Interview with David August

Who: David August, solo guitarist / singer / songwriter
What: In Concert
When: Friday, March 13 2009, 8:30 p.m.
Where: Portneuf Valley Brewing - map
How Much: Free


Q: Describe your genre of music in as much detail as you like. Can you explain in what way do you most appeal to your fans?

A: I play solo acoustic folk/rock/pop. I get compared to the Goo Goo Dolls a lot, that's the closest match you can find to my style of music. My show is generally very dynamic, many of my songs are very high energy and loud, but there are some that are more quiet and thoughtful.

My three best crowd-pleasers would probably be "Waiting for Tuesday," the title track of my first album, which is about waiting for the birth of my yet to be conceived daughter, "The Traveler," off of my new album "Out of Place," which is about a summer of traveling and adventure but longing to be back home with my girl, and the third would probably be "Pluto," also off of my new record, inspired by the recent demotion of Pluto from an official planet to a dwarf planet, it a sort of anthropomorphic look at Pluto's demise and how it illustrates the uncertainty of life.

I usually perform solo acoustic; it's just me and three guitars, all tuned differently for different songs.

Q: Tell us where you're from and currently based in what town?

A: I was born and raised in Great Falls, MT but I'm currently living in Helena, MT, where I've been going to school at Carroll College for the last four years (I graduated with a degree in Biology spring 2008).

Q: Past shows or venues you'd like to tell us about? Past or future shows in the Pocatello area?

A: I've played a lot of different venues in the last several years, but lately I've been really enjoying playing at a few breweries, such as Yellowstone Valley Brewing in Billings, MT, Bitter Root Brewing in Hamilton, MT and Sockeye Brewery in Biose, so I look forward to playing at Portneuf Valley Brewing. [August played at Portneuf in September of 2008.]


Q: Any comments about the local live music scene, the music industry in general? What do you think is the best way to get your music out there?

A: Local live music is an interesting thing' you walk a thin line between being a friend and an entertainer. A lot of people who support local musicians are on a first name basis with those performers, which is a really cool thing. This can make it tough for the performer at times though, because it becomes difficult to present yourself as a performer and put on a really good show without seeming pretentious. So there's a balance between performing well and not acting like a jerk that's much more delicate at the local level, but it also can be a lot more fun just because of the personal connection that a local performer gets with their audience.

As far as getting your music "out there," it's a well known fact that the absolute best way to do it is to perform, perform, perform. Relentless touring is definitely a main key in making a living at playing music. Though I'd like to be able to tour more, I definitely try to get out and play as much as possible.


Q: Recordings? Will you have CD's or more for sale at the show?

A: I have two CD's for sale. The first is called "Waiting for Tuesday" and was released in 2005. It contains 12 original songs on a variety of subjects including love, happiness and being yourself. This album has a real organic feel to it, it's almost strictly acoustic guitar-based and, though some songs have a full band feel, it mimics the sounds you'll hear at a live show very well.

My newest release "Out of Place" has just come out this month. It contains 11 original songs and has a much more "produced" feel to it. Though the depth of songwriting is the same and everything is still acoustic-based, I took a few more liberties with adding various instruments and giving it a slightly more polished, mainstream feel.

Both records are pretty upbeat for the most part and I'm very proud of both of them, I think that they represent me well. It's also cool to listen to them both and observe how I've grown as a songwriter and musician between projects. I will have both CD's with me for sale for 12 dollars each or 20 dollars for both.


Q: How can fans contact you? Myspace? or another website?

A: The best way to contact me and hear my music is through my myspace profile at DavidAugustMusic.