Jesse Daniel is now eight years sober and residing his finest and fittest life ever. Via his music, the 33-year-old nation singer has discovered a method to remodel dependancy’s darkest moments into “Grey”—and finally, he hopes, platinum.
The Northern California native’s profession has been revitalized, with the assistance of a renewed give attention to health and powerful assist from these closest to him. His newest album, Son of the San Lorenzo, continues his distinctive mix of California nation initially made common by West Coast legends equivalent to Merle Haggard that he goals to hold ahead.
With songs like “My Time Is Gonna Come” climbing the Americana charts and “Time Nicely Spent for a Man”—a collaboration with famend country-folk artist Charles Wesley Godwin—gaining consideration on Spotify, Jesse Daniel has been praised as “one of many premier conventional nation artists within the style.” Son of the San Lorenzo follows the success of Countin’ The Miles, and has drawn comparisons to a few of nation rock’s best acts—the Allman Brothers, the Eagles, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. In assist of his new launch, Daniel is presently touring the U.S. earlier than heading abroad for separate stints in Europe and Australia.
Daniel’s music is deeply knowledgeable by his life experiences. His inspiring story is very outstanding contemplating that just about a decade in the past, his struggles with medication and alcohol made him a showtime legal responsibility, resulting in his ousting from a punk band—after bouncing between jail and rehab.
“Personally, yeah—it made me a greater songwriter than if I hadn’t gone by way of that stuff,” he admits. “It’s a really distinctive perspective that I’ve, and I don’t suppose lots of people, at the least within the nation music realm in the present day, have been by way of the life-style that I’ve. I’ve that to attract from.”
At his lowest level, Daniel’s 6’1” body was carrying simply over 100 kilos, and his music profession was getting ready to extinction. Lastly, it took an ultimatum from his fiancée—get clear or get going—he selected and fought to regain his sobriety.
“I type of had a fork within the highway, and I selected to kick it chilly turkey and simply endure by way of it,” he says candidly.
He lastly ditched the medication and positioned his give attention to train, together with incorporating loads of triceps dips. For Daniel, the straightforward body-weight transfer isn’t a lot about constructing an even bigger set of weapons. As a substitute, the transfer represents his no-excuses coaching blueprint that has helped him keep his triumphant transformation, regardless of the place he resides or what metropolis his tour stops by way of.
Daniel’s near-daily exercises have made him more healthy, stronger, and almost 60 kilos heavier, whereas additionally protecting the demons that when haunted him at bay. Daniel now lives with function—going to mattress early, exercising every morning, and doing what he loves most: making music and performing for his followers.
“It’s been extra so part of my restoration since getting clear and sober,” he displays. “First I put down the medication, then I began consuming higher, after which I began exercising. It’s been type of this chain response of self-betterment.”
Sleep Has Grow to be the Final Restoration Instrument for Jesse Daniel
In July, Daniel flies to Europe for a 12-show tour earlier than returning to the States after which as soon as once more boarding a aircraft, this time for 10 performances in Australia.
Touring by jet has grow to be one other milestone for the singer—a significant step up from the stereotypical touring expertise of cramming into an previous, rickety van, the place seedy golf equipment, late-night truck-stop snack runs, and all-nighters had been the norm for an up-and-coming artist.
“It actually brings a gaggle of individuals collectively,” he says. “I look again fondly, however I don’t miss the sleep deprivation facet of it.”
Now, getting eight hours of relaxation has grow to be a performance-boosting precedence for Daniel. It retains him contemporary for the following day’s exercise—there’s no skipping leg day, it doesn’t matter what metropolis he wakes up in. Attending to mattress early after a present can be one other essential layer of safety in opposition to temptation.
“I began prioritizing sleep,” he explains. “As a substitute of going out with all people and hanging out for hours doing nothing after the present, I’d be like, ‘All proper, guys, I’m going to mattress.’ So, when everybody’s yawning and exhausted the following morning, I’m bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I spotted how these little changes helped with the day-to-day, and it’s stored me going.”
Having misplaced a number of years of his profession as a consequence of dependancy, Daniel’s emphasis on constant relaxation is a part of his long-term purpose of acting at a excessive degree into his 50s, 60s, even 70s and past. Sleep is a part of the longevity course of.
“Once I began taking this health stuff critically over the previous few years and making it part of my on a regular basis routine,” he says. “I spotted I’m not making an attempt to be Dave Draper or any sort of bodybuilder. I simply need to have the ability to proceed doing this into my older years. It simply makes me really feel nice.”
From Habit to Acclaimed Musician
Whereas Daniel is thought for his melodic, guitar-infused type of conventional nation, he first realized to play drums as a young person. He even earned just a few gigs as a substitute drummer in his father’s nation band. He then moved on to drumming in an area California punk band. Daniel says a few of his earlier nation music works featured an edgier punk sound earlier than evolving into in the present day’s nation type. “My self-titled album [in 2018] had that grittier guitar tone and sooner drums,” he says. “It was extra of a punk, rock ‘n’ roll, nation rock mix as a result of that’s what I used to be popping out of. It leaned into punk for positive.”
The punk life-style, nevertheless, devolved into life-threatening habits. It started at age 12, he says, with occasional experiments with beer, alcohol, and weed. It morphed into each day ingesting throughout highschool, earlier than heroin and different substances took over by his late teenagers. For a number of years, his dependancy was marked by cycles of sobriety and relapse. He’s had a number of stints in jail and rehab. And in makes an attempt to flee his demons. Daniel tried transferring away, however the damaging habits endured regardless of the town.
