Daryl Chonka has spent two decades supporting some of the most iconic names in music. The Salt Spring Island-based singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist steps into the spotlight with his 2020 album release, Luckiest Star.

Chonka found inspiration for the 10 songs included on Luckiest Star during his time working alongside artists including Randy Bachman, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Neil Young, Peter Frampton, America, ZZ Top and The Sadies. His collection of heartfelt songs is striking a chord with fellow musicians, as well as a growing community of fans.

“Luckiest Star features powerful lyrics, touching vocals and tremendous musicianship, all based in Daryl’s humble approach to songwriting,” says Bachman, a founding member of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. “Fans of finely crafted songs will enjoy Daryl’s new collection of music.”

Chonka says his work on Luckiest Star is based in waking to the present moment, learning to embrace change in a myriad of forms and experiencing life as the unexplainable miracle that it is. Recorded at Old Growth Music studio on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, the album features guest musicians Chris Wood of Medeski, Martin and Wood and The Wood Brothers on bass; Dave Clark of the Rheostatics on drums; and Australian roots musician Ganga Giri on percussion. 

“During the time of writing these songs, I was blessed with the chance to work alongside some of the greatest musicians and songwriters of this era,” says Chonka. “Getting to share time with these wonderful people had a huge impact on my process and allowed me the courage to be ruthlessly honest with myself.

I was also raising a family during the time of writing these songs and Luckiest Star is really a chronicle of all that happened in those years as an artist, father, husband, son, brother, and person of service.”