Check Out “Elementree” Dave Danforth’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to “Elementree” Dave Danforth.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m Elementree, a reggae artist born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I still live today. Growing up, I was a football player and an avid sports kid, but by high school my focus began shifting toward playing guitar, singing, and writing songs.
At 17, I started my first band, The Four Ohms, with four other guys who were all at least five to ten years older than me. That same year, I was already playing some of the major bars and clubs around Cincinnati with X’s on my hands because I wasn’t technically old enough to even be in the venues. We had some local success, but I eventually left the band when I went away to college in Athens, Ohio.

The Four Ohms had more of a jam-band sound, influenced by bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish, but I was also a big fan of reggae and started working some of those influences into our music. When I went to college, there was a foreign exchange program that brought in students from Jamaica. Being around so many Jamaicans and going to parties that would last all night, with DJs playing nothing but reggae, dancehall, and other styles of Jamaican music, made me fall in love with reggae and Jamaican culture on a much deeper level.

After college, I returned to Cincinnati and continued pursuing music. I started my second band, which we simply called The Ohms. This time, we focused much more heavily on Jamaican-influenced reggae while mixing in uptempo ska, pop, and punk elements.

During that time, we also started an annual Cincinnati music festival called Ohmstead. I created the festival as a way to give newer local artists a platform while bringing in larger acts that could create networking opportunities and help unite musicians from different genres and scenes. Ohmstead ended up running for 17 years and developed a strong local following.

That experience really reflects something that has always been important to me as an artist: I want to see other artists succeed, and I believe we can build something much greater when we build together. The music community is so much more vibrant when artists work together in unity rather than looking at everything as a competition.

After seeing some success with The Ohms, I formed a new project that I wanted to take in a more Roots Reggae direction, with a conscious, uplifting, and spiritual message. That became the Elementree Livity Project, and it ultimately experienced more success than any of my previous bands.

We had the opportunity to perform with major touring artists including The Wailers, Shaggy, MAGIC!, Barrington Levy, SOJA, The Elovaters, The Revivalists, and others. We also recorded our album High Def with Grammy Award-winning reggae producer Michael Goldwasser of Easy Star All-Stars, who is known for projects including their reggae reinterpretation of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, Dub Side of the Moon.

We toured throughout the East Coast and continued building the project until around 2024, when I decided it was time to step out on my own as a solo artist under the name Elementree.

That year, I purchased a live-looping pedal and taught myself how to incorporate and sync drum loops from my own original music production into my live acoustic performances. Learning all the ins and outs of live looping was definitely a challenge, but it was also a lot of fun because it allowed me to develop my own approach to performing this music.

There aren’t a lot of solo live-looping artists performing Roots Reggae, so it has given me a unique niche within the Cincinnati and Ohio music scene. It has also opened the door for me to perform in a much wider variety of venues than I could with a full band.

More importantly, becoming a solo artist has given me a new level of creative freedom. I can make the music I feel called to make and spread the message that I believe God wants me to share. Roots Reggae and its conscious, spiritual foundation are still at the heart of what I do, but I no longer feel limited to one particular genre. I have the freedom to experiment with different sounds, styles, and spiritual concepts while still keeping the identity and message of Elementree intact.

Right now, I’m continuing to write and release new music aggressively while playing a lot of live shows throughout Ohio and the East Coast. I feel like I’m in a really exciting chapter creatively, and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow the Elementree solo project and seeing where it goes next.

You can find my music, videos, upcoming shows, streaming links, and social media at my website: http://www.elementreemusic.com.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been a lot of challenges along the way. In Cincinnati, and really throughout Ohio in general, there has never been a huge reggae scene. Over the years, I watched artists from genres that were more popular in the area—like hardcore, alternative rock, and country—grow quickly and sell out shows, while we had to slowly and steadily build a core fan base over a much longer period of time.

