Danny Pynes is keeping the party going after Gator Growl.
The local musician, formerly D.P., is performing an album release show at 8 p.m. on Friday at The Wooly, located at 20 N. Main St. Tickets are available at thewoolygainesville.com for $8 or $10 at the door.
"The End of Times" is being released after a transitional period for the artist.
"It’s definitely an album about metamorphosis," the musician said.
Pynes was born and raised in Gainesville. The musician was "raised on Johnny Cash and trained in classical music," according to his website. His surroundings influenced him to begin writing and playing music at a young age.
"I grew up listening to hard rock, old country and hip-hop, and I think all of those influences appear in my music when you listen to it," he said.
They do.
While Pynes’ music can be considered hip-hop, it is free of computerized beats or autotune, something that is common in popular hip-hop today. Pynes incorporates a live band in his songs, making it acoustic and what he refers to as Americana hip-hop.
"As I started going further in the music career I wanted to bring more of those live elements into music than what you normally find in hip-hop," he said. "Over time I started incorporating live drums, live guitar (and) live bass."
Pynes used to release albums under D.P., but he rebranded and is releasing his new album as a debut from Danny Pynes. This allowed him to get a fresh look on how he wanted to present himself artistically, he said.
"I just felt it was time to have a clean slate and that can be liberating sometimes," he said.
When making "The End of Times," Pynes said he recruited friends he’s known for years to come together and help him "take his vision and put it down into something concrete."
With this album, Pynes was able to handle being a producer, songwriter, performer and even video director, according to the website. His recent music video for the song "California Kills" premiered Tuesday on Uproxx.
"The End of Times" was inspired by an emotional period in the musician’s life where he dealt with personal loss.
"The record deals a lot with loss and change and being in a pivotal point in your life when one chapter’s closing and another one’s opening," he said. "I think it’s something most people can relate to… I mean we all go through different stages in life and we become different people. We change and we grow."
Twenty-one-year-old Katie Woody, an interior design freshman at UF, discovered Pynes when he left his demo in her car.
"I popped it into my CD player and absolutely loved it," Woody said. "It’s a good mixture of different genres of music. It’s different from anything else I’ve heard, and I like it. He’s very creative."
Woody usually listens to country, classic rock and top 40 hits, but she said listening to Pynes’ demo inspired her to start supporting Gainesville artists more. Along with local fans, Pynes has gained attention all throughout the country and all over the world.
"I’m shipping out records right now to people that have pre-ordered the album in Japan and Switzerland," Pynes said.
Pynes has spent the last three years touring the country and visiting many states, including California.
"I think the most exciting place that I’ve played at is the Roxy at Sunset Boulevard in L.A. just because that place has so much history," he said.
The show on Friday is expected to be a "killer show," he said.
"As much as I love putting together a good record, I love putting together a good show just as much," Pynes said.
One of the opening acts for Pynes is local soul band The Savants of Soul. UF alum Justin McKenzie, 26, is a singer for the Savants of Soul who has known Pynes since 2009.
"It was pretty sweet actually meeting him and seeing how personal and down-to-earth he is," McKenzie said. "I had tons of friends who were big fans and turned me on to his music."
Events like these help musicians like Pynes and McKenzie help each other out and get known.
"Gainesville is a town that used to be known for its music scene," McKenzie said. "It isn’t like how it used to be but we’re working on it."
Americana hip-hop artist Danny Pynes is hosting an album release show Friday at The Wooly. Doors open at 8 p.m.
