Singer/songwriter Danni Nicholls reflects on the story behind ‘Making Moves,’ her soulful, velvety fourth full-length album – an evocative record inspired by a season of change and the lifelong dream that led her to Nashville.
Stream: ‘Making Moves’ – Danni Nicholls
I’m not very interested in pretending I’ve got everything figured out or wrapping things up with a neat ending, because life rarely works like that. If there’s hope on the album, I think it comes from honesty rather than certainty.
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For years, Danni Nicholls imagined a life in Nashville.
Growing up in Bedford, England, she discovered Americana roots music through the well-loved vinyl in her grandmother’s record collection. Those early sounds stayed with her, eventually drawing her across the Atlantic to Music City, where she began writing through a period of change and adjustment. The songs that emerged became Making Moves, her fourth full-length album that captures the anticipation and possibilities of a new beginning.
“I wrote these songs over several years, so I was changing while I was writing them. Looking back now, I can almost hear myself working things out in real time.”
“The Wreckage,” which she wrote with her friend Kyshona Armstrong around the time she decided to move to Nashville, came from that moment of change. She knew that moving was the right decision, but that didn’t make it easy. Writing the song helped her process those feelings.
While the songs on Making Moves come from a specific chapter in her life, their themes extend beyond her own experience. The details are personal, but the emotions are universal.
In the studio, producer Sarah Peacock helped Nicholls bring those ideas to life, encouraging her to trust her instincts and make decisions that felt true to the songs.
That willingness to follow where the music leads has guided Nicholls from the beginning.
Over the past decade, she has built a career marked by detailed storytelling and a voice often described as “velvet.”
Her catalog includes albums such as A Little Redemption and Mockingbird Lane, the latter inspired by a chance meeting with Nashville producer and bassist Chris Donohue, who has worked with artists including Emmylou Harris, Dave Matthews and Tom Jones.
She has since toured alongside Lucinda Williams, The Secret Sisters and Sturgill Simpson, with her music also featured on shows including Sons of Anarchy.
Atwood Magazine caught up with Nicholls to talk about Making Moves, the leap of faith that brought her to Nashville, and the enduring influence of her grandmother and the voice she still hears reminding her to “open your mouth and sing.”
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:: stream/purchase Making Moves here ::
:: connect with Danni Nicholls here ::
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Stream: ‘Making Moves’ – Danni Nicholls
A CONVERSATION WITH DANNI NICHOLLS
Atwood Magazine: You’ve called Making Moves the album you “desperately needed” after a pretty turbulent time in your life. Now that it’s finished and you’ve had some time with it, do you feel like making the record changed you, or did it just help you see how much you’d already changed?
Danni Nicholls: I think it was probably a bit of both, but more the latter. I wrote these songs over several years so I was changing while I was writing them. Looking back now, I can almost hear myself working things out in real time. Making the record didn’t magically fix anything, but it did give me a chance to pause and recognise how far I’d come. I think that’s one of the gifts of songwriting – it lets you look back and notice your own growth in a way that’s hard to see when you’re living through it.
“The Wreckage” is such a powerful song about that space between holding on and letting go. Do you remember what first brought that song to you?
Danni Nicholls: Absolutely. I wrote this with my good friend Kyshona Armstrong around the time I had decided I wanted to move to Nashville and my gut and intuition were guiding me in that direction but fear and self doubt were clouding things. It was quite a stressful time and I was experiencing what I now know to be dissociation – that strange feeling of being outside of yourself and not tethered or connected. Songs help me process life and this one really helped me come back to myself and find a way forward.
When you’re writing about getting through difficult things, how do you find that balance between showing the scars and showing the healing?
Danni Nicholls: I don’t think I consciously try to balance the two. I just try to write honestly about wherever I am at the time. I’m not very interested in pretending I’ve got everything figured out or wrapping things up with a neat ending, because life rarely works like that. If there’s hope on the album, I think it comes from honesty rather than certainty. For me, there’s something hopeful about simply recognising where you are and trusting that you won’t stay there forever.
You dreamed about moving to Nashville for a long time, and now you’re actually there. What’s it been like to finally live the reality of something you imagined for so many years?
