Daniel Donato hitches up for a ride through the “Hi-Country” in the newest single from his upcoming album Reflector. The first full-length album of all-original material from the Nashville guitarist and his Cosmic Country backing band is out November 10th.
The “Hi-Country” story is a familiar one to the road-warrior guitarist who logged over 220 performances last year, opening with the line “I’ve got my wheels in motion, with that same old notion / What will be if I end this ride.” Donato’s twangy guitar colors the song, accentuated by pedal steel guitar that adds a bit of honky tonk to the mix. Rounding things out, Donato’s trademark driving rhythm supplied by drummer Noah Miller moves this traveling tune down the road with one hand stretched out the window catching a cool breeze. The song, produced by Vance Powell (Phish, Chris Stapleton, Jack White), ends mid-guitar solo, possibly implying a seamless segue on the full album.
“There is a fine line between what is real and what is your imagination, but yet, both inform each other,” Donato said of the track. “’Hi-Country,’ is a symbol of this strange ever-present duality in life. It is a place that you are en route to physically, yet spiritually, you are already there. Life is but a day’s work, and ‘you got all day to make it true…’ in the Hi-Country.”
The Reflector announcement marks Donato’s latest high-water mark of a historic year. In 2023 he has already shared the stage with Bob Weir, Widespread Panic, and Billy Strings, and last month joined Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann‘s extended Billy & The Kids family. Between solo shows and dates with the all-star Allman Brothers Band tribute act Trouble No More, Donato has a full schedule of concerts set to carry him through December. For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit his website.
Check out the new Daniel Donato single “Hi-Country” below and pre-order Reflector here.
Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country – “Hi-Country” [Official Lyric Video]