Black Rock Newcomer Danielia Cotton Readies ‘Rare Child’ For May 20th Release

“Cotton has the sort of voice for which the phrase ‘force of nature’ was coined.” - Austin American Statesman

New York, NY-- Soulful singer and guitarist Danielia Cotton breathes fire into ten blues-rock gems on her sophomore album ‘Rare Child’ (May 20, Adrenaline Records/ADA). Belting out tunes with a huge, wise-beyond-its-years voice, New Jersey native Cotton channels rock legends from Led Zeppelin to Tina Turner to Joe Cocker with her blistering guitar work and raw, captivating vocals.

‘Rare Child’ follows Cotton’s critically acclaimed ‘Small White Town’ released in 2005. Essence Magazine feted her “raw intensity ranging from beautifully tender to howling” while the Philadelphia Daily News compared her singing to the “emotional power of Janis Joplin. Her songwriting places her among the top new musical storytellers.... Danielia's music has the swagger of Let It Bleed-era Rolling Stones.” Relix Magazine recently featured her in their “On The Verge” section in “5 Artists You Should Know About.”

Cotton's accolades are in part the result of her electrifying live show. Over the past two years of touring, in addition to headlining, her versatility as a performer has allowed her to open for over 28 artists, including some of the greatest acts in music, from Blues legends Buddy Guy, Etta James, and Robert Cray, to Bon Jovi, to the Southern Rock royalty of Gregg Allman, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Little Feat, as well as the Flaming Lips, Staind and Collective Soul, among many others.

Cotton hails from the small rural town of Hopewell, NJ (the titular town of her debut album) where she was one of a handful of black students in her high school and grew up listening to bands like AC/DC, Judas Priest and Todd Rundgren. But Cotton was equally influenced by the jazz and gospel music that her mother and aunts sang. These complex and eclectic influences come together in Cotton’s signature sound: her voice is equal parts tenderness and thunder while her richly detailed songs showcase a talent for writing memorable stories and characters.

Cotton will perform music from ‘Rare Child’ at SXSW on March 13th at Opal Divine's Freehouse at 12AM.