Daryl Mosley is like the calm in the storm in a world of conflict and confusion. His reassuring songs, filled with kindness and compassion, are as comforting as they are entertaining. With his honey-tinged voice, thoughtful lyrics, and experienced musicianship, Daryl has created thirteen number-one songs over the past three decades, and he has been presented with three SPBGMA Songwriter of the Year awards (2016, 2017, 2023). He also received three SPBGMA Song of the Year awards (2006, 2018, 2019).
Over the years, Daryl has made numerous appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and the stage at the famed Bluebird Café in Nashville. Many television shows feature his songs. And here’s a fun fact: Daryl has sung the National Anthem at many sporting events, including the 1998 White Sox/Indians baseball game in Chicago.
Throughout the 1990s, Daryl traveled with The New Tradition. He joined the Osborne Brothers in 2001 and played with them until 2010. He left that group when he formed The Farm Hands. He went solo in 2020, signing with Pinecastle Records. His first solo album, The Secret of Life, was released the same year. His sophomore project, Small Town Dreamer, was released a year later, followed by A Life Well Lived in 2023.
Daryl’s newest project is one he is quite proud of. Long Days & Short Stories was released on October 4, 2024. Daryl produced the album with Danny Roberts of The Grascals. With eleven tracks spanning bluegrass, Gospel, Americana, and country genres, Long Days & Short Nights features Daryl’s distinctive voice and showcases his songwriting talents while highlighting the values that have shaped his life and career - faith, family, honesty, and humility.
He learned those values growing up in Waverly, Tennessee, where he still lives today. “Music was always a focus in my life,” he says. “My mother, along with Don Williams and Elvis, was the biggest musical influence on my life. She had a Gibson guitar she learned to play on as a teen. When I was growing up, she played guitar and piano at church, and I sang with her. That was my musical foundation. My dad listened to a local AM country radio station, so my songs are a hybrid of what I heard while growing up.”
At the age of 15, Daryl went to work at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, which featured a pool, horseback riding, and a campfire show at night. “They hired me as one of the entertainers, and that’s where I learned to talk to an audience, how to pace a show, and how to make a set list.”
He sang in his high school choir, where many of the songs were in Latin. “I learned that you can’t sing in Latin and sound like Willie Nelson.” Daryl never learned to read music, which led him to major in history at Austin Peay State University. “I liked history, but I was miserable because I was so focused on wanting to pursue music.” When he finally began touring as a professional musician, Daryl could see many historic places, thus satisfying two of his passions.
As fate would have it, he has three children, none of which are musical. “They are athletes and focused on other things – and my daughter graduated with a degree in history.”
His love of history came full circle with a song from his new album released as a single. “Me and Mr. Howard” is a lively bluegrass tune that tells the fascinating story of the outlaw Jesse James and his wife, Zee. James settled in Daryl’s hometown of Waverly under the alias of Mr. J.D. Howard. “The James Gang came to Tennessee in 1877, and Jesse James moved to my hometown where he and Zee were treated like local celebrities. They lived life there as law-abiding citizens and went to church each Sunday. After having stillborn twins, they left suddenly one night, never to be heard from again.
The album was recorded at Gorilla’s Nest in Royse City, Texas. “Chris Latham, a GRAMMY award-winning engineer, worked on the album with us. He made it all very comfortable.” Jeff and Sheri Easter joined Daryl on the inspirational Gospel tune “When I Can’t Reach Up,” co-written with Rick Lang. “We write quite a bit together.” Daryl wrote all the other songs on the album. The high-energy Gospel song “Still the Solid Rock” features a New Tradition. “It was our first time together in 25 years.”
Daryl says his writing process usually involves driving. “I write a lot on the road. I try to remember the songs I used to know. I’ll do a guitar and vocal demo and put it in a file for later.” He has plenty of time to write, as he averages about 150 shows a year. “I usually travel about 5,000 miles a month.” He says that the subject matter of his songs is primarily rooted in his small-town experiences.
“I wrote the song ‘Forever After All’ after seeing that on a sign. “I’ve learned to be aware of low-hanging fruit – that’s a gift in itself.”