Multitalented recording artist Dave B is in the midst of an incredible run of music. The streak for the Seattle native singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer began in 2015 with his album Punch Drunk. It’s continued with Tomorrow (2016), Pearl (2017), BLEU (2019), and current album Delicate.
In THIS INTERVIEW Dave summarizes his growth, revisits his appearance on The Tonight Show, and discusses creative pressure. THIS is for YOU!
Dave D your artistry is deservingly commendable, but you should also be applauded for the talented musicians you choose to work with. Do you have any creative boundaries when it comes to who you decide to collaborate with?
I try not to. I like making a lot of music, especially when I’m collaborating with someone. I like being in the room with them so we can feel it out. And it’s pretty much based on the mood we set up.
I don’t like to press too much about what I’m going to do. I’ll have an idea, but I’m mostly just trying to operate off feeling. Whatever we make is what comes from that.
What do you enjoy most about making music that way?
I enjoy that it comes together organically. We can just knock it out, building songs from the ground up, based on how we’re feeling.
You’ve had a very impressive run of albums. Pearl is my favorite. I’ve wondered, did you choose that title because your hard work resulted in a gem or because you were under pressure and something great came out of it?
I started to think about the title about midway through, and I don’t think that I knew we were midway through! I just knew we had a bunch of songs and they kind of weaved in and out of each other. That made me think, damn, we have a project.
What you came up with wasn’t entirely planned?
When we first sat down, I just wanted to make songs. Then it turned into a project. I started thinking about the journey that it took to get to that point. When we were reaching the tail end it just all came together. We ended up with a gem. So, I said, okay, this is Pearl. If I had thought of the title before hand, it probably would have sounded way different.
Now that you’ve received so much notoriety and acclaim for your music, what kind of pressure are you feeling?
I want whatever project I do next to be as impactful as the last one. My biggest fear ever is what if you outdo yourself one day? I don’t ever want to do that! So I try not to think about that too much. I’ve still got a lot more to do, I’ve still got a lot more songs to make and more projects to make. We should be alright.
But I’m always thinking maybe what if the next shit wasn’t as dope as this one was? I try not to let that hang over my head too much. I just try to continue to do better.
Let’s revisit when you performed on The Tonight Show in 2017 with Macklemore, which was dope. When that performance was over, did you start to think about what you needed to do to get back there on your own?
Yeah. That was my whole thing throughout that entire day. It was really dope and I was really grateful to experience it. He didn’t have to take us on that show, and I kept thanking him for allowing us to be there. In the back of my mind I was thinking, “I’m coming back here and when I come back it’s going to be for my shit.” I don’t know how or when, but I know it’s going to happen.
Dave, summarize for us how much you’ve grown since Punch Drunk.
I used to write so many songs a day and not all of them would be quality. There would be good ideas there, but I wasn’t willing to sit down and decipher what I was really trying to say. Now I’ve allowed myself to grow, and I think the people who have been listening to me since then have noticed that too. We’ve all grown with each other.
You’re taking your time now.
Yes! I’ve grown more patient with myself. Now I’m actually taking the time to get the full idea out! I’m taking my time and trusting the people around me to trust me that the end product is going to be something worthwhile.
What about you do you know better now?
I’ve trained my ear and trained my thoughts to know what’s going to work and what’s not going to work for me, and just operating more off these feelings. That’s better than operating off just rushing to get to the end product of something that might not last as long. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
Post-Credit Bonus:
