Dan Nigro

Daniel Leonard Nigro

(1982-05-14) May 14, 1982
Long Island, New York, U.S.
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer

2001–present

  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bass
  • piano
  • keyboards

As Tall as Lions

Early life and Education[edit]

Daniel Leonard Nigro[5] was raised in Massapequa Park, New York on Long Island.[6] In his youth he took piano, guitar, and voice lessons.[7] His sister, Alexa, co-founded the Scough fashion company[8] and his brother, Leonard, is an international chef.[9] Nigro's father, Louis, is a second-generation business owner[10] and his mother, Claire, is an artist specializing in oil painting.[11]


Nigro attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school. He said that he "never felt the need to go to college,"[12] but studied philosophy at Fordham University for three years.

Career[edit]

As Tall as Lions[edit]

With high school friends Saen Fitzgerald and Cliff Sarcona, Nigro formed the indie rock band As Tall as Lions around 1998, self-producing a four-song demo that included "King of the World", which became a local fan favorite.[13][14] During the next few years, the band endured lineup changes.[15] In 2002, they released their first EP Blood Aphorisms. In 2003, they signed a record deal with Island and Triple Crown Records[16] and left college with the full support of their parents to pursue music full-time.[17]


In 2004, the band released their debut album Lafcadio and began touring. In 2006, they released As Tall as Lions and began a headlining tour. In July 2007, they appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[18] In 2009, You Can't Take It with You was released, peaking at number 88 in the Billboard 200 chart. By September, 2010, the band split up. Upon announcing the news, their last shows sold out, and more were added to the schedule. They immediately planned their "reunion", which was performed in 2015 without new music to supplement it.[19]

Songwriting career[edit]

Nigro moved to Los Angeles, California to become a songwriter, collaborating with childhood friend, Justin Raisen.[20] He found initial success with a jingle for a McDonald's advertisement,[21] then with Sky Ferreira.[22]