Magic happens when a voice in folk manages to sound timeless and refreshing. Danny Hammons from Birmingham, Alabama, is one of these special artists. Entering the folk scene not with timid footsteps but with the quiet confidence of a natural storyteller, Hammons’ single, “Shooting Stars,” pulled from the “Take The Long Road Home” EP, is a meditation on life, mortality, and the mysterious beauty of the universe. If this is your first encounter with Danny Hammons, I welcome you into a body of work that feels destined to leave an imprint on modern folk.
From the very first notes, “Shooting Stars” grips you. It’s addictive and opens with warm acoustic strums that ripple like a breeze through an open field. There’s an immediate intimacy, the kind that draws you closer as if Hammons himself were playing in your living room. This is what I’d describe as folk alive with raw earth and breath, guided by the steady hand of producer and folk troubadour Ramblin’ Ricky Tate.
Vocally, Hammons’ voice is unvarnished and honest, tinged with the kind of weariness and wonder that makes folk such a profoundly human genre. There’s a lived-in quality to his delivery, as though every word comes from a place of experience, none more so than when he stays on the imagery of stars as fragile symbols of our fleeting existence.
His performance is heartfelt and uncluttered, letting the storytelling breathe. He doesn’t rush, nor does he embellish unnecessarily. Instead, he leans into the stillness, the pauses, the reflective moments that mirror the song’s themes of near-death encounters and the fragile beauty of being alive. His words feel carved out of truth, an echo of the great minstrel tradition where vulnerability is strength.
Instrumentally, the song thrives in its folk roots—guitar at the center, bolstered by jug band flourishes that add warmth and authenticity. The collaboration with Steel City Jug Slammers enriches the texture, keeping it rustic yet full, while the production remains deliberately organic. Ricky Tate’s recording process, stretched across two years, seems to have given the track room to grow naturally, like a story passed down and polished over time.
Ultimately, “Shooting Stars” isn’t just Hammons’ introduction—it’s a declaration. It marks him as an artist unafraid to face life’s mysteries head-on, wielding storytelling as a lantern and a compass. As the first glimpse of what’s to come on his upcoming album, the single shines with the promise of a career rooted in honesty, reflection, and soul-stirring melodies.
Listen to “Shooting Stars” on Spotify
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