Just another asshole with an acoustic guitar, a faded dream and a shattered ego.™
'The Comfort In Static' is the acoustic, folk rock, too "emo" for it's own good solo project of Pittsburgh-area singer/songwriter Daniel McCullough. Originally hailing from the mean streets and shady suburbs of Southwestern PA (as barely stated above) Daniel has played with a ton of local Pittsburgh bands since the
mid 1990's. His resume includes stints in Broken, MindStab, Towhead and Victim 5. Playing different instruments (and assuming different roles) in each. Upon releasing his first solo EP, "Conditioned By The Constants Fading" in May 2005, McCullough took a bit of a break from writing and recording. His son, Nico, was born in July of that same year; while increasingly problematic battles with personal demons seemed to take precedence. Performances became exceedingly rare and sporadic. Even appearing in public became something of a novelty. He had seemingly discovered a strange comfort in isolating himself from the world and its myriad problems. Throughout this period of detachment, he wondered reasonably, would he ever again play another solo show or if it would even make sense to try and put another rock and roll band together? His dreams were fading fast. After several stints in rehabilitation centers and other less than desirable institutions, Daniel McCullough had ultimately cleaned up his act (well... abstained from his chemical vices anyway) and began booking shows and working on brand new material for the first time in several years. After a terribly caustic breakup, The Comfort In Static YouTube channel began to see more action than ever before. Fielding cover requests from friends and strangers, uploading new original material and even recording some of the old fan favorites. Though he now claims to cringe just watching some of those old videos, recorded from such a dark place in his life. But, as always seems to be the case, he eventually got the f**k over it. "Some girls are easier to get over than others, while others are just easier to get on." Fresh off a recent brush with melodramatic death by heartbreak, 2 overdoses, 3 court appearances and several hesitation marks later... Daniel had other (more positive, but no less cynical) ideations of how his story would eventually end.
2018 was an incredibly busy year musically. In February, Daniel joined forces with SunDown as their new rhythm guitarist. Playing a ton of gigs and making invaluable new contacts on the local scene. Still continuing to play solo shows, whenever the schedule wouldn't conflict with that of SunDown, McCullough was also contracted to play with several other amazing artists from the Pittsburgh area. One of these new contacts, by way of SunDown, was classically trained vocalist, Chelsea Ritenour. She and Daniel would rehearse numerous times together as a duo and were even hired to perform a set of random covers at an even more random wedding, before ultimately deciding to put a brand new outfit together. Unfortunately, Daniel's mates in SunDown didn't share his enthusiasm for his recent musical promiscuity and they officially parted ways with the rhythm guitarist later that year. From the ashes of that band rose Project: Pluto, whose members included Daniel on guitar/ vocals, Chelsea on lead vocals, Matt Klumpp on piano, Armand Minghi on drums and Doug Donitzen (stolen from SunDown) on bass guitar. The quintet would play various clubs, coffee houses and cafes in the area, grant an in-depth interview to the Herald-Standard and even perform a set for the show "Music Talks" which was televised by Armstrong Cable and hosted by Project: Pluto's own Chelsea Ritenour. Though he enjoyed playing with such incredibly talented and accomplished local musicians, it seemed to all come to a screeching halt in April/ May of 2019. As Daniel began lending much thought to the future, coupled with the painful realization that he wasn't getting any younger, he began to feel that (all too familiar) slip once again. Before things could spiral needlessly out of control this time, he retreated to the mountains of Bedford County, Pennsylvania to be closer to family and away from all of the noise back home. Daniel had spent the better part of the year investing in and corresponding with a new love interest. Though long distance relationships seldom ever work out, he had to follow what his heart desired. And in true impulsive fashion, packed up everything that he could fit into his 2005 Pontiac, left behind what couldn't, and drove 1,400 miles from the Pennsylvania mountains to Central Texas in just over 24 hours on approximately 15 minutes of sleep. He now calls Texas his home. Carelessly chasing love halfway across the country turned out to be one of the best impulsive decisions he's ever made. Plans to record 'The Comfort In Static' full length LP and to begin booking shows were thwarted by all of the Covid madness of 2020, but will ultimately recommence come November. The Comfort In Static's "Conditioned By The Constants Fading" EP has since been reissued and made available through digital distribution. Stream or download your copy from wherever you steal your music from these days!! (Available on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, YouTube Premium + many many more)
"I'll be seeing you all again real soon, but until then... ." Love and Light.
-Daniel
