Equipped with a guitar and a strong sense of self, Regina, Saskatchewan’s Danny Olliver has made a global name for himself.
Olliver learned guitar on an abandoned three string Yamaha he saved from being trashed. A quick study, he added three more strings and began writing his own material. Taking inspiration from guitarists like Don Ross and Antoine Dufour, Danny focused on fingerstyle pieces. His beginnings as a fingerstyle guitarist gave him a unique edge as he transitioned into the folk pop scene in 2008.
His passion for music, his pure voice, and lyrics that truly speak to you, have allowed Olliver to play shows in venues around the world. The success of his first EP, Bad Omen Walking, in May 2014, lead Danny into an East coast summer tour and a West coast fall tour. This tour gave him the opportunity to play with notable artists such as Del Barber, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, The Trews and Jason Plumb.
With plenty of anticipation to build from, he wasted no time releasing his self-titled sophomore album in June 2015. Covering 17,000km, from the East to West of Canada, Olliver played packed shows with another Canadian newcomer, Colter Wall. The Prairie Gentlemen Tour saw Olliver in Toronto at the famous Horseshoe Tavern, and led to sold out shows opening for Michael Bernard Fitzgerald at both the Jack Singer Hall and Jubilee in Calgary, AB.
Hot off the Prairie Gentleman Tour, Olliver was asked to play several high profile festivals, including the Regina Folk Festival and the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany.
With so many opportunities and successes, Olliver knows hard work is important to promote his unique style of folk music. With a second European tour beginning in the spring of 2016, his audience is sure to grow.
