Overview

I’m Danny Hamilton, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Torrance, CA.

I’ve been writing and performing all over Southern California since 1997, and like most of my musician friends, I’ve had a handful of close-calls and mini success stories along the way. Even a couple "15 minutes of fame" situations!

I’ve also had a large share of tragedy and adversity in my life – as many of us have – and it was the tragedies that first set me on the path to songwriting. Mostly as a means of therapy, the content of my songs in the beginning was quite literally just a musical diary of my journey through trauma, growth and healing.

It’s so easy to get consumed by the sadness and tragedies of life… and though there's bound to be HUGE pits of despair, our lives are constantly being sprinkled with beauty, joy and miracles all around us, every day… And it’s so important to never lose focus on THOSE aspects of life. To stay grounded in gratitude. And THAT is not always easy.

But that’s where I’m at now, and that's where this new album is at! The JOY! The gratitude! These songs are all tunes that have been sitting around for years, waiting for the opportunity to be brought to life. So, when producer Mike Richardson and his team at Plaid Dog contacted me, with this opportunity to record an album in their studio, I knew the time was NOW!

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my first 100% professionally-recorded and produced studio album in 20 years.

This campaign is raising funds for my next studio album with Mike Davidson in Boston, MA. Mike is a Boston-based producer and engineer with 15+ years of experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Mike and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life.

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Down the Line,” and you can check it out below!

To create an entire album of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Mike and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I've put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

My first studio album in 20 years!?

I've been constructing tunes, over the years, piece-by-piece, releasing singles as I've completed them... then, in February 2020 (17 years later) I was able to release a second album, which was comprised of 90% home recordings and a few tracks I recorded with the amazing Mike Post at MooseCat Recording, in Los Angeles, who helped me dial-in & fine-tune those home recordings and made it all sound seamless! 

I’ve been avoiding these types of crowdfunding things for years, because I just never felt comfortable … But, I’m not getting any younger and I’ve got all these songs that have been sitting around for so long – They aren't doing anybody any good just sitting in notebooks, or on old mini-cassette voice recorders – I DEFINITELY can’t afford to let another 17 years go between albums! But I remember what that first album cost (and I remember those kind folks that nearly went bankrupt funding it!) so that's why I'm reaching out to YOU... wonderful people who have supported me in the past, and who have expressed genuine hope & desire to see or hear my music succeed in one way or another... Anyone who has ever come to a show and danced, taken home a free cd, signed up for the mailing list, or dropped a couple bucks in the old tip jar... Your support and encouragement through the years has meant the world to me, THANK YOU.

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share this page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.