I met David on the tennis courts. He was teaching a beginners tennis group and I joined.
Over the course of a few months, I got to know him as not only a funny, forgiving tennis coach, but a talented songwriter, and musician.
I knew David was working on his website, and his next album. So I asked him for an interview. He obliged.
I believe in David's talent...and I think you will too. You can check out his website to listen to a selection of his songs @ http://davidduncanjohnson.com/tunes/home.html
Below are the questions I asked him:
1. How many songs have
you created? Favorite one?
I have created lots
of songs (probably in the upper hundreds). I’m particular about what I share
now. Some are completed, some are in the
works.
I would like to cut another album. I have the material and I’m ready to
record but I wouldn’t do it like the last one. The last one was an amazing
experience and taught me so much.
I will do the next one with a band that I
have played with extensively. The last one was made with an amazing producer
that could have produced an album by The Who in the 70’s. That’s not my style
though, and I think I could be better represented with a more homemade
approach.
I really like “High Tide in the Streets”, as well as some of the
others that need to be recorded.
2. Why the title Eights and Aces? What does it mean to
you?
That
is the poker hand Wild Bill Hickock drew when he was shot and killed by Jack
McCall in the Black Hills of the Dakota region.
It's now known as the
"Dead Man's Hand". It’s the title track on the album. The song speaks
of fall and redemption. It’s an outlaw theme. It’s about living life to its
fullest, not trying to make mistakes but not being afraid to make mistakes.
In
the end it all gets sorted out as long as you do your best and try to do what’s
right.
My favorite definition of the word outlaw came from Tom Robbins book “Still
Life with Woodpecker”. The protagonist was a modern day hero who said that an
outlaw is someone who has the courage to act as if the world was a better
place.
Essentially meaning that if you think the world should be better, your
actions should reflect those beliefs. If you don’t believe people should sleep
on the street when it’s really cold out, invite them in your home.
There is a
lot of freedom if you are able to do that. It’s also a good way to scare the
shit out people who you live with. As I get older and have more
responsibility, it’s also harder to do.
Romantic ideals are lovely but the
innate parental tendencies of protecting property and safety are very strong.
It’s not as easy to just say “fuck it” anymore. I don’t know if that’s good or
bad.
3. When you think of Ry Cooder and John Prine, what one
word comes to mind?
Genuine
4. What time do you get up and what do you eat for
breakfast?
It depends on the
day and if it’s raining or not. I’m not a fan of waking up. I usually have a
juice that my lovely lady makes with spinach, kale, beets, carrots and pretty
much any organic produce that she wishes to transform into liquid form. Liquid
comprises most of my diet. Hahaha. It takes a different form at night.
5. Where's your favorite country bar, and why should we
visit?
My favorite country
bar in in Austin. It’s called Momo’s. Besides being in a great city with great
people, it has great musicians that you’ve probably never heard of.
Second
place goes to the Continental Club in Austin. Third goes to Cinema Bar in Los
Angeles, where I found most of the musicians for my album. If anyone wants to
show me a good venue in the area, I would be much obliged.
6. What age did you first start singing? Writing music?
I sang along with songs in the car by myself when I was young, I
couldn’t help but let my soul sing along with the great music I heard. I never
thought I had a great voice. I still don’t. I’m working on it though.
I only
started singing as a way to have the songs that I wrote shared with other
people and performed for an audience. I think that is very common with
songwriters. My singing, especially at the start didn’t do the writing justice.
I’m getting better though thankfully.
Mostly I am trying to let my soul come
through what I’m trying to express. I started writing songs after being exposed
to a wonderful musical congregation called Pickathon, which is the greatest
music festival I have ever been to. I started going there in my early twenties
and was smitten by all the talent. It was then that I thought “I can do this”.
That and really listening to Johnny Cash made me start writing music.
7. Who is your biggest cheerleader?
Myself. I have a lot
of support from everyone around me (my family especially) but if it weren’t for
the deep burning desire within me, I would have stopped trying to do anything
with music a long time ago.
Sheri Gallo might be my biggest fan outside of my
family. She’s an amazing friend from Austin.