Danni Nicholls: It’s honestly been everything I hoped it would be. Of course I hoped moving to Nashville would enhance my career, but that was never the whole reason I came. I came because I wanted to immerse myself in a community of people who cared as deeply about songs and this life in music as I did. I wanted to be creatively challenged, to experience life in a different country and culture, to broaden my perspective, and to build genuine, lifelong friendships. Looking back, I feel incredibly lucky because it’s given me all of those things. My career has grown, but more importantly, so have I. I still have moments where I look around and can’t quite believe I actually live here after all those years of dreaming and trying to figure out how to make it happen. Building a life here has been harder than I imagined, but also far more rewarding.
Sarah Peacock really helped shape the sound of Making Moves. What did she bring out of you during the recording process that maybe surprised you?
Danni Nicholls: Sarah has this wonderful ability to make people feel safe enough to be brave. She encouraged me to trust my instincts while also pushing me to think bigger sonically than I probably would have on my own. I was surprised by how much fun we had making the record. Even though some of the songs deal with difficult emotions, the process itself was full of laughter, creativity and curiosity. I think you can hear that warmth in the finished album.
You’ve never been afraid to be vulnerable in your songwriting, but this record feels especially personal. Was there a song on this album that you had to think twice about sharing?
Danni Nicholls: Ah, that would have to be the song “Honey.” It’s probably the most personal and specific song I’ve ever written. It tells a story that was incredibly close to me, and there was a point where I wondered whether I really wanted to share something so raw and recognisable. But I also knew that if I tried to water it down or hide behind vagueness, it would lose the very thing that made it powerful. So I took a deep breath and trusted the song. Looking back, I’m really glad I did.
Your grandmother’s record collection played such a big role in leading you toward roots music. Do you ever find yourself thinking about her when you’re making records like this? What do you think she’d hear in Making Moves?
Danni Nicholls: I do think about her – all the time. I always hope she would enjoy the music I make, and I’m so grateful I had the chance to tell her how much her influence meant to me. I think she would have loved some of the songs on Making Moves more than others! Even now, whenever I’m recording vocals, I still hear her voice saying, “Open your mouth and sing!” – meaning, “Annunciate properly!” Ha.
You’ve gotten to play alongside some incredible artists and you’ve spent a lot of time on the road. Is there a moment or a lesson from another musician that you still carry with you?
Danni Nicholls: One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that the artists I admire most are usually the ones who make everyone around them feel valued. Talent gets people through the door, but kindness and generosity are what people remember. I’ve tried to carry that with me, both on stage and off. Music is such a collaborative thing, and I think the best artists understand that.
What does the title “Making Moves” mean to you now compared to when you first started chasing music?
Danni Nicholls: When I was younger, I probably thought making moves meant constantly achieving things – getting the next gig, the next opportunity, the next milestone. Now I think it’s much quieter than that. Sometimes making the biggest move is setting a boundary, changing direction, letting something go or choosing to trust yourself. It’s less about constantly moving forward and more about moving intentionally.
When someone finishes listening to Making Moves, what do you hope stays with them? What do you hope they feel or think about after that last song ends?
Danni Nicholls: The main hope is that they want to press play again immediately! Ha. But honestly, if they resonate with the songs in some way, feel understood, find themselves thinking about a particular lyric a few days later, or catch themselves humming one of the melodies, I’d be really happy.
After all the interviews, reviews and conversations about your music, is there something you feel people still don’t quite see about you or the way you make songs?
Danni Nicholls: I think people sometimes assume my songs are about having answers. They’re really not. Most of the time I’m writing because I’m trying to understand something, not because I’ve figured it out. Songwriting is how I make sense of the world.
What’s next – what are you most excited about?
Danni Nicholls: A vacation! You know, I’m just excited to keep sharing Making Moves with people. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to seeing what the next chapter brings. Every album teaches me something new, and I have a feeling this one is opening doors I can’t quite see yet. I love taking the songs out on the road, playing live so I’ll be doing plenty of that and then, when I feel ready, I look forward to stepping back into writing mode to see what comes up!
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:: stream/purchase Making Moves here ::
:: connect with Danni Nicholls here ::
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© Sarah Peacock, Peacock Media
© Sarah Peacock, Peacock MediaMaking Moves
an album by Danni Nicholls