At first, that could be disheartening, but over the years we developed a real connection with reggae fans throughout Cincinnati and Ohio, and those fans continued to support us and spread the word. That persistence eventually paid off. In 2017, we won “Best Reggae” at the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, and that was a really rewarding moment. After years of steadily building something from the ground up, it felt good to see that hard work recognized and to see how loyal our fans had remained throughout the journey.

Another major challenge has been adapting to the constantly changing landscape of the music industry itself. When I first started making music, the goal was to sell records. Streaming didn’t exist yet, and even something like Pandora Radio felt new. We used to press CDs, hand them out, sell them at shows, and look at record sales as one of the major signs of success.

Today, that entire model has changed. We really don’t sell recorded music anymore outside of things like limited vinyl releases. As artists, we’ve had to completely rethink what success looks like and adapt along the way. Now there is much more emphasis on streaming numbers, releasing singles consistently rather than waiting to release full albums, building an audience online, selling merchandise, and generating income through live performances.

It has definitely been an adjustment, especially for someone who started making music before the streaming era, but I think learning how to adapt has been an important part of staying active as an artist. The industry may continue to change, but at the end of the day, the goal is still the same for me: make music that connects with people, build a genuine relationship with the people who support it, and continue finding ways to get that music in front of new listeners.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Outside of music, I have a career in software development. I went to college for computer programming and have been working in the software industry for many years. Today, I work primarily from home, both as an independent software contractor and for a larger software company.

One of the biggest benefits of the work I do is the flexibility it gives me. I’m able to manage much of my own schedule, which has been a huge advantage throughout my music career. It allows me to structure my work around writing and recording music, practicing, performing shows, creating content, promoting new releases, and handling all of the behind-the-scenes work that comes with managing yourself as an independent artist.

People sometimes only see the performance side of being a musician, but there is so much that happens outside of actually playing music. Between booking and preparing for shows, recording, social media, marketing, promotion, creating videos and other content, communicating with venues, and managing releases, being an independent artist can almost become another full-time job in itself.

I feel very fortunate that my career in software development gives me the freedom and flexibility to pursue both. Programming and music are obviously very different worlds, but they are both creative in their own ways. I’ve always enjoyed building things and figuring out how different pieces fit together, whether I’m working through a software problem or putting together a song.

Ultimately, having a career that allows me to work remotely and control much of my own schedule has given me the opportunity to continue taking music seriously. It gives me the freedom to make time for writing, performing, practicing, promoting my music, and continuing to grow Elementree while still maintaining a professional career outside of music.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I think the biggest thing I would want people to know about me and Elementree is that, at this point in my life, music is about much more than just making songs or playing shows. I want the music I create to have a purpose. I want it to encourage people, bring people together, and hopefully leave them with something meaningful after the song is over.

My faith in God has become a huge part of who I am and what I create. I don’t necessarily want to put myself into a box or feel like every song has to sound a certain way, but I do want the message behind my music to reflect what I believe and the things that God has put on my heart. Whether I’m writing about faith, life, relationships, struggles, or just making a song that makes people feel good, I want there to be something genuine behind it.

I’m also really excited about where Elementree is heading right now. Going solo has given me a new creative freedom, and I feel like I’m making some of the most honest and meaningful music I’ve made throughout my career. I’m continuing to release new music, create more video content, and play as many shows as I can while growing this next chapter of Elementree.
Most of all, I’m incredibly thankful for everyone who has supported my music over the years. Some people have been following me since The Ohms and the early Ohmstead days, while others are just discovering Elementree now. I never take that support for granted.

If you haven’t heard the music yet, I’d love for you to check it out, watch some of the videos, or come catch a live show. Everything—my music, videos, social media, and upcoming shows—can be found at elementreemusic.com. I’m looking forward to seeing where this next chapter takes me.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.elementreemusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elementreemusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElementreeLivityProject
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/elementree?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/elementree
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5BzPs8MZIRC7lLryGIUuDc