COYLE — With a musical style born in Australia and honed in Nashville, folk singer Daniel Champagne is bringing his fresh andunique sounds to the North Olympic Peninsula.
Champagne, 27, will perform Sunday afternoon at the Laurel B. Johnson Community Center as part of the ongoing Concerts in the Woodsseries.
“Champagne, originally from Australia, brings us a different sound which is a hard thing to do in a profession where practically everyonesings and plays guitar,” said Norm Johnson, Coyle concerts founder.
“But Daniel has a different style of singing that he combines with his own method of playing the guitar and ends up with a powerful and lively way of projecting his music.”
The performance is set to begin at 3 p.m. at the community center, 923 Hazel Point Road.
Admission to the all-ages show is by donation.
Complimentary cookies and coffee will be offered at intermission.
Champagne described his music this week as simply “acoustic,” which allows him to defy being hemmed in by a particular genre.
“Being a solo act leaves me pretty open to jumping through genres from song to song,” he said via email while on flight from Europe to the United States.
“The styles of music I’m mostly drawing from are folk and blues, and I guess my own take on guitar playing is a signature that runs through it all.”
Champagne said, through his music, he hopes to “tell my stories and share some passion, and hope that it connects with some people, somewhere along the way.”
Champagne said his favorite part about performing live is “creating and playing with the energy between me and the audience. When the night is right, it’s the most incredible feeling, almost like the energy becomes something tangible you could pick up and throw off the top of a building.”
Champagne said he “can’t wait for the show on Sunday and to be back in Washington. That part of the country reminds me most of where I come from.”
Champagne — originally from Brogo, New South Wales, on the southeast corner of Australia — first picked up a guitar as a 5-year-old,following in the footsteps of a musical father, according to his biography.
He began writing songs at 12, training classically throughout his teens and performing solo wherever he could to hone his craft.
“I was influenced by Australian writers like Paul Kelly and Jeff Lang, and most of my songs are about people and places back home so hopefully that’s all pretty new to the American crowds,” Champagne said.
At 18, Champagne left school and hit the road with dreams of becoming a professional musician.
The next five years saw him traversing Australia, North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and New Zealand.
Champagne has since shared the stage with performers such as Lucinda Williams, Judy Collins, INXS, John Butler, KT Tunstall and AniDiFranco – all while writing, producing and independently releasing two EPs, “My Own Design” in 2009 and “Wide Eyed and Open” in 2010.
Champagne’s first LP, “Pint of Mystery” was released in 2011, followed in 2012 by “Real Live.”
Champagne’s globetrotting lifestyle formed the inspiration for his next albums, according to his website, “The Gypsy Moon — Volumes Iand II,” released in 2013.
The community center is located at the southern tip of the Toandos Peninsula and is operated by the Jefferson County Parks andRecreation District with help from area residents.
For more information about Champagne, visit www.danielchampagne music.com.
For more about the center, see www.coyleconcerts.com.
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Features Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
