Danielle Nicole Schnebelen

"That girl gets down to the nitty gritty." ~ Koko Taylor  

Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, Danielle Nicole has spent her life making music and pleasing fans, domestically and abroad. Her stunning new album, The Love You Bleed on Forty Below Records, comprises twelve  heartfelt tracks exploring themes of love, loss and perseverance. 

The new album was produced by Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal, Eric Burdon, Robert Cray) and co-produced by Nicole, with John Porter (B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bryan Ferry) mixing. The tight-knit quartet on the songs features Danielle on bass guitar and vocals; Brandon Miller (electric, acoustic, pedal steel, mandolin, and 12-string guitar), Damon Parker (keyboards); Go-Go Ray (drums), and Stevie Blacke (violin and cello). 

Nicole was initially influenced by her parents. She recalls seeing her father playing blues guitar and her mother singing with the group Little Eva. With her two brothers, she became a member of Trampled Under Foot, which found initial popularity in the Midwest. Danielle embarked on her solo career with Wolf Den (2015), which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Blues charts and amassed 7.5 million Spotify streams. Cry No More (2018) followed, the record was nominated for a Grammy in the contemporary blues category and debuted at number one in the Billboard Blues Charts – it also boasts over Spotify streams in excess of 10 million.

Nicole has been inducted into the Kansas City Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of  seven Blues Music Awards. She recently did a duet with Dion on the upcoming song “I Aim To Please.”

There has been no shortage of praise; Guitar World stated, "Danielle Nicole has won respect and admiration throughout the American blues scene for her soulful, inventive playing and tireless work ethic." Blues Music Magazine effused, "Nicole brings it, bakes it, and serves it up blazing on a silver soul-rocking platter." The Kansas City Star declared, "Blues and soul vocalists tend to improve as they age. Bettye LaVette is among the artists who became increasingly believable as she matured. Danielle Nicole appears to be following in her footsteps." And the legendary Koko Taylor gets right to the point: "That girl gets down to the nitty gritty!" - 

At the beginning of the The Love You Bleed recording sessions; Danielle Nicole knew this new album would be different from those in the past. "Maybe that's because over half the songs are about falling in love and not falling through the destruction of it," she says. The album is full of love, loss, will, determination, and all the other things that go together with love. "Make Love" is about consciously pushing past the pain, choosing love, family, and community in life's difficult moments. It uplifts the message of love and togetherness in the face of hardship." "How Did We Get to Goodbye" with its raw and honest lyrics, document a soured love that bears no hero or villain, asking how you get to such a place of disrepair without even knowing it. And Love On My Brain, is a potent hybrid of vintage R&B and driving blues, begins as a flirty feeling inside and turns to an overpowering need and deep desire. Right By Your Side is a vintage soul/R&B ballad about never making the mistake of watching "the one" walk away again. 

The Love You Bleed gives Nicole a solid place that music has always provided in dealing with love and loss. "It's been a difficult relationship listening to music outside of professional reasons since the passing of my brother Kris," she says. "But just being honest in my writing and direction, I find when I'm the truest to myself, that's when the magic happens. Not trying to find perfection in it so much, but engulfing myself in every moment and being there with the audience is when fun things can happen inside and out." Many of those feelings are captured in all the songs on the album. 

 

 


Brandon Miller isn’t the typical product of the small, Midwest town of Gardner, KS.  From beginning to play at the age of 7, he knew it was going to be music that would be his driving force in life. 

Throughout his years of studying music formally, educationally, and experimentally through high school and into college, Miller also had a desire to write original music. With musical influences such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Warren Haynes and Joe Bonamassa, he says “they are all extremely talented at their instrument; Warren and Clapton are incredible songwriters.” 

Miller truly holds his own candle among the few able to truly speak through his instrument and is impossible to be stylistically confined to Rock, Country, Roots, or Americana. 

Since joining Danielle Nicole Band as a founding member in 2015, Miller has  released 2 of his own recordings; "LIVE at Knucklehead's" in 2017 and his latest entitled "Virtue and Vice" in July 2020.  Visit www.brandonmillerkc.com to learn more about Brandon Miller.

"The ability he has to adapt his playing while keeping the intent, thought and heart pure at the same time is amazing.  Meanwhile the tone... he's just got it all.  We really work well together musically and go places to which I've never been; it's really a wonderful feeling being on stage and making music with him." - Danielle Nicole

 

AWARDS
2016 Online One Midwest Music Award: Drummer of the Year

2014 Project Backstage Midwest Music Award: Drummer of the Year
2013 KC Cassi Honors: Drummer Of The Year
2012 Drum Thumper Jimi Award (www.blues411.com)
2010 USA Roland V-Drums Contest Winner (Las Vegas, NV)
1992 Guitar Center Drum Off Winner (Arlington, TX)

ENDORSEMENTS
2002 Aquarian Drumheads
2005 Hiptrix Drumsticks
2006 Promark Drumsticks
2010 Paiste Cymbals
2011 Woodshed Percussion
2012 Cympad
2012 Humes & Berg Cases
2015 Sweet Spot Dampners

2018 SledgePad

2018 Big Fat Snare Drum

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY:
2024 - Danielle Nicole - The Love You Bleed (Forty Below Records)
2023 - Brandon Miller - Bad Situation, LIVE in Kansas City
2020 - Brandon Miller - Virtue and Vice
2014 Tech N9ne – Strangeulation (Strange Music Records)
2013 Tyson Leslie - Train Wrecks, Havoc & Heartbreak (Above The Level Records)
2013 Prozak – We All Fall Down (Strange Music Records)
2012 John Velghe & the Prodigal Sons - Don't Let Me Stay (Lakeshore Records)
2009 Mike Dillon's Go-Go Jungle - Rock Star Bench Press (Hyena Records)
2007 Mike Dillon's Go-Go Jungle - Battery Milk (Hyena Records)
1994 Billy Goat - Black And White (Mercy Records)