Making Music for the Masses

Words by Somer Brugal Photos by Eric Morales

Nané recorded its first album before playing a live show together. It was an unorthodox approach, but the band is accustomed to taking the road less traveled.

“Straight out of college, I didn’t say, ‘I’m going to pursue music,’” the band’s lead singer Daniel Sahad explains. Instead, he gave himself space and time to learn about the music industry before diving in headfirst.

While in college at UT Austin, he and the band’s co-founder and guitarist, Ian Green, played together for friends or at parties. It wasn’t until two years after the duo graduated that they began seriously writing and playing music together. One year later, in 2019 they recorded their first album.

“We recorded this record before ever playing a show,” he says. “The music was never auditioned for a live stage.” But the band’s roundabout way of doing things didn’t matter. People had a strong reaction to their music.

Their first show – 200 people at Stay Gold, the recently closed East Cesar Chavez Street bar – sold out. A few sold out shows later, they filled The Parish, a 500-person venue on East 6th Street.

One of Daniel’s more cherished memories playing in the early days of the band, however, was at The Empire Garage, where 1,300 people yelled his lyrics back at him. “It was the most energy I’ve ever felt coming right back at me,” he remembers. Opening for The Black Pumas at The Mohawk was also a defining moment. The experience opened his eyes to how powerful and inspiring a live performance can be.

The band’s debut album, which was released in November, juxtaposes Daniel’s warm, inviting vocals with grit and power. It’s the band’s ability to ebb and flow between that dynamic that draws in people.

Though unique to Nané, the sound draws inspiration from Daniel’s two greatest influences: Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes and Michael Kiwanuka. “Those two artists handle the same thing I feel in my heart really well, which is the ability to go from this tenderness and sweetness to something that’s explosive and exciting and powerful.”

For Daniel, the goal of making music is to connect with his audience, providing them with emotions and feelings they otherwise may not confront and letting them have fun. But with venues closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, he’s had to rethink his approach.

He dove into social media to allow people to escape their reality for a moment or two, and he’s created video content to accompany the album. He’s also releasing a short film in the coming months that will show a more personal side of himself and the band. “Despite the pandemic,” he says, “you can still push to create beautiful things safely, and there’s still stories to tell.”

As for new music, he’s more confident in what he’s writing for the second album. “We’ve learned a lot about what the band is by now,” he adds. “We have a better idea about who we are and where we’re going next. I’m really excited about the direction we’re
heading.”

What’s in a Name?
The band’s name, Nané, is what his family back home in the Dominican Republic call him. “It’s a term of endearment,” he points out. But it also means more. When fans call him Nané, they become family. The name welcomes fans and audiences into a more familial, connected space.

Contact:
nanetheband.com
@danielsahad