Ultimately, issues acquired so dangerous that his punk rock band might not depend on him and let him go. Worse but, his well being was in life-threatening decline.
“I’m most likely 175 kilos now,” he says. “However I acquired down to love 110 kilos. I used to be simply bones, emaciated, a drug addict. I needed to go to the hospital for abscesses from capturing up medication and needles. There have been scabs throughout my face from being up for days on meth, having psychosis. I used to be utterly unrecognizable—a special individual.”
Throughout considered one of his transient moments of readability, he met Jodi Lyford at a present. The 2 grew to become songwriting companions and developed a relationship past music. In 2017, Jodi confronted him. She challenged him to alter if he wished to stick with her. The ultimatum compelled Jesse to seek out the motivation to stop chilly turkey. And since then the 2 have grow to be inseparable a part of one another’s lives.
“She, in quite a lot of methods, type of helped save my life,” he says. “I wanted anyone to consider in me. And I wanted some purpose to get it collectively lengthy sufficient to get out of that life. She provided me a hand up from the darkness.”
Dips to Construct Muscle and a Constant Routine
Rising up in Ben Lomond, a small city in California’s Santa Cruz area, Jesse Daniel was surrounded by mountain peaks and climbing trails, making health simply accessible. His father, a wellness-minded musician and paint salesman, ensured his children stayed lively by way of a wide range of actions.
“He was actually into mountain biking and climbing,” Daniel says. “He did quite a lot of weight coaching. However he’d additionally take us to the observe to run or have us do one thing like skateboarding or snowboarding. We had been at all times doing one thing lively.”
Now clear since 2017, staying in peak bodily form is important for each his well being and efficiency. Daniel repeatedly works out at his Northern California YMCA, incorporating a wide range of fast HIIT exercises. He usually weight-trains 5 days per week and, each time he’s on the town, makes use of the power’s saltwater pool for conditioning or recovers within the infrared sauna.
“The sauna’s large for me,” he says. “I’ll do a minimal of 10 minutes. However some days I’ll go 20 minutes if I don’t really feel like I pushed it lengthy sufficient within the fitness center.”
On the highway, he finds any method to get a exercise—whether or not it’s checking into an area Planet Health, utilizing kettlebells he brings on the tour bus, or doing body weight workouts.
It’s been his constant routine of mundane actions which have helped keep his muscle-building momentum. For Daniel, that always incorporating dips into his exercises. For him, it’s a fantastic upper-body transfer, nice for useful health, and will be programmed into all of his exercises.
“On the highway we could not have entry to a superb fitness center,” he says. “I’ll find yourself doing pushups or establishing legislation chairs and doing dips. I’ll make use of no matter we have now. It’s grow to be a behavior and I can do it anyplace.
He begins with 4 units to failure—often round 16 reps. Ultimately, his brother suggested him so as to add weight. Now, with a 25-pound plate strapped on, Jesse remains to be knocking out reps.
Dips, together with different body weight workouts and loads of stretching earlier than exhibits, assist Daniel really feel extra limber and useful onstage. Most essential is that these actions—whether or not performed in a fitness center, a park, and even between two garden chairs at a motel—maintain his routine constant.
“It’s type of grow to be a behavior,” he says. “I like doing body weight stuff as a result of you are able to do it anyplace, and it’s good for performance. It helps me transfer across the stage higher. I simply really feel extra limber.”
Health and Music Have Grow to be Wholesome Addictions
Via years of painful dependancy, a lyrical goldmine of darkish moments have helped Jesse Daniel become an inspirational songwriter. No tune embodies this as a lot as his 2021 single “Grey,” born out of his struggles with drug dependency and the energy required to interrupt free.
I want that you would see what I do know you would be
It’s laborious to look at, however I can’t look away
After we each had been younger, is aware of we had our enjoyable
However aren’t you uninterested in fadin’ into gray?
“The very first step was simply to place down the medication and make the choice to not use them for that day,” he says. Since then, it’s been one child step after one other—one foot in entrance of the opposite.”
It means now greater than ever, protecting tabs on what goes into his physique is extra essential than ever. It’s a wellness requirement, particularly if long-term success is the purpose. “Again then, it was no matter was on the venue,” he remembers. “A variety of rooster fried steaks and stuff like that.”
These days, smart snacks have grow to be the norm. Rx Bars, beef sticks, and different fast bites provide a more healthy different to sweet bars. He additionally sometimes indulges in just a few power drinks, choosing the sugar-free sort. He prefers the calm power he will get from merchandise like Gorgie, even when the packaging earns him some playful teasing from his fiancée.
“Jodi makes enjoyable of me as a result of they seem like girly drinks,” he laughs. “They’ve pink and yellow cans, however they don’t have any synthetic sweeteners. So if I want one thing to get me by way of, I’ll pound a kind of.”
Now sober, when Jesse isn’t within the fitness center, he can relish the downtime fishing and climbing and spending time with Jodi and household. He’ll maintain the meals contemporary and wholesome—grilling his catch to give you wholesome entrees such fish tacos helps him maintain his wellness in verify and resist the temptations of his previous.
And most essential, to get pleasure from.
“I rise up early within the morning and I don’t really feel dangerous. I’m not beholden. I don’t must go purchase medication to really feel regular. Nothing is holding me again from residing life on life’s phrases. I’m residing life the way in which it’s meant to be lived.”
