Local singer-songwriter Dasha looks back on her recent fame

For the past three months, Dasha, a San Luis Obispo native and SLO High School graduate, has been living a dream — with up to 23 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the 24-year-old star is known worldwide.

“Growing up in SLO and playing at all the wineries and cafes, just working at it and finally seeing it actually work and pay off is just the greatest feeling in the world,” she said.

Her hit song “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” has been streamed 296 million times on Spotify and has been performed on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, the CMT Awards, and at the largest country music festival in Nashville. Last week, she had the honor of performing at country music’s most prestigious and historic venue, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

“Being there was a significant moment,” explained Dasha Novotny’s father PJ. “It’s subjective, of course, but you feel it in the room.”

“You know, I played at Nissen Stadium for the first time the other day, then I went and played with Keith Urban, and the following week I played at the Grand Ole Opry and made my debut. That’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl,” Dasha said.

It was a moment that reminded her of her youth, when she was learning to perform in front of audiences at the Live Oak Festival or even at the Selland Arena in Fresno. Dasha’s father remembers the confidence she had even then.

“She gives everything and I stand by her and support her. And then she comes back and says: ‘Dad, I can do it,'” Novotny remembers.

Next up for Dasha is her first headlining tour, which begins at the end of the month. For San Luis Obispo, this is an opportunity to be represented on the international stage.

“There was just a sequence of really cool things that happened,” Novotny said.

Dasha’s older brother Bardo is also in the music industry. He lives in Los Angeles and is the guitarist for Beauty School Dropout.

According to Dasha’s father, her October 18th performance at SLO Brew Rock is already sold out and was the fastest-selling show in the venue’s history. Her first album, “What Happens Now?”, was released in February, with the deluxe album due out in August.