From Tree Town to Music City: Ann Arbor singer/songwriter Dan Henig on moving to Nashville and chasi

Madeline Fetchiet | Founder/writer

Dan Henig is a household name in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan. But for about a month now, Henig has called Nashville, Tennessee, A.K.A. Music City, home.

As a solo artist performing what he called acoustic pop-rock, Henig quickly moved up the ranks of the Ann Arbor music scene playing venues like The Blind Pig and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, among others. By late 2012, Henig released a video cover of Lil’ Jon’s “Get Low” as part of his Coffee Shop Acoustic series, directed by fellow Ann Arbor native, Billy Jackson.

Once Henig got the attention of Lil’ Jon himself with the Coffee Shop Acoustic “Get Low” Cover, not to mention several million hits on the Youtube video, it became apparent to the local fans that Henig was about to hit the bigs.

Now two years and one national college tour later, Henig says he is “still figuring out” what his sound is. But one thing he has figured out after seeing the country, is that Nashville is where he will manifest his destiny as an artist.

“I moved down there because I write a lot of country music for other artists, so I’m trying to get into the writing game. ...I’m trying to get into the co-writing, ghost-writing, things like that,” Henig said, noting though that he himself is not a country artist.

Rooted in a city with diverse musical and cultural interests and backgrounds, Henig’s music has diverse inspirations--from John Mayer and Coldplay, to ‘70s R&B.

“I'm still figuring out what my sound is I think,” Henig said. “I'm starting to hone in on what I want this next record to be, which I'm working on. ...I've moved away from that really quite singing.”

Self-managed Henig is in the beginning stages of his next release, and according to Henig we may not get to hear it any time soon. After releasing his Promotional EP, Henig said he was “not exactly thrilled.”

“I'm taking my time with this next release and recording it the right way,” Henig said.

In between working on his new album, touring the country, and writing music for fellow artists, Henig found time to relocate to Nashville, with dreams of continuing not only performing, but most importantly, writing music.

Henig calls “telling stories through song” the “best job in the world,” and said after uprooting from his Midwestern city with dreams to write, the Southern hospitality is treating him well.

“It's a completely different feel than Ann Arbor, but it's really cool,” Henig said. “There's so many musicians, there's always live music, great food, it’s really cool.”

From the Ann Arbor kid covering rap and R&B songs, to the mature, Music City musician and lead-singer in The Dan Henig Band, he is definitely one to keep an ear on, regardless of the genre. And in America’s music capital, Henig said he’s more than satisfied.

“I'm making a living doing what I love, which, how can you not love that lifestyle?" Henig said. "At this point in my career I'm not complaining at all--I love what I do.”

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