No Pressure, Just Process: Danny Balentine Finds His Sound in the PNW

In a fully digital world, where views make careers, and art can be shared globally, it can be easy to get caught up in virality. In getting your work out there, having it be seen, be heard. We all want our creative passions to resonate with the world, but there’s something to say about making art solely for arts sake, and pushing it out becomes secondary. Taking a step back to examine who you are as an artist, what kind of music you want to create, and what music does to you. Is it an outlet? Is it your lifeline? Is it your motivation? Whether you’re consuming or making music, there’s no doubt that it carries a unique place in all of our lives. 

Danny Balentine’s bringing a refreshing take to his art - he’s creating because it’s what he does, what he’s always done, and what he will continue to do. Without social media, without streaming, he’d still be making music - it’s what he loves. It’s never been about making it big, but making art he wants to, with the chance it’ll resonate with others. 

Now based in Portland, Oregon, Danny recently released his newest single “Emma 3000”:  a dreamy, heartfelt track that’s as sincere as it is warm. It’s the first of a few releases leading up to his upcoming EP, Summer St., along with a new single Radio Silence, set to release 8/29. Danny’s music feels like the start of something really genuine that is needed in the heart of the PNW music scene. It’s grounded and reminds us of slow summer days, soaking up the beauty around us and embracing connection. 

Though located in Oregon now, Danny hasn’t always been in the PNW. Originally from Massachusetts, he went to college in Bozeman, MT, where he got his first taste of life out west, and met his wife. After time spent back in Boston, the two decided it was time for a change and headed for Portland.

Danny’s been making music for a long time — almost a decade — and it shows in how naturally he talks about his process. He started with jazz piano and drums in school, then got into beat-making using a Maschine and his parents’ desktop setup in high school. From there, he found himself in a music recording class at MSU, which gave him the opportunity to buy recording tools to learn the ropes there instead of typical textbooks.

When he was home for that summer equipped with new technology and knowledge, he found himself and his hometown friends spending their summer months making an album, which he notes was the start of him creating more fleshed out songs, as opposed to loops ad beats previously. 

Though his major changed in college, he kept in touch with his music, using creation as an outlet and finding time to perform with his college cover band at local bars.

“This is kind of just what I do - if no one listened to it I would still do it.”

His latest single, Emma 3000, came out of natural, low-pressure creativity — written for his wife after she jokingly insisted he name a song after her:

“I had started a track called Stacey 3000,” he said. “And then my wife saw that and was like, ‘why are you doing Stacey?’...and so I made it Emma 3000”

With the help of his wife throughout the song writing and production process, the song ended up being a warm, summery indie-pop track with a little banjo, electric guitar, and a whole lot of heart. “It’s a light, carefree, warm indie pop song.” 

What makes Danny’s music so refreshing is that it isn’t trying to be anything other than what it is. He’s just making songs that mean something to him, and connecting with those who find themselves in the songs he writes. 

“I’ve got a day job. But I’ve been doing this for almost nine years now, this is just what I do - if no one listened to it I would still do it.”

That mindset clicked for him even more after reading a songwriting book by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

“I read Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting book, and he had this slide about how in order to finish, you just stop trying to make things that are good, and just like, produce your art and just not criticize it so much and not try and make things that are good, just create. We're here to create.

And so after that, that was kind of like a light bulb moment for me”

And it shows. On his upcoming EP, Summer Street, Danny took a more experimental approach, ditching traditional mic setups and recording techniques in favor of whatever felt right in the moment and gave him more depth and connection with what he was creating. 

“I kind of just had more fun with it…not really caring about doing it ‘correct’, and more just messing around and seeing what cool sounds I get.” 

“And I feel like that kind of really did get these new songs, like their own character and their own sound, which I think is cool” 

Danny’s Summer St EP drops soon, with another single and music video coming before. The project will feature “Emma 3000,” a remastered version of his track “Bailey’s Bubble,” and a couple new songs that tie it all together.

And while he doesn’t have a packed tour schedule, he's connecting with the local scene in Portland (he’ll be playing with Chloe Gendrow on August 30th at Kelly’s Olympian in Portland) or even more of the PNW if the stars align.

There’s something comforting about the way Danny talks about music - it’s not just a product, but a part of his everyday life. His songs are lived in and honest. And in a scene (and world) that often feels hyper-curated and polished to death, that kind of authenticity is needed and welcomed. 

You can find Danny’s music on all major streaming platforms under Danny Balentine, and follow along on social media to stay up to date on new music and shows.