When Unwound decided not to play together anymore, that’s when “Daniel Solis” really started. He started playing acoustic again locally at Luna Mansion, Teofilo’s Restaurante in Los Lunas and Pete’s Cafe in Belen.
“Now I was playing a whole variety of music – country, Americana, folk, rock and of course Spanish. It went so well,” he said. “The Torres family was great and they liked me so much that I stayed for a few years. I was constantly writing.”
During this time, Solis recorded his third album, My Kind of Friday Night, in 2016, which was all country, a Daniel Solis style that is not traditional country, but rather unique.
“The way I do arrangements is not normal for country music,” Solis explained. “I just arranged it the way I liked it. Lyric writing is getting much better.
Feeling more confident in his lyrics, music and performance, Solis eventually formed another band with Scott Ross, drummer from Belen; Quintin Zunie, on guitar, Gallup; Kevin Martin, bass guitar, of the Grants; and Tony Chavez, lead guitarist of the Grants.
“We’ve never rehearsed … not once,” he said. “They are first class, they are professional. We all do our homework and if we do well on stage, then it works out.”
Solis’ next album, It’s Just Me, recorded in 2019, took off and several songs became fan favorites, including the original “Vacation Time.”
“This album was pretty satisfying as far as songwriting goes. I liked almost all the songs… there were a few that I didn’t really care for,” he said. “They all worked and became very popular in their own ways. People would come to me and ask us to play certain songs.
That same year, Solís recorded his first Spanish album, ‘Sobrevivir’ (Survival) at the same time as ‘It’s Just Me’. There are a few songs he translated into Spanish, such as “Maria Isabelle,” which he turned into a 90s country song.
“Besides some traditional New Mexico music, that was the key to putting me on the New Mexico map,” Solis said. “Original country music didn’t make it big, and New Mexico doesn’t have any radio for local artists other than Spanish music. Now there’s internet radio, but 10 years ago there was no way to get your music heard unless you sold CDs.”
Sobrevivir” was well received because it was a fresh sound and not heard before. It has a unique arrangement and song selection.
After the album became recognized and received radio time, Daniel Solis’ band had fun, playing all the casinos and being invited to play at events, weddings and parties. He was busier than ever – with music, with work, with family.
It was at this time that Daniel and Natalie made the decision to have their third child, Daniela, who was born when Covid hit. While the pandemic halted his performing career, Solis enjoyed every minute of it.
“We went camping, spent a lot of time outside, just together,” he said. “I really missed performing, but it didn’t hurt because we were so devoted to Daniela and our family that it just took up all of our time. I couldn’t perform, so I ended up writing another album, ‘Here’s to You,’ which was released in 2021.”
This album is very special to Solis as each song is original and written especially for special people in his life – his wife, his children and others.
Last year Solis released his second Spanish album, “Lo Que Hago Mejor”. As his skills as a producer and engineer have improved over the years, he is very proud of how the album turned out.
One bilingual song, “La Gente Esta Loca” on the album, was named Crossover Song of the Year by the New Mexico Hispano Music Association in January.
Now, after living in his adopted hometown of Belen for the past 14 years, Solis says he made his best music while living and playing in Valencia County.
“Being able to play my music in Valencia County really got me to where I am,” Solis says. “When I did my acoustic gigs here, it helped get my name out there, but it also helped me personally. Now I get invited to play at local events.”
Solis has been a regular performer at the World’s Largest Matanza and Rio Abajo Becker Street Festival in Belen, as well as the Fourth of July event in Los Lunas.
