About

Dan Carroll is a songwriter whose catalogue is a quiet yet powerful exploration of life’s emotional rhythms—love, regret, belonging, hope, and the quiet strength found in vulnerability. Whether on his own or through his project City Over Sand, his music resonates with a grounded authenticity that invites listeners to pause, feel, and maybe find a little direction of their own.

 Dan’s music invites listeners into a space of reflection and emotional honesty. His songs often emerge from simple, domestic contexts—guitar in hand, a fleeting emotion to be captured—like they’re conversations with an old friend — intimate, unhurried, and honest enough to sting a little.

From his home on the Gold Coast, Australia, Dan has been quietly shaping a body of work that blends the stripped-back warmth of acoustic storytelling with a lyrical depth that reflects the real weight of life — the kind of songs that meet you exactly where you are, whether that’s lost, hopeful, or somewhere in between.

 Across decades of writing and recording, he’s returned to certain truths: that change is rarely clean, that love, and connection are worth the fight. His lyrics are steeped in imagery — dusty little towns, untaken roads, empty rooms still holding someone’s presence — creating an atmosphere that feels both deeply personal and quietly universal.

 Songs like I Was Wrong pull no punches in confronting fault and the fragile work of repair, while Echo offers a hand to anyone who’s felt the ache of isolation. Green Light pulses with urgency — a call to move forward before the perfect moment arrives, because it rarely does.

In the studio and on stage, Dan works with a trusted circle of collaborators, including producer Brad Hosking (Amy Shark) and musicians Jules Keshan and Stephen Whittington, the creative engine room.

Dan has released a steady stream of albums, EPs, and singles, both solo and with his band City Over Sand. The 2016 release of Good Grief, an 11-track City Over Sand album was a defining moment in his catalogue—an indie record filled with melodic intimacy and poetic introspection. It set the tone for the reflective artistry that continues to define his journey.

2018’s Into Tomorrow explores the internal dialogue of perseverance, confronting the daily grind and the weight of self-doubt. It’s a song that speaks to self-discovery and quiet resolve.

The band’s 2022 EP Half Full distilled themes of time, family, and self-discovery into six tracks that feel like chapters from a single life. The track Little Town became a streaming standout—amassing over 400,000 plays to date on Apple Music—and anchored Dan’s reputation for crafting songs that feel like a homecoming.

Most recently, the 2024 single Count on the Days arrived as a quiet, meditative moment—simple in structure yet profound in intent—a gentle invitation to listeners to move through time with awareness and intention.

Earlier works such as Hold On (2013) City Over Sand (Self-Titled 2012), The June Julys (2011), Departure (2007) and Hit the Low Notes High (2005) show the same lyrical DNA — reflective, grounded, and quietly defiant.

Dan Carroll doesn’t write for the sake of writing. He writes to find his way through, and in doing so, leaves a trail for others to follow.