8. Did you ever want to give up? What kept you going?
I never
wanted to give up. I’ve been discouraged a lot, and have had a lot of other
things take time away from what I really want to do which is perform and
record, but that desire will always be there. I just keep adapting to
situations. It would be very easy to give up. It’s so hard, and to have any
sort of success requires a gigantic amount of effort and patience and luck.
It’s really an inconvenient passion.
9. It's pretty amazing when the stars line up – you had
this happen when you me Duane Jarvis. How did you meet him?
I met him in the
studio when we were recording part of the album. We cut a few tracks and he
came up to me and told me he really liked my songs and the cover song that I
picked which was John Prine’s “Everything is Cool”.
He told me he recorded that
song with John and played live with him regularly in Nashville. There were some
very magical experiences I had recording that album and that was one of them.
I
found out that he passed a short time after we recorded together. I didn’t
spend a lot of time with him but I felt really comfortable around him. He was
one of those warm, welcoming people that make you feel close to them
immediately. I wish I could have developed more of a relationship with him.
10. Have you found that
when you tell people what you do, people offer up help to get you closer to
your dream?
I do, I have met so
many great people who are giving and really want to help. Even when my music is
something foreign to them or they wouldn’t ordinarily listen to it, they are
very generous and willing to help.
11. Describe your debut
album in 5 words.
Premature, honest,
great musicianship, fun!!!
12. Where does your song
inspiration come from?
Observing life.
More
and more, I am inspired by people’s situations and inequality. I believe that
with all the resources available, the planet should live in a near utopia. The
fact that we don’t weighs heavy on me, and inspires me to write. Good music and
lyrics always give me ideas as well.
13. Are there any voice
exercises you do?
I do, but not as
much as I should. I sing scales up and down and when I sing along with songs I
am attentive to tone and pitch.
14. Have you played in
front of a live audience? If so, how do you keep your nerves in check?
I have played live a
lot. I have played in front of hundreds of people at a time, and opened for one
of the biggest country festivals in the country.
I am always nervous before a
show. The more intimate the setting, the more nervous I am. I grew up as an
athlete and tried to battle nerves. It comes down to preparation. The more you
prepare, the more confident you are, but the nerves are always there.
My first
performance in the San Francisco area will be soon. I am currently booking dates so check the
website.
15. If your dreams came
true and you could choose where you would perform, what venue or stage would it
be?
Since I was a kid, I
have always dreamt of putting together a playlist of all the songs I'd love at
my funeral. It would be a big party where everyone was dancing and singing and
drinking. Then people might understand where I am coming from. It would include
some of my best songs too. Then, I would rise out of the ashes and play one
final song. LOL. I haven’t written it yet but it would be a grand send off. Hopefully
it would be in Colorado in the fall.
16. What one word best
describes you?
Loving
17. What types of music
do you listen to? Who is your favorite artist?
Everything. Artist:
John Prine or Paul Simon. Band: Led Zeppelin
18. Singers and artists
use past experiences to create passion in their work. What one past experience
do you use to push you deeper into your lyrics?
Anything where the
proletariat is abused. The collapse of the economy, Hurricane Katrina and New
Orleans, pretty much inequality and abuse in general all inspire and create
passion. The seemingly easiest sources like loving relationships don’t really
do it for me. I wrote some really bad songs about break up and broken hearts.
Haha. But like Frank Zappa said, “broken hearts are for assholes”
19. What do you think
about musicians selling their songs to commercial makers?
It can be done in a
positive way, I think Randy Newman has done a good job. It’s hard to say
though. I think marketing and advertising in general as far as TV and
mainstream media is concerned as a whole doesn’t have humanity’s interests at
heart.
20. What's your style?
Are you a blue jeans guy? Suit?
My style is laid
back and contemplative. I wear what’s comfortable. I could be very comfortable
in a suit with a tight Jazz quartet.
21. What hobbies do you
have outside of music?
My Wife (although we
are not married), my son, tennis, basketball, alien presence on Earth, Flying,
philosophy, cognitive psychology, beer, good literature, human interaction.
22. How can my blog readers help you to become an even bigger success?
Listen, if you like
the music, come to my shows, buy album, tell your friends, requests shows.
