Daniel Nery:

This is actually the perfect place to start because I literally just began my artist career haha! Normally, I work as a music producer alongside my business partner, Aaron Spencer. Together we go by Select Creatives and together we’ve been producing music since 2021. Aaron’s been in the game for 20+ years, coming from the era of super producers like Pharrell, Kanye, and Timbaland.

When we met, I had just dropped out of med school and was working at a marketing company in Miami. My organizational skills stood out to Aaron, so he brought me in to help launch a music consulting business. When COVID hit, we pivoted into production full-time, renovated a house in Fort Worth, and built two studios inside. We’ve been creating ever since. What surprised Aaron was that I had some musical chops of my own—my rock edge meshed in an unexpected way with his rap/hip-hop sensibilities. Together, that blend has already landed us work with artists like Abraham Alexander, Moyé (All American: Homecoming), Pastor Mike Jr., and CitiLimitz (who just made the AGT quarterfinals).

Coming from academia, I used to see music as something reserved for the “lucky few.” But the more I learned, the more I realized it’s about consistency, marketing, and quality—just like any career. Along the way, God has given me songs that kept me grounded in faith, with My Treasure being the most personal. At first, I feared chasing music would just be another wrong turn. But God changed my heart, teaching me that Jesus is already the reward—and that makes every risk worth it. With all the CCM scandals lately, I’ve felt convicted to take the “Rich Mullins route” and not make money from my artist career. Oddly enough, everything that once felt daunting now feels fun. Like Matt Shelton told me: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1). If God is for us, who can be against us?

Daniel:

Aaron and I are big on the long game when it comes to relationships. Artists are busy and flooded with DMs, so My Treasure really began with me slowly building a professional relationship with Todd Gummerman (MUTEMATH) over the last six years. He’s worked on several projects we’ve produced and always over-delivers.

When I sent him My Treasure, however, he himself recruited Skyler Acord (Issues) to play. They had both just finished performing alongside Twenty One Pilots on their Scaled and Icy tour, and man, Sky brought the same high-voltage energy to the track that he brings to the stage.

From there, I decided not to spare any expense in giving God the best. I went to Darren King (MUTEMATH) for drums, and the recording process was pure magic. With the instrumental done, I needed vocals—not just great talent, but someone who actively abides in Christ.

That’s when I realized one of my pastors in Fort Worth, Matt Shelton (Letter Kills, The Wedding), was the perfect fit. I admired his gentle and joyful demeanor leading worship, constantly keeping Jesus in the spotlight, and soon recognized him as the lead singer from The Wedding that I used to listen to a lot back in the day. We bonded over songwriting and ministry over these past years, and when I asked him to sing on My Treasure, it was an instant yes. One problem though: I had inadvertently produced the song in my vocal range instead of his. That’s when he encouraged me to sing it myself since God had given me the song. He helped rewrite the melody and lyrics to fit my voice, and the result was better than I ever imagined.

Finally, for mixing, we reached out to IRKO (Kanye, The Weeknd, etc.). He’s the Rolls-Royce of mixers, and through a close friend we were able to lock him in. Honestly, even with an unlimited budget, I think My Treasure would sound the same—it’s exactly what it was meant to be: a project that gives God the best, both in musicianship and heart!

Daniel:

I wrote most of it myself. The song started as a GarageBand project on my iPhone back in 2016, before I ever thought I’d be in the industry. It was too long, too slow, and way overcrowded sonically. Aaron helped trim it down and give the core elements space to breathe.

From there, I rewrote guitar and bass parts and told the musicians: “Use my ideas as a guide, but play where the music leads you.” I even carved out a section near the end for full improvisation, and that part moves me the most. Matt, IRKO, and Aaron all contributed creative touches too. My favorite production philosophy is giving each musician room to run wild and free—and this track really reflects that.

Daniel:

I started writing it in 2016 at the lowest point of my life. I had just dropped out of med school after 9 years and $120K invested, was grieving lost loved ones, healing from a breakup, and reeling from my church splitting apart. Everything I had poured into—ministries, friendships, even identity—felt like it had crumbled. My instinct was to see God as unloving and unfair.

But My Treasure became His gift to me. Musically, it fuses all my biggest influences—MUTEMATH, Twenty One Pilots, Linkin Park, Foo Fighters, RHCP, Audioslave, Beatles. Lyrically, it anchors my heart back to Christ whenever I lose perspective. No matter the circumstances, He is the only Treasure I have and the only One worth holding onto.

Daniel:

My dad’s life is a movie, honestly. He helped pioneer liver transplantation in the ’80s and ’90s but left that prestige behind to pastor a small church in Miami. Eventually, God provided him with a mobile clinic to serve the uninsured population of South Florida. That became Good Samaritan Community Health.

Since then, the ministry has expanded to 40+ mission trips across Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, and the Amazon. I’ve seen firsthand how God provides resources out of nowhere, again and again. It's crazy—God calls everybody to make disciples locally, regionally, and to the ends of the earth; if you pray for an opportunity to obey Him, He is faithful enough to answer. Depending on Him instead of self-sufficiency is scary, but the people we work with who've adopted this lifestyle enjoy an undeniable joyfulness that not only gives them more stamina than young people, but somehow keeps them looking young too haha.

Daniel:

YESSS, an album is in the works! First, a few more singles to keep momentum going. Todd and Sky have already recorded guitars and bass for future tracks, so now it’s on me to finish vocals and get everything mixed and mastered. God has given me the greatest producer to be my best friend and partner in all of this, along with all the tools and resources to make songs come to life, so I want to steward every song, blessing, and opportunity well.

I’d also love to start performing and touring, spreading the message of living Levitically. The CCM industry has done damage by commercializing faith, and I don’t want to add to that. My goal is to write songs that reconcile people to God, deepen their affection for Him and His church, and explore His infinite character beyond the familiar “problem-solver” themes. The world is thirsty for truth. I believe God will sustain me as long as I keep giving Him my best.

Daniel:

Hahaha both are great, but Jonny Quest tops them both!