The Daniel Jordan Band Faces ‘Little Crazy’ Moments

The first time Daniel Jordan stepped onto a stage, it was beside Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Keith Urban in front of 15,000 people at the Hampton Coliseum.

“I was on like the tenth row and he pulled me and two other people up on stage and had us sing part of his song,” Jordan recalled. “The crowd decided who won and I ended up winning. We went down front in front of 15,000 people and finished the song.”

Jordan’s performance quickly made its way onto YouTube before he even returned home to Elizabeth City.

“The day I got home, Greg (Alexopoulos, owner of Big Daddy’s Pizza) called me and said, ‘Hey man, we’ve got to have you in here to play,’” Jordan said. “I had played guitar and sung around the house, but I had never performed anywhere.”

That was in 2009. Over the past 15 years, Jordan—both a singer and songwriter—formed his own band, The Daniel Jordan Band. The group performs nearly 100 shows a year across North Carolina and Virginia, even traveling as far as West Virginia.

The band has released singles like their latest, “A Little Crazy,” which is getting airplay on Dixie 105.7 and other stations. The band has also been nominated for Country Group of the Year at the Tenth annual Josie Music Awards, scheduled to be held at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Sunday, Oct. 27.

Before forming the band, Jordan started solo, then performed as a duo with Robbie Raper for about a year. They gradually added musicians until they became a full band.

“I’d say we’ve been a full band since about late 2011,” Jordan says.

The current lineup includes drummer Jerry Drew, rhythm guitarist Brad Kulman, Jason Markham on lead guitar, Keith Winslow on bass, and Joe Mastrangelo on banjo.

Growing up, Jordan listened to local bands like Out ‘n the Cold, 1980s and ‘90s southern rock, and older country music, as well as bands like Motley Crue and Def Leppard.

“I call our music ‘Country Music AC/DC,’” Jordan said. “It sounds like something AC/DC would put out, but it’s got a banjo in it.”

Jordan’s interest in music began with his parents, who were shag dancers and entered dance competitions. They met at the old Nags Head Casino, where his father was drumming in a beach music band.

“My mama was a really good singer — she sang in the (church) choir all the time, which is pretty much where I started,” he said. “Mainly I learned to play acoustic guitar just so I could sing in the house for myself or out on the porch.”

However, the incident at the Keith Urban concert ignited his passion, and he has been writing and performing ever since. Jordan prefers to work alone when it comes to songwriting.

“When I write something it’s got to come from me and only me,” he said. “I may take an idea if somebody says they have an idea for a song. But if it’s not something that I can sing about passionately or that means something to me, I don’t think I can record it.”

Jordan typically writes songs “in parts.”

“I’ll be sitting in my truck and I’ll come up with a hook or a chorus and I’ll put it in my phone, and then sit down later and put something to it,” he said.

He believes his songs resonate with people because they address real-life issues.

“A lot of people are going through hard times, can’t pay their bills, have to work all day every day and can’t stand their job or have problems with their kids,” Jordan said. “Anybody can write another beer drinking song.”

The Daniel Jordan Band records their music with Grant Hart, an engineer and musician based in Virginia Beach.

“We’re in and out (of the studio) in four hours,” Jordan said. “He sends it back to me completely mastered in like two weeks.”

The band plans to return to the studio soon to record another song.

“Probably in the next month or so,” Jordan said. “We’re trying to put out more and more fresh music all the time to keep ourselves relevant, keep ourselves out there.”

The band’s music can be found on various music-purchasing sites, including Spotify and Apple Music. Jordan mentioned hearing from fans as far away as Australia.

Besides earning income from their music, The Daniel Jordan Band also has sponsors like Ghost Harbor, who pay the band to mention the Elizabeth City brewery at their shows. This sponsorship helps cover travel costs and merchandise like T-shirts that the band sells at shows. The band even filmed a live show for Dixie 105.7 from Ghost Harbor during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They’re just amazing, amazing people (at Ghost Harbor),” he said.

Jordan acknowledges newer, younger bands entering the local music scene.

“That competition breeds good music, so I welcome it,” he said.

For upcoming shows or to listen to the Daniel Jordan Band’s latest music, find the band on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or their official website.

Source: Particlenews