An artist who’s voice memos on her phone are in the 1000s loaded full of music takes and lyrical experiments, Danielle has finally assembled a band to debut her material in a full band experience. Joined onstage by her partner in life, Steve Deeps (drums), Andrew Marshall (bass), and Ryan Barwin (lead guitar), WinterChild had their inaugural concert at the Casbah Lounge on April 1, 2022. 

Danielle Donville has been a pianist since the age of 2 following a period of gestational piano lessons while her mother practiced for her grade 9 RCM exams in 1976-77. But, Danielle didn’t take well to piano lessons, and preferred to make up her own melodies, mostly in private. That desire for creative privacy would prevail most of her life, until recently, at the urging of her partner Steve, who offered to mentor her on band leadership, while taking up the drums for the first time in a serious manner.

Her songs, some written on guitar, and adapted to piano explore alliteration, allegory, using fingering techniques popular with organ composers, modal explorations as she meanders in and out of seriousness exploring topics like relationships, the environment, manifestations…

Danielle counts among her influences female jazz and blues greats: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Bonnie Raitt, Madeleine Peyroux, Nina Simone (same birthday), as well as folk/indie idols: Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, k.d. Lang, Feist, Little Scream, Arcade Fire, M. Ward, Pamplemoose, and Father John Misty.

Danielle has entertained audiences as a session musician (Brutus Begins, Paul Rooney Band, Deeps), recorded tracks for other artists, composed music for podcasts, and entertained guests in various restaurants, events and venues, as well as part of a duo with Steve. She was part of Apostoleas, an experimental art and music project created for Hamilton Arts Week 2020 featuring Final Fantasy, Avery Tanner visual art, Jim Ruxton’s digital art, & Steve Deeps.

She is a graphic designer, oil painter, writer and photographer and lives in Hamilton ON.