Today we’d like to introduce you to David Townsend
Hi David, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I’ve always had an interest in music. At a young age I developed a love for multiple mediums of art starting with the visual arts such as drawing and painting. I then discovered that I thoroughly enjoyed dancing and singing as well. I grew up in a musical influential family. My dad did music and my family was heavily involved in our church choir, so sure enough, I followed suit and that is where I first got experience of singing in front of people. I was inspired by many amazing artists such as Babyface, The Isley Brothers, Usher, D’Angelo, Ginuwine, and Michael Jackson. It wasn’t long before I was always dancing around the house and even trying to write my own music as early as the age of 12. It wasn’t until high school that I began to consider music as an actual career. My high school had programs focused on the performing arts, and when they built their first in-school recording studio, I took full advantage of the opportunity and enrolled in an engineering studio class. I would stay hours after school recording in the studio; it was there when my friend and I recorded a song that we wrote and knew we had something really good. We shared it around the school and with those who worked at the local radio station. It got such a good response, that it ended up being played on air regularly. It was an inspiring moment to say the least. After that, I developed an even stronger passion for music and decided that creating music was something I wanted to pursue as a career. After graduating high school, I began to work more towards my goals and began to get more active with music by continuing to write, record, and perform in various shows around my city. Between performing multiple local shows and continuing to sing in the church, I became recognized for my singing. I went on to win The Leon Rollerson Diamond Award for the Leading Young Rising Stars in the Oklahoma’s musical scene. My first full project was a mixtape titled “Passenger” and after that, I’ve released singles and performed in many gigs as well as music festivals. My music often infuses sounds from different genres from soul, pop, and contemporary R&B. Since then, I’ve been further developing my craft and cultivating my own style and sound. Furthermore, I am currently in the completion stages of a very special project that I’ve been working on which will soon be my first debut album. I’m eager to share it with my listeners. My latest single “Missing” is one of the songs from the album and is now available on all music platforms. It has gotten an amazing response from my supporters, and I am ready to release more music to bring even more listeners along with me on this musical journey.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road that it took to get to where I am now has not been easy. Being an independent artist in itself is a tough process and can be quite difficult to get exposure. Most of my career I’ve solely taken the responsibility for trying to figure out a strategy and game plan that works best for me, while remaining adaptable to the constant change on how music is pushed and released. Social media as a whole has made exposure easier but it can still be a challenge to break through the heavy saturation of content we are flooded with. The way we used to produce content, not too long ago, was much more difficult. Finding a quality videographer, getting the cast together, and executing the vision took much more effort and a lot more commitment from everyone involved. With that being said, coming up with the budget was the most important and daunting task when funding all my projects and marketing. Because of this, I had to acquire a good balance between working full time while constantly being as active and intentional as possible with my musical endeavors. The most struggling time for me personally occurred between 2019 through 2023. During those years life had a turn of unfortunate events. I lost loved ones along with family members getting sick. Even some of my personal relationships had come to an end. Most of the music from my project was inspired by true moments experienced with certain people that I no longer associate with due to unfortunate circumstances. This not only affected my artistic expressions, but also my mental and inner man as well. It was also during this season where I had planned to travel and move to a bigger city for networking purposes, but it didn’t feel right leaving home when I knew I had to be there for my family who needed me most. I really went through a period where I had to solely focus on me instead of the music, so I took time to focus on my mental health. It was through those adversities I learned to look at every situation as a lesson and opportunity to grow as opposed to seeing it as a loss. It took a lot of work to develop and maintain the mindset I have acquired. Life certainly teaches you that you must have resilience. Therefore, despite it all I’m still thankful for the journey. With this album finally releasing, I feel as if this will also symbolize the release of everything that has transpired that I’ve held in for so long.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I consider my music to be abstract at times. I like to experiment with sounds and structures that may not be considered traditional.
I would say I’m known for my acrobatic falsetto, smooth tones, and harmonies.
I like to challenge my creativity and I am most proud of my uniqueness. I don’t force it, its just the result of me producing what I like while being my authentic self. I do create a balance by making music that is catchy and easy to listen to while also implementing unorthodox flows and contagious melodies.
My professional life as a creative artist takes strong work ethic and commitment to the vision. I have to find ways to stay creative with fresh ideas and draw from different sources of inspiration. Honestly, more than anything, it takes a lot of self-discipline. It takes discipline to regularly work on my craft whether that be vocal training, writing, recording, and even regularly exercising. Taking care of my health is very essential in order for me to be able to perform at a high level of excellence. Let’s not forget that there must be time devoted to rehearsals as well. As an entertainer, I believe most of my time should be put towards rehearsing and practicing my craft, not only for live shows, but also to expand myself as an artist. Having mandatory days for practice throughout each week is one way me and my team stay sharp and consistent. Making time to meet in order to brainstorm and come up with ideas is scheduled in my routine as well. Most of my career as an independent artist has caused me to take on a lot of tasks. I have to wear multiple hats and fill in the positions that are lacking; so not only am I the artist, but I’ve also had to act as my own manager and do my own public relations. Fortunately, over time I have been growing my team and they have been helping me with some of those tasks. My team is small, but we are efficient. Additionally, I founded my own independent record label called New Romantic (NR), and we are seeking partnerships with other record labels and small businesses to fund projects in order to further push music.
Touring has been a big part of my career which has consisted of surrounding cities and states such as Paris, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Temple, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and cities in Arkansas. Just last summer I performed in these cities since I was able to be a part of a tour called the Soul Tie Tour. I performed with some of Texas’s rising stars such as Don Louis, Delisha J, and W3SST & THE MF BAND which was an incredible experience.The energy and reception from the crowds there were quite exceptional. Locally, I have participated in many music festivals such as Tulsa’s Juneteeth festival, Dreamland Music Fest, and our annual Rush Fest. I’m very excited to see what this next chapter of my musical voyage holds. My goal is not to be famous, but to cultivate my core supporters and super serve those dedicated fans with my music, my message, and my hopes to impact and inspire listeners.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice to others who are considering to pursue music is to first make sure they truly enjoy what they are doing. Having fun is the most important thing. You have to enjoy what you do because if you lack passion then you lack purpose. If you like to create music, then do so. Don’t worry so much about direction at first. Just make sure you really like what you’re doing and learn to love the process. If then one decides to pursue music as a career, they should first get a team, build a vision, commit to their goals, be open to learn, and always keep God first.
Personally, I wish I would have been more aware of how the trait of being a perfectionist would become one of my biggest hindrances. I’ve learned to appreciate the rough edges and the fact that things simply won’t be perfect. Also, I’ve come to know that in reality people appreciate the not so polished perception when it comes to art and connecting with the artist. Especially now days in a time were social media allows anyone to present the most flawless version of themselves. We only see what we are shown. So because of this I certainly do believe that there are many who appreciate the raw authentic side of our expressions. I’m learning to love the imperfections because that’s truly where the inspiration is. Being able to see the struggles in the journey of others is more relatable and it can serve as motivation for those who need it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidtownsendofficial/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/davidtownsendofficial
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/XgE8cA0kqnM?si=hnanrpZgvYz5P3k5
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-20671508
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6FQA4FIyaadzHukaHw3h5H?si=zW5WYHy0SD2rZgsMmk6GNA
Image Credits
Ana Luisa
