1)Would you like to introduce yourself?
My name is Danielle Knibbe, I’m a singer-songwriter who was raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and is now living in Toronto, Ontario.

2)When and why did you start playing?
I started singing when I was four or five – I couldn’t get enough of performing. I remember I made all the neighbourhood kids come and watch me sing Shania Twain into a garden hose on several occasions. When I was twelve I went to the Edmonton Folk Festival and saw a bunch of artists doing what I wanted to do. That was the first time I realized that all these poems and song ideas that I had been coming up with could actually be songs if I just put some chords to them. So I taught myself guitar, and with a bit of time and courage I started playing them for other people.

3)What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? Why?
First and foremost, I love songwriting. Lately though, I’m learning to enjoy all the other ways I get to be creative. I design my own posters, stickers, and some other merch. I get to be creative through Instagram and other social media, and obviously when I perform I have all sorts of creative freedom. It’s fun that every day I get to do something different.

My least favourite part is planning tours, hands down. I’m a fairly anxious person, and I’m not very good at being relaxed about tour details, or even touring itself. BUT I’m getting better with every tour I plan, and I’m hoping that someday I’ll either be really good at it, or someone else will do it for me.

4)Is there a hidden meanings in your new EP, Infatuation?
There is! Both of these songs are from my forthcoming album The Ribcage & The Heart, which will be released in the spring of 2019. On the full length album, every song has a counterpart – for every “ribcage” song, there is a “heart” song. That’s why I’ve chosen to release songs in these pairs leading up to the release. So while both songs on this EP tackle the topic of Infatuation, “Agony” approaches the topic with sarcasm and flippancy, while “Simple Love” is more honest and vulnerable. There are also some echoed melodic lines in the two tracks which you can hear if you listen reeeeaaaaallllyyy carefully.

5)How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
Oh man. It depends on the day. On a good day, I try not to think about mistakes at all during a performance. I’ve performed enough now to know that the mistakes I make onstage are usually not noticeable to anyone but myself, and that I have to just be in the moment and think about the overall message of the song. Perfection is overrated anyways. I have had a couple bad days where I can’t get out of my head and every mistake I make just bothers me for the whole set. The solution in both situations is to fake it till you make it!

6)Which of your tracks would you recommend for any new listeners?
“Agony” (despite the title), is a really fun, up tempo song. I would start with that I think.

7)If you were given the power to do so, which overused interview question would you have banned?
I really don’t like when I’m asked “Who do you sound like”, mostly because I don’t know?

8)And, most importantly, what is your favorite type of cookie?
Man. I just found out I can’t eat gluten, so this question hurts. I’ve had some pretty good gluten-free peanut butter cookies, and that’s been a comfort.

Tour dates:
Nov. 16 – Kingston ON, Musiikii Cafe
Nov. 19 – Montreal, QB, Casa Del Popolo with Genevieve Racette and Emily Rockarts
Nov 24 – Edmonton, AB, Blue Chair Cafe
Nov. 25 – Saskatoon, SK, House Concert
Nov. 27 – Regina, SK, House Concert
Nov. 29 – Saskatoon, SK, Nine Mile Legacy Brewing
Dec 1 – Calgary, AB, Bow Cabin with Lighter Than Arrows
Dec 2 – Red Deer, AB, House Concert with TOVI
Dec 5 – Toronto, ON, The Transac with The Barrel Boys Christmas concert
Dec 14 – Thornbury, ON, Bruce Wine Bar
Dec 15 – Collingwood ON, Crow.Bar & Variety