Danika Portz

Hello there. My name is Danika and I am a singer/songwriter from Remsen- a tiny town of about 1,600 people, in the northwestern corner of Iowa. Yes, that means my graduating class had 32 people (and yes, two of them were foreign exchange students).

I have been singing for as long as I can remember and I owe a lot of my confidence to my mom who was (and still is) always singing around the house- but now she sings MY songs...which is pretty cool. I did all sorts of choirs and theatre gigs growing up but it wasn't until I went on my first "tour" that I realized I was going to be doing this for the rest of my life. I was 8. And my mom set up the tour... to all the local nursing homes. It was epic. And the old people loved us! My cousin, Laura and I sang karaoke to the latest Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen soundtrack and when we needed a "break", my brother and cousin would tell knock-knock jokes. That was it. I was hooked.

I moved to Nashville in May of 2011 without knowing anyone. I had no connections and no direction, but I knew that Nashville was where I belonged. By chance or by fate (I like to believe the latter), I met the most amazing group of people that are now part of my team in getting this thing off the ground! From great friends, to co-writers, to publishers to believers and fans- every person I met and connection I made along the way led me to where I am standing today (I didn't even try to rhyme that last line- I promise).

On February 15, 2013 (which just so happens to be my birthday) I signed my first co-publishing deal with Green Hills Music Group and Grin Like A Dog Songs. My day's work consists of any combination of the following: writing, recording, and drinking gas station coffee. It's a great life I lead and I love my job, because it doesn't feel like a job.

I love all kinds of music but am most strongly influenced by the honesty of traditional country lyrics and the catchy melodies of modern pop...and throw in a banjo for good measure. When I write, I try not to limit myself- I write whatever story needs to be told in that moment. I found that the more specific I am in my writing, the more universal the song becomes, which is very exciting.

So, that's me in a nutshell. I just got my first smart phone ever (and no- this isn't out of date...I'm old school) and I'm addicted to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram... so follow along in my journey!

Love, Danika