From skateboarding legend to modern day troubadour
In the skateboarding world, Danny Garcia is famous. He grew up in Orange County, California, and he began skating at age 14, eventually turning pro. There were sponsorships, appearances in skateboarding films, and his skills took him all over the world. Habitat even marketed his shoe. Garcia was earning decent money for someone at a young age, but then, quietly, he gave it up. He didn’t announce his retirement or make a big deal about it. He just stopped skating and slowly vanished from the scene. The call of music was greater.
Garcia always played guitar, but he didn’t get serious until he was in his early twenties. His father was a musician and Garcia grew up learning several instruments. He was initially inspired by the classic rock he heard in skateboarding films, taking a particular liking to Van Morrison. The decision to make a career change may have begun after he met and became friends with Matt Costa, a fellow skater and musician. Costa is often credited with creating Garcia’s Reverend Baron moniker: a combination of the names of dogs they both owned, Danny’s Reverend to Matt’s Baron. In 2012, Costa invited Garcia to travel to Glasgow to play on his self-titled album and to be part of the tour that followed. Since then, Garcia has released five albums and a few EPs under the Reverend Baron name, and he seems to have no concerns about leaving his past in the rear-view mirror.
Danny Garcia calls his music folk. “I like the word folk,” he explained in an interview with The Deaf Lens. “To me, it means music made by everyday people, a common person, not a virtuoso. I just consider myself an untrained folk musician, making something. The ideas are very folk as well. I like stories, the simple ideas.” He records most of his music himself in a studio in El Monte, then invites friends to add the additional instrument textures to the mix. The songs are often about his hometown — “Rio View,” from his second album, is about a place in Anaheim where he used to skate, and “Little Valley” could describe several neighborhoods in Los Angeles. It’s all delivered in a low-key style that’s pleasant and appealing.
Like his rise in skateboarding, Garcia appears to be following a similar path for music: meet and work with a lot of musicians and opportunities come your way. And he’s staying busy. Along with live appearances, he played on Drugdealer’s Raw Honey album (that’s him on lead guitar in “If You Don’t Know Now, You Never Will”), and he also releases songs under the band name Damaso. In 2024, Reverend Baron dropped Some Demos, an album of demo tracks, unused ideas, and alternate versions of songs previously released. This is a move that’s usually only reserved for musicians that are well-known and well-established. He’s earned it.