Shayla McDaniel’s journey to music was built on curiosity, faith, and the power of figuring it out
“I grew up in the church, so that was my first exposure to music, specifically live music,” Shayla McDaniel says. Drawn to sound from a young age, Shayla first wanted to play drums—“they looked like so much fun”—but started with the recorder in third grade. “It was fun. I loved it…One of the coolest things that taught me was how to read music.”
Her next instrument was violin, thanks to a University of Tennessee outreach program.
“I really wanted to play cello so bad, but I ended up picking violin…I didn’t want to carry a cello to school every Tuesday and Thursday.” Soon after, she and her younger brother pooled their Christmas money to buy an acoustic guitar.
“It was the coolest thing…I stuck with it.”
She picked up bass when her church’s bassist left for college. She’s now been playing for 19 years. After time on the electric guitar, piano came next. “In seventh grade, my parents…got me a piano, an electric Casio keyboard, and it’s phenomenal. I still use it to this day.” Then came drums, saxophone, and songwriting. And while she might not be a fan of the initial songs, time in college would end up becoming a turning point for her.
“I got more serious about music once I got into college,” she says. In 2013, she played her first open mic. A year later, after seeing the band Joseph perform in a Knoxville living room, and getting some encouragement from the band’s guitarist, Shayla committed to the art. By 2016, she was releasing songs.
After releasing two singles that year, Shayla’s music career began to gain momentum. “Things just started snowballing in a very good and encouraging way,” she says. Her first record, 26 Letters, dropped in January 2017, followed by local shows and festival appearances. As her confidence grew, so did her production quality.
By 2018, she transitioned from DIY mixing to working with Maya at The Sound Lair, a partnership she describes as “the start of a very wonderful relationship.” The difference was immediate.
Her songs landed in quite a few surprising places:
“I’ve had songs on MTV, Disney Plus’s Big Shot, and the CW’s Nancy Drew, as well as random stores and restaurants around the world.”
Shayla’s story is the kind any aspiring artist needs to hear. As we talked, I realized she never waited on anyone. If there was something she wanted to do or try, she figured it out and did it. And her journey is still going.
To stay up to date with Shayla’s journey, head to shaylamcdaniel.com.
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