Front Royal Troubadour

A throwback to favorites with sincere vocals

By Janet Rems

Courtesy of Danny Schneible

Front Royal’s Danny Schneible sings in an effortlessly pure and expressive voice. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar, the simplicity and sincerity of his sound is reminiscent of two of his musical idols, James Taylor and the late singer/songwriter Jim Croce.

Schneible’s CD, released in 2007, “The Cover Album,” features covers of a number of other favorites—among them, George Harrison’s “Something in the Way She Moves,” Buddy Holly’s “Words of Love,” Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice,” Sting’s “Fields of Gold” and the Kingston Trio’s “Scotch and Soda.”

The eclectic mix also includes a Schneible original, “Beautiful Things,” inspired by the novel “Silas Marner.” Married to a mural artist, the 30-year-old father of two relates to the theme of familial love, but all kinds of triggers inspire songs, says Schneible, the only son in a large and musical Catholic family. Music comes to mind a lot. “I like songs that are layered, accessible but complex … open to interpretation,” he says. “Something for me to chew on, too.”

Singing professionally since 2002, Schneible, who also recorded a CD of Christian music for homeschooled children last year, is popular in the Blue Ridge area of Northern Virginia. A former member of the classically trained Celtic rock band Scythian, he performs regularly at Rappahannock Cellars near Front Royal, Gadino Cellars in Washington and Philip Carter Winery in Hume. He also plays every Wednesday at the Irish Isle in Middletown, as well as Front Royal’s family-oriented Lucky Star Lounge on Friday and Saturday nights.

For more, visit www.fossilmusic.com.

(August 2009)

Tags: acoustic guitar, Artist, Danny Schneible, Scythian, vocal