Callaghan's Story So Far...

When Callaghan moved from London to Atlanta during the summer of 2010, she was still a relatively unknown name in the States. A singer/songwriter whose music blurred the edges between pop, adult contemporary and Americana, she had been drawn to Atlanta by one of her biggest influences - Shawn Mullins - after he had agreed to produce her first album. It was a classic story of taking risks, of willingly throwing your life into upheaval in order to chase your dreams.

Just a few years later, Callaghan’s writing a second chapter of that success story. On her second album, A History of Now, she draws upon four years of touring, recording and growing appreciation in the U.S. She's transformed herself from a burgeoning indie songwriter — playing to 20 people at her first US show — to a full-fledged headliner who's toured across 46 states, played the Cayamo Cruise, performed at packed venues around the country and logged more than 50,000 highway miles per year. Along the way, she's developed a close connection with her fans, even booking a series of cross-country tours consisting of nothing but shows in people’s homes.

It was her very first house show tour — which stretched from coast-to-coast in 2013, a year after the release of her widely-acclaimed debut album, Life in Full Colour — that earned Callaghan a four-page spread in Billboard Magazine.

The magazine credited her with "helping reshape the business of touring, if not music consumption entirely," and praised Callaghan for her strong vocals and do-it-yourself work ethic. The Huffington Post agreed, adding, "She's one of those performers whose genuine sweetness is transparent in her voice, and it shines through her writing."

Playing her fans' living rooms has allowed Callaghan to put herself in direct contact with her audience, erasing the boundaries that often exist between musicians and their fans — and allowing her to compete on the same level as bands backed by major labels. In 2014, while raising money to record A History of Now she turned to her own fans for help. They responded with overwhelming support, sending in more than 300 donations via a wildly successful PledgeMusic campaign.

That connection is more evident than ever in A History of Now, whose songs reflect moments and experiences from Callaghan's own life, as well as stories that people have shared with her. Rather than make the album strictly biographical, Callaghan's songs are written in a more universal way, allowing her audience to connect the songs to their own lives. On "Who Would I Be," one of the album's many highlights, she pays tribute to those supporters, thanking them for allowing her music to enter their lives and for enabling her to do what she loves. Meanwhile, "Crazy Beautiful Life" — the album's lead single — celebrates the joys found in the sheer unpredictability and exuberance of life, and "Best Year" — a re-recording of a bouncy, breezy song that also appeared on Life in Full Colour — is a seize-the-day anthem aimed at anyone who's longed to "tear up the rulebook, leave it all behind... and find some bluer skies."

In the spirit of working together, A History of Now is a team effort, recorded in Nashville with producer Dennis Matkosky (a songwriting legend whose credits include Keith Urban's "You'll Think of Me" and the Flashdance soundtrack's "Maniac," as well as several co-writes on the Callaghan album) and instrumental contributions from some of Nashville's best session players. Casey Brown, a member of Owl City, made loops for several songs, adding a modern edge to the album's analog vibe. Still, on a record filled with musical all-stars, Callaghan is easily the most impressive player, singing all 12 songs in a sweet, soaring voice that booms and breaks at all the right moments. If Life in Full Colour was an album about chasing dreams, then A History of Now is an album about achieving them.

"We are all, right now, writing a story which will one day fascinate someone," Callaghan says. "The way we live, the decisions we make, and the moments of hope, grief and happiness which punctuate all our lives will one day make someone stop, think and wonder. All of us are writing our own 'history of now.’”

From a young age, Danni Nicholls was soaking up American folk, country and rock n roll music from her Grandmother’s record collection in her small home town of Bedford, UK. When she inherited her Uncle Heathcliff’s 1963 Burns London Shortscale Jazz guitar (rumoured to have belonged to Billy Fury!) aged 16, all those influences came pouring back out in the form of her own original material and has been flowing ever since.

Danni met bassist/producer Chris Donohue (The Civil Wars, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant) in London in 2011 through a mutual friend whilst Chris was in the UK playing bass with Emmylou Harris as one of her Red Dirt Boys. The pair have now made two critically acclaimed albums together with some of Nashville’s finest musicians featuring on the tracks. Debut ‘A Little Redemption’ was released July 2013 and latest album Mockingbird Lane in October 2015. Credits on the albums include the legendary Al Perkins on Dobro (Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, The Rolling Stones) Steve Fishell on Pedal Steel (Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt) and Will Kimbrough (Jimmy Buffett, John Prine)

“My time in Music City working with these great, great musicians was a hugely inspirational and surreal experience. It forced me to raise my game and push my boundaries. I’ve come away with two albums which I’m immensely proud of”

Armed with her trusty, ‘weathered and worn’ Tanglewood guitar, Danni has been touring relentlessly far and wide, honing her craft and wooing audiences. A vibrant, spell-binding performer, she has been invited to support many artists such as Todd Snider, Jolie Holland, Kim Richey, Jim Lauderdale, Angus and Julia Stone, Bobby Bare Jr, Otis Gibbs, Mark Olsen, Nell Bryden, Tift Merrit and Diana Jones.

With performances guaranteed to melt your heart into the soles of your cowboy boots, her passionate delivery, captivating velvet voice and charmingly engaging between-song banter compel you to fall under her spell.

"Smoky soul, folk-pop and heart-wrenching alt-country, all in a rich v"oice - Q Magazine "Sumptuous…a warm wry line in confessional songwriting" UNCUT "One in a million" Maverick Music Magazine "Just Terrific" - Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2