Daniel Pitout is a South African-born, Toronto-based singer-songwriter, who is known for his hit singles “Eat Your Mind,” “Total Drift,” and “Spit Gifting,” among others. He’s also famously known for being the former drummer of the popular Canadian grunge and punk trio, Nü Sensae.
Age, Early Life, and Education Background
Daniel Pitout hails from Johannesburg, South Africa, and was born under the Capricorn zodiac sign on 6 January 1988, which makes him 34 years old as of 2022. He spent his childhood in Johannesburg’s suburb of Sophiatown, eventually relocating to Canada in 2002 when he was almost 15 years old. His parents loved music and listened to diverse musicians, so they exposed him to various genre at an early age, and he ended up loving punk and country music very much. His father, who was a skilled sound engineer, relentlessly encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming a successful musician. Pitout revealed that he didn’t receive any formal training in music, adding ‘I taught myself how to play a bunch of instruments when I was young My father always had an acoustic guitar around the house…I had an old Casio keyboard…I would play on that and teach myself some piano.’
Daniel actually trained in ballet, and performed in various musical theaters for over 12 years as a child. His family relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he attended high school, then in his early 20s, Daniel moved to London to study acting at the prestigious London Academy of Musical and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and perform at West End Theater in London, even landing several starring roles in a few of their productions.
Facts and Hobbies
Pitout is a big fan of the filmmakers Gus Van Sant and John Waters, and liked watching the ‘90s teen films when he was growing up.
In 2013, the musician was ranked among the 100 most eligible bachelors by OUT Magazine.
He has revealed that he grew up listening to Dolly Parton, whom he considers his idol.
Career
Daniel and the bassist Andrea Lukić partnered to create the band Nü Sensae in 2008, performed in house concerts in Vancouver, and from 2008 – 2010, the duo released the Eps “Fast Weapons,” “Swill Children,” “Deranged Records,” and “Critiscum Internationale,” among others. In 2010, they released their first album “TV, Death, and the Devil” on Nominal Records, which was ranked among the top ten punk albums of 2010 by Exclaim! Magazine. In September 2011, the guitarist Brody McKnight joined the duo, which was followed by the release of the album “Sundowning” under the Suicide Squeeze label in 2012. Pitout later created another band, Eating Out, which released its first album, “Burn” in 2013. The band is famous for its hit single “That’s My Man.”
Daniel rose to prominence in 2017 when he began his solo career, performing as an openly gay indie-country musician – he stood out for wearing a leather fringed mask (under the name Orville Perk) during all his performances. In 2019, he released his first album, “Pony,” which was a major success, comprising the tracks “Roses are Falling,” “Hope to Die,” “Nothing Fades Like the Light,” and “Old River,” among others. His next release, “Show Pony” (14 August 2020), topped the charts, perhaps because it was released in recognition of the Black Life Matters movement.
Pitout later collaborated with the experienced artist, Shania Twain, to release the song “Legends Never Die.” He was later seen performing at the Stagecoach and Coachella Festivals in 2022. Daniel signed with Columbia Records to release his second album, “Bronco” in 2022, and subsequently collaborated with musician Bria Salmena to release the album “All I Can Say.”
Daniel is signed with Sony Music. He previously hosted one of the episodes of the Netflix documentary TV series “This Is Pop.” He also contributed to the show, “The Baddy Holly Story,” which was performed in Chemainus, British Columbia. Moreover, he created soundtracks for the 2022 movie “Scream,” the HBO TV series “Euphoria,” and several other projects. Daniel performed his hit song “Dead of the Night” in an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in 2020.
I just found out about Orville Peck / Daniel Pitout… and now I can't think of anything else…#orvillepeck #danielpitout pic.twitter.com/EsK9sFOOrf
— Marisa T. Plaine (@marisaplaine) November 20, 2022
Other Achievements
In 2020, Pitout won a Juno Award nomination in the category of Alternative Album of the year. He also boasts of receiving a Polaris Music Prize award nomination and bagging two A2IM Libera Awards for his praised vocals.
Daniel was featured in the EP of American singer and drag queen Trixie Mattel in April 2021, and also in a cover version of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash’s track “Jackson.”
The Johannesburg-born musician has collaborated with many renowned musicians including Lady Gaga.
Personal Life
Daniel is very confident about his sexuality and is openly gay. He previously dated the American multidisciplinary artist, Seth Bogart, who is widely known for his debut album, “Hairdresser Blues.” He is also a vocal gay rights activist, dedicated to enlightening the youth to be proud of their sexuality.
He’s very committed to creating awareness on HIV/AIDS and he previously revealed that some of friends and family members have succumbed to the disease. He is the founder of the non-profit organization, AIDS Day Music Project, which uses art and music to create awareness on AIDS – he created the organization, which raises funds for AIDS research, in 2012.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZbM4Xvuhu/
Previously, Pitout struggled with depression and mental health issues. He revealed during an interview that he wrote his second album “Bronco” while he was recovering from a very deep depression. Although he didn’t reveal why he was depressed at the time, he previously admitted that he would have quit his career as a musician, but the writing of the song calmed him down because it was very therapeutic.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Pitout is of white ethnicity and has black eyes and black hair. He is 6ft 2ins (1.88m) tall and weighs nearly 160lbs (73kgs), with vital statistics of 44-32-38, and he wears shoe size 10 (US). Moreover, he has inked several tattoos on his body.
Net Worth
Pitout began his dance and musical career before he turned 20 and has now made a name for himself and amassed a good sum. He is authoritatively worth approximately $1.2 million, as of 2022.
