Daniel Trakell releases tender single ‘Folk Song #2’, announces album

Daniel Trakell

Melbourne-based indie/folk-rock artist, Daniel Trakell, has today announced his anticipated sophomore album ‘Into The Blue’ set for release in November. With this, he releases a latest hauntingly beautiful taste of what’s to come, “Folk Song #2,” on May 19th.

An ode to the pressure of living up to internal and external expectations while being consumed by self-doubt it draws inspiration from the likes of 60s-era folk, songs by artists like Townes Van Zandt, Jackson C Frank and Bob Dylan.

The track was recorded in an old church hall that sits in Mollongghip – a farming community 20 Minutes from Ballarat. produced and mixed by the talented Josh Barber (known for his work with Gretta Ray, Gotye, and Archie Roach), and mastered by multi-Grammy, Libera, Fryderyk, & JUNO nominated, ADISQ & SOCAN winning engineer, Shawn Hatfield of AudibleOddities.

“Lyrically it’s about the pressure of living up to internal and external expectations, pouring your heart and soul into something but being consumed by self doubt. The title ‘Folk Song #2’ was a kind of placeholder while writing, also a reference to a song by one of my favourite artists Elliott Smith, but by the time the song was finished it kind of stuck and I liked having a song title that doesn’t reference the lyrics.”
Daniel Trakell

Accompanying this release is an atmospheric tender live rendition of ‘Folk Song #2’. Showcasing the intimacy of Daniel’s music, the accompanying visualiser brings the song to life.

Filmed by Michael Ridley who has extensive experience with working some of Australia’s best musicians like Violent Soho, Alex Lahey and Angie McMahon he brings to life Daniel Trakell’s tender single.

His unique double-tracked vocals and songwriting style have drawn comparisons to artists like early Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Elliott Smith. His loveable brand of  indie/folk-rock with 70s piano-pop influences has captured the attention of both Australian and international audiences.

Several songs from the previous album were picked up for use in hit American TV shows like Locke and Key (Netflix), A Million Little Things (ABC) The Walker (The CW) and Better Things (FX).

In October 2020, Trakell released his debut album, “Warning Bell,” via Swedish based record label Dumont Dumont. The album features popular singles such as “Turnaround,” “Come To,” and the hit single, “Wisdom/Boredom.” (700k+ streams). 

He’s been supported by numerous outlets such as Happy Mag, Tone Deaf, Rolling Stone (Australia and France), and has been featured on radio stations such as FBi Radio, triple j, FIP, Radio Eins, and ByteFM alongside winning an exclusive music video competition with triple j.

“Folk Song #2” promises to be yet another powerful offering from established Melbourne talent, showcasing Trakell’s unique sound and songwriting prowess. His album is expected to be a sweeping exploration of the nuances of life, perfectly parcelled in his unique brand of loveable indie-folk-rock.