honky-tonk country
San Marcos, Texas
Jesse Daniel has a story to tell, and there’s nothing quite like honky-tonk music for delivering tales about life, love, and hard times. At just 30 years old, he’s had a rocky journey and done a lot of living and learning, imbuing his music with a striking honesty and authenticity. With a strong foundation in the Bakersfield sound of his native California, Jesse writes classic country songs with heart and grit, marked with a rollicking, hard-driving sound all his own.
In the world of classic country, California has always been on the map. Dubbed “the Bakersfield sound,” the state’s signature style was developed in the 1950s in and around the city of Bakersfield, located about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The area was the destination for many southern and midwestern Dust Bowl migrants, collectively known as “Okies,” who brought their country music with them. Partially a response to the more highly produced Nashville style of the ’50s, the Bakersfield sound combined early honky-tonk and western swing with elements of rock and roll. Popularized by artists like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, it became one of the most influential country sounds of the 1960s, inspiring a honky-tonk revival and forming the basis for 1970s country rock and outlaw country.
Raised in Ben Lomond, a rural mountain town in Santa Cruz County just outside of San Jose, Jesse Daniel felt that the Bakersfield sound was all around—on records and the radio, in his dad’s own music, seemingly everywhere. Classic country, rock and roll, and blues were staples in the family home, and his father, an accomplished guitarist, played in a local band whose barroom gigs, a mix of country and other roots music sounds, Jesse attended as a kid. He set his sights on becoming a performer early on, picking up the drums and occasionally sitting in with his dad’s band. By 14, he had found the punk rock scene, and became a respected drummer active in multiple bands. However, casual social drug and alcohol use quickly turned into a debilitating addiction. Following years on the streets and in and out of rehabilitation centers, Jesse was finally able to kick his habit after a chance encounter with a volunteer playing country songs on a guitar for rehab center residents. When Jesse expressed that he’d like to play music like that, the musician replied, “Why don’t you?” This experience spurred him to finally get clean and devote himself to the music he’d always loved.
In 2016 Jesse met Jodi Lyford, now his fiancé, co-writer, backup singer, and manager. With her help, he released his self-titled debut in 2018, an album comprised of thoughtfully crafted, highly personal classic country, earning him an Ameripolitan Award in the “Honky Tonk Male” category. After relocating with Jodi in 2019 to San Marcos, Texas, he followed up with the critically acclaimed Rollin’ On, and then spent the first year of the pandemic co-writing and recording 2021’s Beyond These Walls. Audiences in Richmond can expect to see Jesse and Jodi backed by a full band—lead guitar, steel guitar, bass, and drums—performing songs spanning his discography, including his just-released single, “Lookin’ Back.” Now in Texas, Jesse continues lookin’ back—remaining faithful to his California roots while embracing the full range of classic country found in Texas and beyond. “I'll always be from California, and a big part of why I make music is to try to carry on that tradition of country music from the Golden State,” he says. “That’s kind of where I like to hang my hat.”