show with me,” said Danoff. “It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.” - DC Music Download

The Hamilton was sold out last Thursday, packed with people eager to see Owen Danoff, the 25-year-old DC native known for competing on The Voice. Caroline Moseley made the trek from Fort Belvoir. She discovered Danoff on The Voice, which she said she didn’t usually watch: “Most of the stuff on the show is so overproduced, but Owen’s voice sounded genuine and honest,” she said.
Danoff made it to the Top 11 before getting eliminated in April. But the singer had been working in the music industry before the show and the exit doesn’t seem to have slowed the progress of his career any. His first album, for which he won few local songwriting awards, came out in 2014 with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. He’s been working on a new EP in New York and Nashville. His new single, “Love On Your Side,” was released Friday. It’s typical Danoff–part rock, a little folk, reminiscent of John Mayer with plenty of guitar.
“DC was a perfect place for me to start because the community here is not huge,” Danoff said a few days before the Hamilton show. He was sitting in Chinatown Coffee Co. on H Street, Northwest (a place he says he applied for a job a few years back). He sips his cortado and apologizes if he rambles in his answers. “So it was really easy to get involved and meet people and become part of it.”
Danoff grew up in the Palisades. His dad, Bill Danoff, was in the Starland Vocal Band and cowrote “Take Me Home, Country Roads” with John Denver. Early on, Owen Danoff gravitated toward the bass, which led him to attend Berklee College of Music. Halfway into his time there, he started singing and songwriting. After, he became an artist-in-residence at the Strathmore in Bethesda.
Owen and his band at the Hamilton.
Owen and his band at the Hamilton.
Danoff says he wrestled with the idea of trying out for The Voice for a few years. Ultimately, it was the show that made the decision for him.
“I signed up for the open call in New York, but I chickened out,” he said. “Then they found me on YouTube a month later and asked me to come audition in LA.”
Moments like these over the past few moments have reminded Danoff he shouldn’t underestimate himself.
“Before, I didn’t think my voice could compete with the other contestants,” he said. “After they reached out to me, I realized it was possible.”
On The Voice, Danoff performed cover versions of other songwriters’ work–Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House” and Family of the Year’s “Hero.” Moseley followed Danoff on Twitter (she’s one of 14,000) post-elimination and discovered he’s also a dedicated songwriter, which is the reason she the braved beltway traffic to see him live.
“Performing other people’s songs and putting your own spin on them is impressive,” she said. “But when it’s something that comes from you, every word and pitch has meaning. It’s really interesting that it’s just you on the stage, as opposed to you singing someone else’s song.”
In fact, Danoff says, songwriting came naturally. Becoming a performer was more difficult.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a songwriter,” he said. “There are plenty of people who don’t sing very well but have great careers because their lyrics are really good. I’ve always used that as an excuse to not compare myself to other singers.”
Luckily for fans like Moseley, The Voice changed that mindset.
“Now that I’ve gone through an actual singing competition and did okay, I’m more comfortable as a vocalist,” Owen said.
Photo courtesy of Hallie Eisenberg
Danoff says this shift will show in his new work.
“It has more direction and focus,” he said. “And I sound more confident.”
He plans to finish the EP by the end of the summer and start touring in the fall. After that, he isn’t sure what’s next.
“I want to keep playing all over, I want to keep playing here,” he said. “Hopefully things will keep building.”
Moseley says she isn’t sure if Danoff’s popularity will escalate to superstardom, and she prefers that it doesn’t.
“I don’t know if his voice translates to selling out huge arenas, and I don’t know if his vision of what he wants for himself translates to that,” she said. “But if he wants to keep doing venues like this for the rest of his career, his fans will be really happy.”
At the Hamilton, those fans called for an encore and gave Danoff a standing ovation. A group of girls began shouting, “Key School,” referring to the elementary school Danoff in the Palisades.
“Hey, I went there,” he responded. - Washingtonian