Dan Radin is a classically trained cellist and singer-songwriter on a mission to redefine the role of the cello in popular music. Since landing in Austin in 2015, he’s become a go-to session player, backing artists from The Voice and American Idol, performing at SXSW, and opening for Grammy winners.

In 2022, Radin made a bold pivot- leaving his corporate job, launching a grassroots campaign that raised nearly $30,000, and stepping into the spotlight with his own music. The result was his debut solo album, Romance for Antiheroes: a cinematic blend of indie-pop, rock, and chamber instrumentation led by one of the only singing cellists in modern music.

Now three years sober and with 1000+ performances under his belt, Radin returns with PLAY- his self-produced sophomore album that captures the chaos of youth, a sobriety journey, and self-discovery. With soaring cello lines, hook-laced vocals, and fearless honesty, Radin is carving out new sonic territory and proving that reinvention isn’t just possible- it’s the point.

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He writes like Tom Petty.  He’s got John Mayer’s croon, Springsteen’s earthiness, and Mac Miller’s sense of exploration. And he plays cello unlike anyone else.

Talking to him, it’s obvious that Dan Radin is a story-obsessed songwriter.  Before even releasing a record, his songs have earned him appearances this year on Fox 7’s morning show Good Morning Austin, HBO Max’s reality show Swiping America, and on festival bills alongside folk mainstays like Josh Ritter, The Lone Bellow, and Langhorne Slim.

Much like his cello, Radin sticks out like a well-manicured sore thumb.  His style is too casual for a professional symphony, yet polished enough to raise eyebrows at a Nashville whiskey jam.  You could spend days dissecting his disarming poetry about lost love while effortlessly falling for the surrounding orchestral arrangements.  That’s the subtlety of an ear honed by 24 years of classical training.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t obsessed with the grind, but playing just one show a day would be nice to work towards,” admits Radin, grinning.  “Putting out my own original songs is really important as well. It’s been a long time in the making.”

Long before putting out his own music, the cellist made a name for himself in the Live Music Capital of the World as a collaborator and sideman.  The Pittsburgh native moved to Austin in 2015 to “sharpen his chops in the scene”; he’s done just that, having gigged with a dozen contestants from NBC’s The Voice, performed a few official SXSW showcases, and stamped nearly 1000 live performances.  The 8-year incubation hatched an intentional, bar-performing string player who has arrived fashionably late to the early 2000’s singer-songwriter era.

Which brings us to his upcoming debut solo album, titled Romance for Antiheroes (September 2023).

“It was a slow burn with these songs.  I wrote some of them almost a decade ago.  But I really wanted to find myself as an artist before putting them out,” Radin explains.  “They mean a lot to me and needed to be shared in the best light.”

Part confession, part therapy for mental health struggles, Radin opens up on the album about depression, doubt, self-sabotage, and the thread of hope that ties them all together.

“We want to blame externalities, but we’re usually the only thing holding ourselves back.  It’s a constant work in progress.  Kaizen.” He quotes the Japanese word for “continuous improvement,” which is tattooed on his left arm.

Sharing Radin’s optimism, you can’t help but root for the antihero.

- TK