October 8th, 2018
Every year, NewSong receives countless song submissions from talented artists across North America and beyond. Only a handful are chosen each year as finalists. And while not all of these finalists take home the grand prize, all of them leave a lasting impression on the NewSong team. Supporting and fostering new and as-yet-undiscovered musicians is what NewSong is all about, which is why we aim to celebrate past finalists and winners in our new video series, #WeAreNewSong. This week, we’re featuring David Robert King.
David Robert King, talented songwriter and 2017 NewSong Music Competition finalist, is certainly an artist to get to know. His 2017 album, Idaho, was produced by Darryl Neudorf (Neko Case, The New Pornographers, Sarah McLachlan) and has been met with great critical acclaim for its unique sound.
No Depression has praised the musician, calling Idaho “good for the soul,” full of “folk-drenched songs of the world class order.” King recently performed at the 30A Songwriters Festival, alongside Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Mary Gauthier, and others. We caught up with David this week to find out what is new in his career, how his experience with NewSong has impacted him and to get his thoughts on songwriting. Stay tuned this fall for a single David recorded with fellow NewSong finalist and 2017 Grand Prize Winner Crys Matthews.
NewSong: How would you describe your songwriting style?
David Robert King: For me, songwriting is both a therapy and an itch. Sometimes I need to sit down and write in order to maintain sanity, other times an idea, tune, or phrase just keeps bugging me until I give it time and space, then the itch is scratched.
It has been almost a year since the 2017 NewSong Music Competition. How did your experience with NewSong impact you?
NewSong has been a place to build community. The group is both incredibly talented and incredibly kind… a rare combination. I’m only human, and NewSong’s recognition is validating and encouraging. Playing at Lincoln Center in New York, recording at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville — pretty awesome stuff.
We hope you follow David Robert King’s music career, as we will, and check out his work on Spotify and iTunes!
To stay up-to-date with David’s news and schedule, visit his website.
To learn more and enter the 2018 NewSong Music Competition (deadline is Sunday, November 4), visit this page.
