Oft-compared to Nina Simone and Flannery O’Connor, Danielle Howle is a powerful frontwoman whose vivid, slightly off-kilter musical stories weave a sweet sensibility and bare honesty into her work. Her solo performances are breathtaking; she’s one of the few artists that can hold an audience spellbound whether she’s backed by a band or alone performing an a cappella number. Howle is just as renowned for her ingenuous between-song banter. Her intuitive, often hilarious insights and her ability to connect with her listeners have brought both critical acclaim and a legion of loyal fans. The South Carolinian singer/songwriter Danielle Howle will perform at 3rd & Lindsley on Thursday, May 18. She will be opening for Sonny Landreth. Show time is 8:00 PM

“I will never forget the first time I played Gay Pride in Columbia, South Carolina in the early 90’s,” Howle confessed in a recent phone interview with O&AN. “ I walked up to the program director and I said ‘Where are all the gay people’ and she said ‘They’re all at home scared.’ I was blown away that we were seeing a Pride event in my town but I was more blown away that no one showed up.”

On April 25, Valley Entertainment released “Thank You Mark” Howle’s first album in four years featuring some of her best work yet. Howle’s trademark style of storytelling with music blends with a cleaner, crisper sound than she has ever approached in the past while leaving room for her powerhouse vocals and intense guitar playing.

“I wanted to make a different sounding record that I have in the past and the people at Valley helped me to do that,” Howle commented. “The edge in the music comes more from my performance than from the way the music was recorded. The musicians were of such quality that they really got what I was trying to do. I always strive to follow my inspiration and they really helped me to do that this time around.”