‘Catch of the Day’ – Dan + Shay – “How Not To” [AUDIO]

Today we feature a duo who came from completely different backgrounds, one a northerner who went to college to study finance, the other, a southerner who knew after just one year in college that music was his life.

Dan Smyers was born and raised in Wexford, PA and began singling and playing music at the age of 12. After graduating from North Allegheny High School, Smyers headed off to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh to study finance. In 2010, after leaving college, he headed to Nashville, where he would become a member of the alternative rock band Bonaventure, which he left in 2013.

Shay Mooney was born and raised in Natural Dam, AR, discovering his musical talent at an early age, beginning where he attended Union Christian Academy in nearby Ft. Smith. While in high school he learned to play guitar, and discovered he had a natural songwriting ability. After graduation, Mooney split his time attending Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville, PA, and traveling to Nashville to write and record. After just a year, Mooney made the decision, and headed to Nashville full time. He would meet singer Valerie Ballestrini and formed both a personal and professional relationship. Mooney recorded as a solo artist, signing with Nappy Boy Entertainment, and the two formed a writing partnership, composing songs for Ballestrini's 2014 album Flip Side.

Mooney and Smyers met in 2012 in Nashville, and starting writing together almost immediately. The first song they ever wrote together was put on hold by Rascal Flatts (the group is an idol of Mooney's) and withing month, the pair had a multitude of publishing offers; they finally signed with Warner/Chappell Music in 2013. Dan +Shay released their debut single "19 You + Me" in October of the same year, the lead single for their debut album Where It All Began, which was released in April of the following year. The single would become their initial top-10 hit, peaking at #7. The album would feature two more singles, "Show You Off, which would peak at #21 and their first #1 hit, "Nothin' Like You".

Dan + Shay's debut would also lead to Vocal Duo of the Year nominations from both the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and Country Music Assoctiation (CMA) in 2014 and 2015. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) awarded "Nothin' Like You" its award for most performed song of 2015. During 2014 & 2015 Dan + Shay toured as an opening act for both Hunter Hayes and Blake Shelton, while also headlining their own Where It All Began tour with Cam and Canaan Smith, and the Just Right Kind of Crazy tour with Kelsea Ballerini.

In June of this year, Dan + Shay released their second album, Obsessed, with the lead single from the album, "From The Ground Up", becoming their second #1 single. Today spotlight falls on the albums second single. Dan + Shay and "How Not To" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll wanna hear it again.