Daniel Yentikoff

Growing up in Queens, NY, Daniel demonstrated his passion for music at an early age, inspired by the records his parents would play as well as by the sounds of the city subways. By age eight, Daniel was composing his own songs, sometimes collaborating with his older brother, as well as playing several instruments, including guitar, cello, and banjo. By the time Daniel was a teenager, he was also playing drums, bass, and keyboards. Through his Pop’s friendship with several bands, Daniel was fortunate enough to meet and hang out with a wide variety of musical artists, including Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Willie Nelson, Miles Davis, and Boston, some of whom gave him advice: Upon hearing that Daniel was interested in music and writing songs, Bob Dylan advised Daniel to drop his band’s keyboard player and concentrate on guitars! Daniel’s favorite summer job was working at the Hit Factory during its heyday when Blondie was recording there.

Daniel is a veteran of several bands, most notably, The Pilgrim Souls, who signed with CBS Sony and toured with a wide range of artists, including Joan Jett, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Concrete Blonde, and Leon Russell. Daniel was a big part of the NYC downtown music scene, working as a session musician and as an A&R rep for the indie label, Velvel;  the East Village, Alphabet City, and Soho were his stomping grounds. Daniel’s eclectic taste and influences in music run the gamut from hard bop, avant garde jazz and traditional folk music to The Beastie Boys, Black Sabbath, Ray Lamontagne, and St. Vincent.

Daniel and Gregory J Amani Smith formed D’jukebox in Manhattan, then Daniel moved to California, where he met Kristen in 2013. Daniel and Kristen discovered they had a common love for and obsession with music and started to sing together, then formed Silver Sister with Greg in 2017.