Hailing from NYC, the Venezuelan/American singer-songwriter and recording artist Daniel Tortoledo soaks our speakers in soul with his latest single, "Restless Days."
Daniel Tortoledo prides himself on his heartfelt and honest lyricism, which is always enhanced by his energetic, alternative, and blues-rock arrangements. His debut album, 'Throughout These Years,' saw vast critical acclaim from various online magazines, calling the record a "masterpiece for the ages." Tortoledo draws from influences like Noel Gallagher, Blur, and The Strokes.
Livening our days with his latest single, "Restless Days," Daniel Tortoledo sings a relatable tale of the many sleepless nights he endures when overthinking and spiraling into a rut of self-deprecation. Although Tortoledo sings a rather anxiety-ridden message, the song's instrumentals beam and screams with the utmost soul, vibrance, and energy.
Making our way into the new single, "Restless Days," the track opens with an energetic and nostalgic folk/rock instrumental that sets the song's exciting and soulful tone. Once Daniel Tortoledo makes his charismatic vocal appearance, we can't help but compare him to names like David Bowie and John Lennon through his natural allure and tonality. While moving his way into the hook, Daniel Tortoledo reminds us of the many restless days and sleepless nights that burden him.
This track's instrumentation is food for the soul, and we can't help but tap our feet to each punchy drum break alongside the piercing lead guitar melodies and the driving rhythm guitar. The song's bridge offers this complete transition that leaks nothing but anticipation, which later soars towards the hook one last time while ending the track with immense soul and heart.
Catch a break with Daniel Tortoledo's latest single, "Restless Days," now available on all digital streaming platforms.
We can't get enough of the groove and soul of your latest single, "Restless Days." What experience inspired you to create a song about feeling restless and on edge?
Thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my music, a pleasure being here, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. Restless Days was subconsciously inspired by living life in NYC at a very high pace, chasing money and many things, living in a hazy present, and not seeing a clear division between nights and days. Certainly not the healthiest days I've seen but glad something positive came out of it.
What was it like working with the many musicians when creating the instrumentals for "Restless Days"? What was that process like behind the scenes?
It was a very fast experience, actually. All it took was one day of rehearsal to go over the four songs we had to record the following afternoon (the other 3 being Many Things, Spaceships, and my next single, I Ain't Slowing Down, which is not due until February). I didn't even know the drummer before we got to the rehearsal. It was all clear to me in my head what I was going for, and my intention was not exactly to aim for perfection but instead to capture a raw feeling... I always had this goal through the years, which was to record everything live, including the lead vocals; then, a few little things were added later. I was also on a budget, so I had to make the best of what I had at that moment, one rehearsal, a limited amount of takes, and capture the song. The musicians in this material really blew my mind how they just got there and nailed it. Ryan Dugre (bass), Elias Meister (guitar), Chris Kyle (guitar) and Bryan Bisordi (drums), Ian Hersey (session engineer), Luis Peroza (mixing engineer), Jeremy Loucas (mastering engineer)
What did you want to make the listener feel when experiencing your heavy-hitting single, "Restless Days"?
I don't really think too much before the recording of what I want the listener to feel. It's not really how my mind works these days, maybe when I was younger, I would hope a certain song would impact a person in a specific way, but you never know how people will interpret something one writes. My true aim is for me to believe entirely in what I am doing when I am writing, recording, releasing, and performing something. That's the only way someone is going to believe in what I'm creating.
Would you say that "Restless Days" is a solid reflection of your current perspective on life? How does this song's theme mirror your current views and feelings?
Perhaps it was a subconscious reflection of my life then, at the moment I was writing it. I have certainly not slowed down. I guess I'm restless in a different way these days. It's interesting as a writer how some songs mature and grow old with you, and some are left along the way. I believe this is a song I will keep having a very honest connection to, and I easily see myself performing this in the many years ahead of me, perhaps even with different instruments and arrangements. I just love seeing a song becomes its own thing with the passing of time.
What's next for you?
While planning the release of this single Restless Days, I am also lining up the pieces for my next release, "I Ain't Slowing Down," as the 4th song of this material. In the meantime, I'm working on a new album, which is currently being recorded. This new album is being produced by Luis Peroza, who actually happened to mix Restless Days and all these other tracks I previously mentioned. It's been great to work with him as a producer and not solely as the mixing engineer. I'm amazed at all the things you can reach when you continuously filter your songs and make them grow in unexpected ways. The beautiful thing about this is that it's being done without any concerns regarding time or restrictions of that matter, the goal is to make something very well done, and good art sometimes just takes time to achieve.
Aside from all of this, I'm exploring the European market. I will be spending time between NYC and Austria in the next year(s) ahead. I'm very hopeful and excited to bring and share with others what I have learned in NYC... I can't wait to keep expanding, growing, and seeing new things.