Biography

4D recording artist Denae Gardner’s music is Country, is very fresh and current sounding, and her love and respect for Traditional Country is obvious. There’s no doubting that. Take a listen to her recent radio singles, the Bluegrass tinged “Heartache Train” and, “My Love Will Not Change,” or the Country blues hard hitting “Welcome To America”.

The new single “Sound Of A Woman Sayin Goodbye” is a rockin’ Country dance song, and you can hear how unique her talent is. The Idaho-based singer has a deep appreciation for what has come before her. She feels that’s important.

“You have to appreciate where music came from,” the stunning 21-year-old songstress says. “That’s a really big thing with me. That’s why I listen to so much of the old stuff. It’s all related. Music, as we know it today, came from Country and Blues. Obviously, I know they are different sounding, but I just love it all.”

Her love of the “old stuff” goes back to childhood.

“I listened to Classic Country at my grandparents’ house, but also grew up on Classic Rock with my parents. So I kind of have both of those influences. I listened to a lot of the Beatles when I was very young. I also listened to a lot of older Traditional Country, which is a lot of what I listen to now,” she says, with the passion echoing in her voice.

It was the legendary band Led Zeppelin that was one of her biggest influences growing up, as she recalls.

“What really inspired me to want to get involved in music as a career was that I watched a live DVD of Led Zeppelin when I was in the eighth or ninth grade. Watching that DVD really inspired me, and then, I heard the music of Etta James. That’s when I knew that’s what I wanted to do the rest of my life.”

Gardner blends those sounds all together into a style that she calls “Rockin’ Country with a Blues/Bluegrass twist.” That style is very much in evidence on such tracks as her new single “Sound Of A Woman Sayin’ Goodbye” (Rockin Country ). She began perfecting that sound as a pre-teen, while living in California. Her father booked her to perform the National Anthem at car and motorcycle races. After moving to Boise with her parents, she formed a band that played many events in the Idaho area, including several High School events, as well as clubs.

“Sound Of A Woman Sayin Goodbye”, Denae Gardner’s new single due for release on June 10, 2013 , impacting radio on June 24, 2013 is a rockin Country dance tune. Denae says, “The message is clear … when a guy walks into his house and finds a goodbye note and hears that silence … this is “The Sound Of A Woman Sayin’ Goodbye”.

Denae joined forces with producers Dave Smith and Grammy nominated producer Dave Mcafee of Nashville for this song. They are also producing her album along with producer David Z.

“Having the “3 Daves” as producers has been a real thrill and blessing” Denae said. “They are such great producers, and have all these wonderful contacts, and that’s why I’m able to get all of these wonderful players. That’s what makes it so great.”

The players on “Sound Of A Woman Sayin Goodbye” are Dave Mcafee on drums (Toby Keith), Dink Cook on bass (Toby Keith), Dave Smith on guitar (Lee Greenwood), Monty Parkey on keys (Darrell Worley and Alan Jackson), Tiger Bell on fiddle (Merle Haggard and Travis Tritt).

Gardner was out and about during mid-2011 and 2012, putting names and faces together on her first radio tour. The tour, which took her to forty radio markets is a vital part of getting an artist noticed by radio. Denae says the importance of getting to know the Music Directors and On-Air talent can not be underestimated.

“That was very important to me. I had a blast,” she said. “I’ve never actually been able to travel throughout the Country, particularly in the south. People were really nice, and they seemed to enjoy what we were doing. Having that opportunity to go out and to meet programmers, it’s kind of old school, but I think it’s really important. You’ve got to get out on the road, and make those connections.”

She definitely made quite an impact on the listeners and radio stations, as her single “Heartache Train” reached #87 on the Music Row Country Breakout Chart. In some cases, live performances of songs she did on the radio tour, like “Sky Is Crying,” also netted airplay, as well.

As “Heartache Train” moved across the Nation on Country radio she performed a number of outdoor shows over the summer including The Boise Music Festival which drew 75,000 people.

With a new single “Sound Of A Woman Sayin’ Goodbye” set to impact radio, Denae is in this career for the long haul.

“I know it’s cheesy, but I just want to be successful. I just want to continue to build. I just want to keep building in a positive direction, developing a fan base, and getting a little more popular with each single. I just want to get out and inspire people with my music.”

After all, that’s the way that artists like Blake Shelton and Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire built their careers, and she admires that blueprint that they chose for their careers.

“I think that is true longevity. I would rather take the smaller steps, but always in a more positive direction. I would love to have a career like either one of theirs.”

Denae wants to carry the torch for artists such as McEntire, Loretta Lynn, and Connie Smith, who kept the ‘twang’ in their music.

“It’s really important to me that we keep Traditional Country flavor in our songs. I grew up with Traditional and Classic music, and I really want to keep that strong.”

If you ask her about her biggest influence, you might be surprised. When asked what performer she would most love to sit down and seek their career advice, she said

“Hank Williams, III, hands down. I would love to sit down and have a conversation with him. I love what he stands for. I would love to ask him about how he has kept his sound so traditional.”

She also hopes to bring out the emotions in her music to the listeners, and if her music inspires them, she knows the feeling.

“That would mean the world to me. I have wanted that for so long,” she says.

Denae says that as much as she loves recording, she really wants to take her music out on the road to the people. That’s where she feels right at home.

“Being in the studio is a blast, but to really see me, you’ve got to see a live show. I feel music rushing in my blood. I just let it all out on stage. I move around a lot, and I know that as long as I am having a good time, I know the audience is having a good time. I know that when I go to concerts, I love it when I can forget about the world for about two hours. I want to create that for people, where they will forget about anything that is troubling them.”

So, when listeners hear “Sound Of A Woman Sayin Goodbye,” on the radio, what exactly would Gardner want people to think about her?

“I want them to think that this girl has a deep passion for music. I hope people think that I have genuine talent. I hope they feel what I am doing, and that I am sticking to my roots. I just want them to appreciate it!”