Daniel Shirin was eight years old when he first picked up a guitar at home in Hod HaSharon, Israel. He didn’t yet have words for what he wanted the instrument to do. What he had was a feeling, a certain kind of noise that got stuck in his head and stayed there.
Nearly two decades later, that noise has taken shape as “14 Hours,” the debut album from the Israeli singer, songwriter, producer and session guitarist. The nine-track indie pop-rock record draws on 90s grunge, early-2000s alternative radio and modern production, and it follows the path Shirin has taken from Israeli music schools to the Los Angeles scene he grew up listening to.
Where Did Daniel Shirin’s Sound Begin?
For Daniel Shirin, the noise eventually turned out to be Nirvana. The band’s raw, unpolished urgency led him into a wider wave of 90s and early-2000s rock, including Foo Fighters, Green Day and Arctic Monkeys.
Those records gave him a blueprint. Grunge supplied the weight, and a hint of Brit-rock brought sharper hooks. From the alternative radio of that era, he took away the idea that a song could be honest, massive and melodic at the same time.
He kept returning to that idea even as his own writing moved toward indie pop and contemporary production. From the start, Shirin treated the guitar seriously, not as a pastime but as the main medium for whatever he had to say.
How Formal Training Shaped the Singer-Songwriter and Producer
In 2019, Daniel Shirin turned years of practice into formal study at Rimon School of Music in Ramat HaSharon, a well-known Israeli music school. There he sharpened his ear and his technique. He also began to approach songwriting as a craft rather than something driven purely by impulse.
During those years he formed the band WHSPR. The group’s project “Begging You” built early momentum and an audience, drawing tens of thousands of streams across platforms.
His education then carried him across the ocean to the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, in the city that produced much of the music that shaped him. For Shirin, studying in Los Angeles was more than a technical upgrade. It opened a path into the industry and culture he had imagined since he was a kid in Israel.
By his mid-twenties, he had built a one-person operation. He sings, writes, produces and plays session guitar, recording his own material while bringing in collaborators of his choosing.
What Is the Debut Album “14 Hours” About?
“14 Hours” is a coming-of-age record, a full body of work that captures where Daniel Shirin has been and what he has been reaching for. The nine tracks were written, produced and performed by Shirin together with LA-based artist JEYEM and co-producer DOJO.
Its lead singles, “California” and “Virginia, Turn Around,” carry the album’s emotional through-line. Both songs circle restlessness and distance, along with the particular ache of chasing something on the other side of an ocean.
The theme isn’t abstract. Shirin spent years working toward an American music scene from thousands of miles away.
Bringing Indie Pop-Rock From Tel Aviv to Los Angeles
Daniel Shirin has brought the new songs to the stage in Tel Aviv, including a headline show at Levontin 7 and an appearance at Breaking Sounds Tel Aviv. Live dates gave the material a second life beyond the studio.
His partnership with JEYEM also reaches past “14 Hours.” Shirin wrote for and helped shape JEYEM’s record “Fake Blonde + True Blue,” giving him a working connection to the US-based artists he had long hoped to work alongside.
Today he divides his focus between his life in Tel Aviv and the American scene he studied inside. He doesn’t treat that scene as out of reach.
What Comes Next for Daniel Shirin?
The immediate goal for Daniel Shirin is to grow “14 Hours” beyond its initial release. That means deepening his production skills and building more collaborations with US-based artists and producers, in the same spirit as his work with JEYEM.
Next on his list is a planned collaboration with Rich Fayden, who has been involved with several Billboard No. 1 records and radio hits. Shirin views the project as another step toward tying his sound more closely to American music.
Meanwhile, he keeps writing and chasing new sounds and imagery. The instinct behind the work hasn’t changed much since that first afternoon with a guitar, and neither has the belief at its center. A song built on honesty and a strong hook, in his view, can travel anywhere.
Shirin shares news on his music and performances through his official artist website, and fans can follow his day-to-day work on his Instagram profile and through short clips on his TikTok channel.
Whatever comes next, it’s likely to carry the same signature that has carried him this far. It’s the fuzz and melody of a kid from Israel who fell in love with 90s rock and decided, against the odds, to go make some of his own.
