CMT’S CURRENT “NEXT UP NOW” ARTIST & AMERICAN SONGWRITER’S “SONG OF THE YEAR” WINNER
CONFIRMS NEW TOUR DATES WITH ABRAHAM ALEXANDER, LAINEY WILSON, OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW, AND ASHLEY MCBRYDE
Today, Harper O’Neill, American Songwriter’s Song Of The Year Winner & CMT’s current Next Up Now Artist, releases her debut album Dark Bar Daisy. “To me, this record feels like the perfect place to start,” O’Neill shares. “I feel lucky to debut my first album in a time when country artists are allowed and encouraged to be influenced by other genres and curate a sound that is uniquely their own. I hope this record breaks your heart, puts it back together, makes you sing in the car and dance in the kitchen. I hope it feels country, soulful, rock and roll and whatever else it is to you.”
The album is available on all formats here.
O’Neill has quickly become your favorite artist’s favorite artist and has announced new upcoming tour dates opening for Abraham Alexander, Ashley McBryde, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Lainey Wilson (full dates below) and recently opened for Brothers Osborne and Morgan Wade. Tickets for all dates are on sale here.
Recently, O’Neill shared her new Ryan Nadzam-directed music video for “Somebody,” the song which won O’Neill American Songwriter’s Song of The Year award. Watch the music video for “Somebody” here. “Somebody” is the On The Horizon pick for SXM The Highway starting this weekend.
O’Neill, the Dallas-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter with the powerhouse voice and versatile musical chops, is an artist who’s always favored her intuition over trends. While Dark Bar Daisy is ostensibly a country record, it’s one that explores and celebrates the genre’s relationship with rock, pop, soul and indie music. Produced by Jake Gear (Hailey Whitters), Dark Bar Daisy is replete with complex, larger-than-life arrangements and has a uniquely singular vision for a debut project.
While O’Neill had a stockpile of songs before working on the record, she didn’t feel like they were fully representative of what she wanted to her first record to be and started from scratch. O’Neill’s demos reflected a more traditional acoustic instrumentation, but O’Neill was adamant that she wanted horns on the record, which she accomplished with the help of arranger Jordan Lehning. The addition of Lehning’s arrangements helped O’Neill fully realize the colorful, orchestral sonic vision she had for Dark Bar Daisy. “I was really excited to paint with all the brushes in the studio musically,” O’Neill says. “They're really hip arrangements that Jordan did. We gave him tons of references, like Khraungbin, Silk Sonic, Lake Street Dive and some old soul references. That was the melting pot mix of sounds that I was that I was chasing.” Dark Bar Daisy and is a striking statement one of country music’s most exciting emerging voices.
O’Neill grew up in Dallas, TX, where her parents ran a household brimming with music. She followed her gut and moved to Nashville in 2018, a decision she remains proud of to this day. “I always call it ‘listening to the universe,’” she says of trusting her intuition. “You have to be open to that kind of stuff for it to happen. And sometimes I feel like that's the hardest part, just letting yourself be open.”
After putting down roots in Nashville, O’Neill began finding ways into the local music scene, trying out co-writes and finding gigs to play around town. After posting a performance video to TikTok in 2022— far from being a regular TikToker, O’Neill had only dabbled with the platform — O’Neill got a text claiming to be from Jody Williams, the renowned publishing executive and former head of BMI known for working with everyone from Maren Morris to Carrie Underwood. Williams texted O’Neill on April 1st, so she couldn’t help but think it was a prank. They arranged a meeting for the following week and Williams signed O’Neill to his Jody Williams Songs on the spot.
Dark Bar Daisy is an honest, clear-eyed expression of O’Neill’s remarkable artistry and a testament to trusting the process, no matter how winding the journey. O’Neill is an unapologetically fearless artist with the music to prove it.
Harper O’Neill Tour Dates
Nov 01 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO+
Nov 03 Slowdown Omaha, NE+
Nov 04 Woolv's Des Moines. IA+
Nov 05 Icehouse Minneapolis, MN+
Nov 7 Mahall's Lakewood. OH+
Dec 01 Orange Blossom Revue 2023 Lake Wales, FL
Dec 16 The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV %
Dec 31 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN^
Jan 17 O2 Guildhall Southampton Southampton, UK*
Jan 19 O2 Academy Bristol Bristol, UK*
Jan 20 Eventim Apollo London, UK*
Jan 21 O2 Institute Birmingham, UK*
Jan 23 Albert Hall Manchester, UK*
Jan 24 Barrowland Ballroom Glasgow, UK*
Jan 25 Barrowland Ballroom Glasgow, UK*
Jan 27 Waterfront Hall Belfast, UK*
Jan 28 3Olympia Theatre Dublin, Ireland*
+ Abraham Alexander
% with Lainey Wilson
* with Ashley McBryde and Corey Kent
^Old Crow Medicine Show