July 22, 2022—Rising singer-songwriter Danielle Ponder is set to release her debut album “Some Of Us Are Brave” on September 16 via Future Classic. The title track is out today, with an accompanying video, a work dedicated to Black women filmed in the artist’s hometown of Rochester, New York.
“Who’s gonna feel my pain, who’s gonna say my name, ain’t no choice but to be brave,” Ponder sings. “I’m here to stay.” Through her lyrics Ponder shows a commitment to vulnerability; to resilience and sisterhood. Between moments of heartbreak, an optimistic thread runs throughout her forthcoming LP, Some Of Us Are Brave, making the title no coincidence.
“I read a book in law school, All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men: But Some of Us Are Brave,” says Ponder. “I first fell in love with the title, I immediately felt seen. The book is essentially one of the first to address intersectionality. Often when we talk about feminism, we forget the issues that uniquely impact Black women and the same when we speak about race. The book is a collection of Black women writers pushing against invisibility, speaking loud and clear and telling our unique story. To me, this song was just a moment to pause and pay homage to Black women. The album is named that because that’s where I get my biggest inspirations. My biggest cheerleaders are my sisters, my mother, Black women. And I think bravery is what I’ve needed to become a full-time artist.”
“Some Of Us Are Brave” is the third song unveiled from Ponder’s forthcoming LP. Ahead of the release Ponder premiered “The Only Way Out,” listen/watch/share HERE. Ponder also shared a single, “So Long,” to critical acclaim, which she performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Following her much lauded performances at SXSW and showcases in New York and Los Angeles, Ponder continues to tour. Upcoming shows include a string of dates with Marcus Mumford, see below for a list of performances.
In Ponder’s life, bravery manifested in the decision to leave her successful day job as a public defender to pursue singing and songwriting full time. Ponder had always been musical but chose to pursue a career in law after her brother received a 20-year sentence due to a “three strikes” law. But even as she became a tireless advocate for justice in her community—first as a public defender and later as a diversity, equity and inclusion officer in that same office—the music was never far; she remembers a time when she did a small tour in Europe and was back in court the following Monday. There eventually came a time to choose one, and so she leapt.
The sixth of seven children, Ponder was born and raised in Rochester, New York by her father—a musically-inclined pastor—and mother. She gravitated toward the piano on their front porch at a young age and eventually discovered alternative rock and hip-hop artists like Pearl Jam, Alanis Morissette, Lauryn Hill and The Roots. It wasn’t until she heard blues artists like Big Mama Thornton and Koko Taylor, though, that she knew singing was her true passion. Even as she became a tireless advocate for justice in her community, she found ways to keep music alive in her heart; in 2019, she gave a TEDx talk on what music can teach us about social justice.
 SOME OF US ARE BRAVEDANIELLE PONDER 1. Some Of Us Are Brave
2. So Long
3. Someone Like You
4. Only The Lonely
5. The Only Way Out
6. Thoughts
7. Fray
8. Darker Than Blue
DANIELLE PONDER LIVE
July 23—Newport Folk Festival—Newport, RI
July 31—SummerStage, Central Park—New York, NY
August 4—Hayden Homes Amphitheater—Bend, OR†
August 5—McMenamins Grand Lodge—Forest Grove, OR†
August 6—Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery—Woodinville, WA†
August 8—Vogue Theatre—Vancouver, BC†
August 10—Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox—Spokane, WA†
August 11—The ELM—Bozeman, MT†
August 13—Fort Desolation Festival—Torrey, UT
August 14—Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater—Vail, CO†
August 15—Globe Hall—Denver, CO
August 18—Stiefel Theater—Salina, KS†
August 19—The Englert Theatre—Iowa City, IA†
August 20—Blue Gate Performing Arts Center—Shipshewana, IN†
August 22—Michigan Theater—Ann Arbor, MI†
August 23—Taft Theatre—Cincinnati, OH†
August 24—Zanzabar—Louisville, KY
August 26—Sacred Rose Festival—Bridgeview, IL
August 30—Tennessee Theater—Knoxville, TN
September 1—Live On The Green—Nashville, TN
September 4—Nelsonville Music Festival—Nelsonville, OH
September 7—Kennedy Center—Washington, DC
September 9—Montclair Jazz Festival—Montclair, NJ
September 10—Montclair Jazz Festival—Montclair, NJ
September 19—Boulder Theater—Boulder, CO‡
September 20—Paramount Theater—Boulder, CO‡
September 21—Paramount Theater—Boulder, CO‡
September 26—Moore Theater—Seattle, WA‡
September 27—Keller Auditorium—Portland, OR‡
September 30—The Wiltern—Los Angeles, CA‡
October 1—The Fillmore—San Francisco, CA‡
October 2—Hardly Strictly Bluegrass—San Francisco, CA
October 5—The Magnolia—El Cajon, CA‡
October 6—Ikeda Theater—Mesa, AZ‡
October 9—Austin City Limits Music Festival—Austin, TX
October 10—White Oak Music Hall—Houston, TX‡
October 11—Majestic Theater—Dallas, TX‡
October 14—Orpheum Theater—New Orleans, LA‡
October 16—Austin City Limits—Austin, TX
October 28—Suwannee Hulaween—Live Oak, FL
‡ w/Marcus Mumford
† w/Amos Lee
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