Daniel Rodriguez

Daniel Rodriguez first gained notice as the guitarist in the wide-ranging folk collective Elephant Revival, where his contributions supported a series of introspective, grounded compositions marked by an alternative sensibility. Once the group had issued five studio albums, he launched his own career with the 2020 full-length Sojurn of a Burning Sun.

A native of Connecticut who later settled in Colorado, Rodriguez helped establish Elephant Revival in Nederland in 2006. He joined four other multi-instrumentalists in shaping a folk-rooted sound that freely incorporated jazz, traditional Celtic forms, reggae, indie rock, and hip-hop grooves. Alongside Rodriguez on guitar, the founding lineup featured vocalist and auxiliary instrumentalist Bonnie Paine, bassist and vocalist Dango Rose, guitarist and electric banjo player Sage Cook, and violinist and vocalist Bridget Law. Every member participated in the band’s songwriting and vocal arrangements. After performing occasionally for several years, the ensemble released its self-titled debut album in 2008 and followed it with Break in the Clouds in 2010. The analog-recorded EP It’s Alive appeared in 2012, succeeded by the third album These Changing Skies in 2013 and Sands of Now in 2015. Charlie Rose replaced Cook on banjo ahead of the quintet’s fifth record, 2016’s Petals, which was produced by Sam Kassirer. Elephant Revival entered an indefinite hiatus in 2018 and performed its final concert that May.

Rodriguez then turned to solo work, recruiting former Elephant Revival percussionist Darren Garvey to produce the self-released EP Your Heart, the Stars, the Milky Way, which surfaced in early 2019. During this period he toured alongside Josh Ritter and Mandolin Orange. Again working with Garvey, Rodriguez delivered his debut album, Sojurn of a Burning Sun, on BMG in August 2020.