Danny started playing guitar back in 1991. He started writing and performing the same year, with his first original duo and in his intermediate school's Maori Cultural Group.  When he started high school, he joined numerous rock bands as a guitarist, singer and drummer and played in the school Orchestra (percussion), Concert Band (double bass) and the Stage Band (guitar).  When he was 15, his original band The Frankies won the Auckland finals of the Smoke Free Rockquest and performed in the National Finals at a sold out Auckland Town Hall.  For their efforts, The Frankies won recording time in York Street studios.

 

At 16 Danny left school to work as an intern in a recording studio.  During this time he regularly travelled around the North Island performing solo shows and playing guitar, bass and drums for other bands.  He soon put together a band called Through The Rain, who toured extensively and recorded two independent EPs, and then went on to cofound Spinner.  Spinner also recorded two independent EPs and played support for Jimmy Barnes and John Mayer, as well as many top NZ acts.  While he was busy with Spinner, Danny was getting booked as a session guitarist, he began working with Tommy Emmanuel, he worked behind the scenes with Norah Jones and he played support for Katie Melua.  

 

In 2005 Danny founded his company Paper Plane Productions and started working full-time in music, which continues to this day.  Under the Paper Plane banner, he continued working as a professional musician and original artist, he established the covers band The Buskers and he started Auckland Guitar Lessons.  In 2007 he released his first solo album Awake & Restless and played support for Liam Finn, Tommy Emmanuel, Bryan Ferry and Joan Armatrading.  In 2009 he was signed to Liberation Records and released his second album Say What You Mean. This coincided with support shows for Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Simple Minds and again with Tommy Emmanuel.

 

In 2012 Danny released his third album Letters To The Future and then focused his efforts more towards his work as a guitarist.  He worked briefly as guitarist for Lizzie Marvelly, performed extensively with The Buskers, played regularly for US band Magnolia Memoir, played guitar for the Michael Jackson tribute show ‘King Of Pop’, Phil Edwards Band, Georgia Lines, and toured the country extensively with AutoMatic 80s.  He also has a stint teaching guitar at Auckland University.

 

During the pandemic, Danny cofounded the band Noise Play who recorded and performed with Bonnie Hurunui (White Chapel Jak), Debbie Harwood, Venice Quinn, Stephen Small (Hello Sailor) and Eddie Rayner (Split Enz). 

 

These days Danny is primarily focused on his work as a music producer, session musician and Auckland Guitar Lessons.