Rising country artist Daniel Jeffers has officially arrived with the release of his debut project, Not Yet (The E.P)., a four-song collection that blends raw storytelling with modern country grit — and it’s clear he’s carving a lane all his own.
“My hope for this selection of songs is that people will walk away either wanting more or simply interested,” Jeffers tells Celeb Secrets in an exclusive interview. “While we hope it generates enough fans to fill out clubs and theaters, I just want to be an artist that’s on people’s radars.”
The EP — co-written entirely with Bobby Hamrick and Justin Halpin — carries listeners through the ups and downs of a love story that feels both deeply familiar and refreshingly new. Jeffers credits the writers for shaping not just the sound, but the experience.
“They were some of the first guys to really stick their necks out for me and take me under their wings,” Jeffers says. “A lot of our sessions allowed us to just speak openly about our lives and pull inspiration from that to sculpt each song.”
Though rooted in heartbreak — “where you and a girl aren’t meant to be, at least not yet” — Jeffers insists the project leans more into universal storytelling than diary pages. “Anyone who has gone through the dating scene has had the experience that there’s the one girl or the one guy where it seemed like the right person, but wrong time,” he explains. “And I think the E.P. leans into that story.”
From start to finish, Not Yet (The E.P.) plays like a novel in four chapters. “Not Yet” kicks things off with playful, high-energy confidence. “I wanted the project to start on a high note. It’s fun, catchy, and relatable,” Jeffers says. “It was important for me to try to show people that going forward, I can make music that not only is fun, but can compete with some of the top names in the genre.”
“If This Town Could Talk,” inspired by small-town gossip, adds a nostalgic twist. Though the idea came from Halpin, Jeffers instantly connected with it. “Anyone who comes from an ‘everybody knows everybody’ area can relate to how stories about your life become rumors,” he shares.
Meanwhile, “Ain’t About You” delivers one of the most personal gut-punches of the project. “I’ve actually lived the experience where I could no longer listen to a song because it reminded me of a certain person,” Jeffers reveals. “I think the idea that a person or experience can destroy a song you used to love is interesting. I wanted to capture that feeling.”
Together, the four tracks tell a story that leaves listeners on a cliffhanger. “It kind of leaves off because you don’t know if the narrator reaches back out or if he hears back from the girl,” Jeffers teases. “Maybe someday we’ll get to hear the end of that story.”
Hailing from Dallas, North Carolina, Jeffers carries his roots with him everywhere he goes. “Dallas is a smaller, slower-paced, homegrown kind of town. That’s how I try to stay when I go into my writing or recording sessions,” he says. “I want things to feel genuine… I try to keep things simple, absorb everything around me, and just take things slow.”
Those instincts are paying off. Jeffers’ breakout single “Roll One With Willie” not only earned over three million streams but also landed him MusicRow’s DISCovery Award, opening doors to Nashville’s tight-knit songwriting circles. “It really became a stepping stone, allowing me to meet the writers who helped with this project,” he says.
This summer, Jeffers hit another milestone — his CMA Fest debut on the Spotlight Stage. “Of course, you have thoughts about messing up your lyrics when stepping on a pretty important stage,” he admits. “Everything after was adrenaline, and just trying my best to have a good time and take it all in.”
When it comes to musical heroes, Jeffers doesn’t hesitate. “Keith Whitley is my absolute hero, followed by a close second with Chris Stapleton,” he says, also pointing to Vince Gill, Zac Brown, and even bluegrass bands for inspiration. The influence is clear in his vocal grit and his commitment to authenticity.
And yet, he’s not afraid to push himself into new spaces. A recent “pinch me” moment? Playing Whiskey Jam, Nashville’s iconic proving ground. “That’s one of those checklist items for someone coming from outside of Nashville that I’ve wanted to play because of the list of artists that have been on that stage,” Jeffers says.
At the heart of Not Yet (The E.P.), Jeffers just wants listeners to connect. “I really just want them to walk away with a connection to one of the four songs,” he tells us. “If only one of four, or two of four, is your cup of tea? Great. But we wanted to show a little bit of the range of songs I can put out, and hopefully, the songs they do like will keep them coming back to check in on me.”
And because this is Celeb Secrets — Jeffers dropped one of his own: the piano across the EP was played by none other than David Dorn, 2024 ACM Piano Player of the Year. “He played on all the songs on the E.P. and actually produced Braxton Keith’s Blue EP,” Jeffers reveals. “It was so cool having that level of talent be a part of my debut.”
With Not Yet (The E.P.) now out in the world, Daniel Jeffers is no longer just “one to watch” — he’s one to keep coming back to.
Listen to Daniel Jeffers’ debut project Not Yet (The E.P.) below and don’t forget to let us know if you’re loving it by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
