With the arrival of his self-released breakout single “Pick and Choose” in 2022, Memphis-born singer/songwriter Daniel Nunnelee introduced the world to his sweetly offbeat and soul-baring form of folk/indie-rock.
A lifelong nature lover who wrote much of June, Baby at his favorite park and at remote cabins in Mississippi and Colorado, the Nashville-based artist also sets his self-reflection to a one-of-a-kind sound matching its homespun charm with the unbridled energy he’s brought to the stage opening for artists like Madi Diaz and Shakey Graves (in addition to headlining his own tours).
A truly gifted vocalist who brings an undeniably playful spirit to his existential questioning, Nunnelee ultimately hopes that listeners might take whatever they need from his songs—whether it’s a deeper communion with the natural world that incessantly inspires his music, or a monumental shift in their own outlook on life.
LOOKING BACK AT YOUR EARLIEST DAYS TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE INDUSTRY, WHAT’S A MISTAKE YOU MADE EARLY ON THAT ACTUALLY TAUGHT YOU THE MOST ABOUT SURVIVING AS AN INDEPENDENT MUSICIAN?
I think that it's really easy to let others come in and tell you how to do things. This usually starts to happen when things start going well for you. I think a healthy dose of advice and guidance is helpful of course but I see so often people coming in and try to change the way that artists are doing things that ultimately a lot of the time takes the magic out of what they're doing.
YOUR DEBUT ALBUM JUNE, BABY IS A NOD TO YOUR GEMINI DUALITY. WHEN WRITING ABOUT HEAVY THEMES LIKE GRIEF OR ANXIETY, HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT WEIGHT WITH YOUR UNDENIABLY PLAYFUL SPIRIT AND SOFT VOCAL STYLE?
Okay first of all this question is really sweet, I think that when I have the ability to put music and a voice to these topics, I'd rather take a route that soothes me in regard to these things and maybe that's why I do that. I haven't really thought much about it other than the fact that it's what feels right.
YOU PARTICIPATED IN OUR 2026 NASHVILLE SONGWRITING CAMP EARLIER THIS YEAR. WHAT’S THE MOST SURPRISING THING YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOUR OWN CREATIVE PROCESS WHEN BEING PLACED INTO A ROOM WITH MUSICIANS YOU’VE JUST MET?
I love how fast you can get to know someone in a writing room. You have this excuse to dive deep into private thoughts and feelings you wouldn't normal share with someone right when meet them and I think it's really special the bond that writing a song with someone can create.
YOU JUST PLAYED A SHOW AT CASSETTE IN NYC. WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD WHEN DECIDING ON A SETLIST AND HOW DO YOU MAGNIFY YOUR HYPER-INTIMATE, THOUGHT-FILLED SONGS FOR A PACKED ROOM?
I like to feel out what it'll feel like to play each song in my head and their order and kinda play it out before the show and that's usually where it becomes clear.
YOU’RE BRILLIANT AT CAPTURING “LOUD THOUGHTS IN QUIET MOMENTS.” NOW THAT YOUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT HAS DRASTICALLY SHIFTED FROM SOUTHERN NATURE TO NYC'S CONCRETE JUNGLE, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC RITUALS YOU’VE HAD TO INVENT IN YOUR NEW HOME TO PROTECT THE SILENCE NECESSARY FOR WRITING? OR HOW HAS YOUR APPROACH CHANGED, IF AT ALL?
You have to set aside real time to make music or else it won't happen. No matter where you are there's always something else you could do that maybe even feels more important than writing or recording but this is the reason I wake up in the morning so I always make time in my day to do it.
YOUR LATEST 2026 SINGLE, "LIKE PEACE", ARRIVED THIS PAST MARCH AND THEN THE EP DROPPED IN AUGUST. HOW DID YOU DECIDE THE RELEASE-ORDER OF YOUR SONGS? IS THERE A METHOD TO THE MADNESS?
I actually have been putting out this batch of music in a way that feels really really refreshing to me and that is just dropping songs as I finish them! It's felt so much more exciting for me at this time in my life than this drawn out strategy and it's kept me busy and on my toes.
THERE ARE 142K POSTS USING YOUR SONG "PICK AND CHOOSE" ON TIKTOK RIGHT NOW. WHEN A SONG SUDDENLY TRANSFORMS INTO A MASSIVE ALGORITHMIC MOMENT, IT BRINGS THIS IMMEDIATE, ALMOST SUFFOCATING PRESSURE TO CAPITALIZE ON THE HYPE. HOW DID YOU HANDLE THE WHIPLASH OF THAT SUDDEN DIGITAL VISIBILITY? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE INDEPENDENT ARTIST WHO WAKES UP TOMORROW IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR FIRST VIRAL WAVE?
I think that finding posting habits that are consistent and sustainable is the best way to go about posting things online. When everything went crazy I found myself obsessing over how I could capitalize on what was happening and I wish I could've already had a healthy relationship with social media as that was happening but either way it was amazing for my career so I guess I really can't complain!
HOW DID YOU LEARN THE INS AND OUTS OF ROYALTY COLLECTION, AND WHAT LED YOU TO PARTNER WITH SONGTRUST TO HANDLE YOUR MUSIC PUBLISHING?
I actually went to MTSU for Music Business and learned a lot about it there and Songtrust felt like a great vibe to me as an independent artist!
FOR FUN, WHAT’S YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE ALBUM?
Twin Solitude by Leif Vollebekk for sure, such a comfort record for me.
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