We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stefani Daniels a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Stefani thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My album called I Remember is a project that was done during a time when I earned royalties from songs released with another artist in Japan so I could fund it myself. I was feeling very alone and married young to my first husband. I was not in the right place in my life yet I poured all into my project that was dedicated to my Grandma. She was so sweet and gentle. I wrote my song I Remember about her. The project was also special because I was able to mix it with the mixing engineer and be a big part of the final product and all along the way. I produced the whole record myself finding the musicians which make up 90 percent of the album. I used very little electronic elements. Stevie Blacke , “All Things Stringed” who has played for everyone from Pink to Lady Gaga and more. I wanted real strings. My dream has always been to sing with a symphony live and on a recording. The deeper side of the project goes to places like feeling lost and completely misunderstood in a huge city like LA. I started a songwriter round in LA to bring a piece of Nashville there since I started out in Nashville. I remember my attitude and demeanor being so pure and innocent, so full of hope and love only to get hurt again. A fellow songwriter I booked on the night went to the manager and convinced her he needed bookings to basically replace my round. The place actually closed not long after that. I always felt that I was too soft for living in LA or being in the music business period. I always kept a bright outlook and continued on. I started the songwriter round even mores to comfort myself and my pain in missing and being homesick for Nashville. My husband then did not want to leave LA and I felt stuck. I tried to make the best of it, but my heart was still where I started. I went to Belmont University but was born a Texan coming from Houston. I remember how proud my parents were of me graduating. I always have loved Nashville and now I am back to stay for good. It was a long path of let downs, divorce, miscarriage, lost hope, health battles, but here I am back where I belong. I am ready to begin again and get off the hiatus I have been in the last year. I feel it is time and no matter if I am published and have a record deal right now, my duty to the Lord for giving me a passion and gift is to sing no matter what, to write no matter what, to try no matter what to give back to the animals organizations in my area because my love for my family and animals is what drives me. I am now married to a Tennessee native that also loves music and the Lord. We are building , rebuilding, and on a journey to redeeming years we lost. It is never too late to begin again.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I think my ability to be honest and evoke emotion in songs is what makes me special. I also have always been very natural with catchy pop melodies and memorable lyrics. I am aiming to get back in the songwriting rooms with other artists, writers, and producers to create some of my best work now. I need a boost to get me going. I am doing this all on my own without management, publishing deal, etc. I know I have the natural gift , but I have to battle with insecurity sometimes when it comes time to network and strive to gain the notoriety it takes to get in some of those writing rooms…but God is able. Somehow I believe that my gift will speak and He will open doors no-one can shut. I am definitely beginning to knock on doors again, but pushing them down like I used to is not what I want to do anymore. I want this to be all God leading and divine connections this time. The striving and hustling wore me out. It is now time to breathe.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I care very deeply about animals and their welfare. I have five dogs and 3 cats now that are all rescues. They range from age 10 to age 1. Every single one of them show love and have their own awesome personalities. I treat them like children since I never had children. I care for them like they are little people which they are to me. They love like no other. My dog Star who passed away in 2019 waited until I was safe back living in Nashville to go to heaven. She carried me through many things…I adopted her when I first married my first husband and she carried me when I had no-one. When I was crying she was there through life in Vienna Austria to LA to NYC and back to Nashville. Caramel my cat and Star were the same age and they passed at age 18. They helped me and showed me what God’s real love looks like.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have always kept a day job and don;t find any shame in it. I think music is something we do even if we are not doing it as a job. It is something inside that can not help but bubble up. I had a large following with my former name on socials but abandoned it to start again recently.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://StefaniDaniels.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefanidanielsmusic/reels/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefani-matranga-daniels-37365520a/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stefanidaniels
• Other:  https://www.facebook.com/stefanismusic/

Image Credits

I took all the photos myself and family members helped.