Dani Rose Talks Taylor Sheridan, 'Dutton Ranch,' and Country Music

The Rise of a Country Music Visionary

Dani Rose has always had an eye for trends. This Virginia native and Nashville-based songwriter has built her career on staying attuned to the ever-changing currents of social media, streaming, and television. Her work has found its way into some of the most anticipated shows in recent years, including the premiere of Dutton Ranch, where one of her co-written songs was featured. According to Rose, it's all about the "vibes."

"Before it wasn't trendy for female country musicians to rise up," Rose explains, highlighting a significant shift in the industry. "Now, it is absolutely a trend. People want to dress like Lainey Wilson, they want to dress like Ella Langley, they want to look like Megan Moroney. It's not just a person singing anymore; they're like superheroes or action figures."

Rose herself is following a similar path in the world of Taylor Sheridan's storytelling. She has contributed songs to Yellowstone and Landman, and her latest collaboration, "What You Don't Know," was featured in the May 15th debut of Dutton Ranch on Paramount+. The song, co-written with Lukas Nelson and Lily Meola, is now available for streaming.

A Deep Connection to Storytelling

Rose’s involvement with Sheridan’s projects goes beyond just music. She has been part of some of the most emotionally powerful moments in his TV series. One standout example was the song "Touch and Go," which became a viral hit in Landman. The track, a collaboration with Drayton Farley and Sunny Sweeney, was written at a workshop organized by Andrea von Foerster, the music supervisor behind many of Sheridan's shows.

"I remember Drayton saying, 'I have this cool title, 'Touch and Go,' and it reminded me of my parents and being at home and feeling like I'm still a little kid while my parents keep getting older," Rose recalls. "It was so sad and depressing, and we were sitting there crying. I was like, 'I wish I could turn back time in my dad's eyes,' and Sunny goes, 'Yes! There we go!'"

From Tokyo to Nashville

Rose's journey to success was anything but straightforward. Before finding her place in the music industry, she experienced a childhood marked by constant change. Her family moved from rural Virginia to Tokyo when she was in fifth grade due to her father's job, which forced her to grow up quickly. "I became a fully functioning adult, I would say, by seventh grade," she says.

The culture shock of returning to Virginia in high school was difficult, but she stayed through college at Virginia Tech. Afterward, she moved to Los Angeles, hoping to channel her independent spirit into something creative. For over eight years, she played with a band across California before moving to Nashville in 2024.

It was in California that she wrote "Got It From My Mama," a song that took off on social media. "That was wild," Rose remembers. "I remember when it went to number two, just below Lizzo's 'About Damn Time,' and I was thinking, 'I am an independent country artist, and I am at number two on the U.S. TikTok charts. Do you know how crazy that is?'"

A Song That Resonated

The song was written during the pandemic, when Rose missed her mother deeply. "I co-wrote it over Covid, because I couldn't see her," she says. "And I remember people reaching out, making their own videos with their moms, using it for their dance with their mother at their weddings, or making it their funeral songs. The different ways that song resonated with people — they just found it, and it blew all the wheels off of everything."

Her connection to Andrea von Foerster, the music supervisor behind many of Sheridan's projects, helped solidify her place in the industry. Over the past six years, Rose has become one of the most reliable voices in Sheridan's soundtracks.

A New Chapter

This September, Sheridan will host a daylong festival at his Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas. Rose is set to perform, alongside headliners like Shane Smith & the Saints. The event is the second of its kind, celebrating the growing influence of artists who have benefited from Sheridan's storytelling and von Foerster's curation.

"Everything I write, I think is real," Rose says. "But Andrea will always go after the songs that had me crying when I wrote them."