Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Klein.
Hi Danny, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I can remember really loving singing since the age of three. I was in a field across the street from our house, just sitting there in the sun, singing. I just felt centered and all things were good in the world. I’d also be in my bedroom singing non-stop, listening to music. My parents would constantly be telling me to turn it down… but I couldn’t.
Feels like I’ve spent my whole life singing – if not out loud, at least in my head.
Fast forward, I was really inspired by a civil rights class at UCLA and ended up going to law school. I practiced for a couple of years at a firm downtown doing corporate stuff. I was also on the board of a fair housing council, assisting victims of housing discrimination, which I felt was a better use of my law degree.
I ultimately left practicing law and moved to New York, where I finally got in a real band and started playing shows. I promised myself I’d commit to music and never look back. It’s been quite a journey.
Since then, I’ve had multiple singles signed to Astralwerks/Capital and Juicy Records through my electronic duo, dreamfreak. I’ve co-written and performed with Grammy-winning artist Really Doe and appeared along with Kanye West as a featured vocalist on Doe’s First Impressions.
I’ve also co-written with Grammy-nominated Télépopmusik and have opened for the likes of Childish Gambino. My collaborations have also landed me on some of music’s big stages, including Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Staples Center.
Keeping things interesting, I’ve also become creative director for music and pop culture publication SPIN, which has been a lot of fun. Now, my main musical focus is on my first true solo project, Robot Sunrise. It’s also been super rewarding to see my wife and best friend launch her first true solo project as well, doll machine. We feed off of each other in great ways and our artistic self-expression has never felt so free.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life will always throw challenges at you. While pursuing a passion like music, you’ve also got to pay the bills, which often means dealing with corporate job stuff here and there. You have just have to make sure it doesn’t kill your soul along the way.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I think I was pretty eccentric. Always dreaming of the future and what was to come.
I played a lot of soccer but didn’t honestly enjoy being yelled at by coaches, etc. Once I discovered surfing at around 15, everything changed for the better.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.robotsunrise.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robotsunrise/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DannyKleinLA/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyKleinMusic
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/robotsunrise/sets/current-tracks
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/dannykleinmusic/
Image Credits
Blake Mohr Waleed.Z.D.
