Times are tough, no doubt.

Inflation, homelessness and the opioid crisis dominate headlines domestically, while wars in Ukraine and Gaza have cast a feeling of gloom and doom across the globe.

It’s hard to remain upbeat when the world around you seems to be crumbling, but Niagara-on-the-Lake singer Danny Lamb is doing what he can to cut through and deliver a ray of optimism in what feels like the darkest times.

He’s released a new single, “Powerful (Hold Space),” a song about his growth as not only an artist, but as a human.

“I really love to get that sense of positive energy out,” Lamb said. “I really try to stay true to that.”

While he has involved himself in many charitable endeavours over the years, most notably the globe-spanning A Song, A City initiative for spina bifida research, he said he has come to realize that, while well-intentioned, he hasn’t always done things that make an impact.

“Until you create an impact for somebody in their life, it’s kind of counterproductive,” he said. “I came to realize that I wasn’t helping anyone. It became more of a question of, was I just injecting myself into a situation?”

He said he recognizes he comes from a place of privilege. But being privileged doesn’t mean he has necessarily had it easy: Lamb was born with spina bifida occulta and hydrocephalus.

Spina bifida is a condition that affects the spine and is usually apparent at birth. It is a type of neural tube defect that can occur anywhere along the spine if the neural tube does not close all the way.

Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder caused by an abnormal buildup of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain. The excess fluid causes the cavities to widen, putting harmful pressure on the brain’s tissues.

“I’ve had two brain surgeries, I struggled in school,” he said. His new song encapsulates those feelings, he added.

Lamb, 35, who operates the Danny Lamb School of Music, often thinks of how difficult things can be for others and tries to see things from their perspective.

For example, he cites a person who relies on a wheelchair to get around. Oftentimes, people may jump in to assist them, offering to push the chair for them.

“Too often they are defined by the wheelchair rather than being defined as human,” Lamb said.

“Does that person even want to be pushed?”

That person may have the best of intentions, he said, but in the end may have only served to hurt the person they intended to help.

While Lamb has no shows in the immediate future, he will be helping out one of his students – Austin Dill, who has cerebral palsy – from his music school at the historic courthouse on Queen Street in Old Town on Friday night, Nov. 10.

The duo will perform one song during the intermission of a tribute to Adele being performed by Angela Seeger.

Tickets for the show are $42.42 and are available at eventbrite.ca.

Lamb’s new single, meanwhile, is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.