Quality Americana

A tilted roadside billboard with the title Good Times rests on an open plain. A cloud formation rapidly evolves with the lyrics to David Bridwell’s “Places.”

“When my gonna find my way

Through the wind and the frost?

When my gonna pack my bags

When my gonna wonder off?

To another town so far from hear

Way on down the road.

When my gonna get up

Pack it up and go?”

David Birdwell: Traveling Songwriter

The first track from Birdwell’s constantly evolving album Good Times sets the scene for an autobiographical work with a timeframe and track listing set for the modern songwriter.

“It’s a traveling song,” Birdwell said. The story reflects back on his time touring the Midwest and Southern regions of the United States. As images of Omaha and New Orleans flash into your mind the message of the song hits you like a blown tire at sixty miles an hour. 

“Gonna stick with you till the well runs dry

And the dams all broken down.

Sticking with you till you’re a pain in the butt

And you don’t want me around.”

“I hate to be vulnerable like that,” Bridwell said, “but what the hell sometimes songs make you do stuff like that.”

“Places” was written over several years and also signifies Bridwell’s jump into short term renting.

“I picked it all up two years ago when I was living in Birmingham,” Bridwell said, “and threw away my bed and my couch and put everything in the back of my truck.”

Bridwell spent most of that time working with songwriters in the Southern and Gulf Coast region of Texas and has built a network of venues that highlight the written word. His remote job in the field of marketing has not only led to innovation in his music promotion, but the freedom to learn from the different pockets of folkies that are unique to the state.

“I identify as a digital nomad,” Bridwell said. “I drove five thousand miles across the U.S. trying to check out a bunch of different cities… I just can’t bring myself to stay in the same place. I’m terrified of signing a six month lease.”

Crafting a Travel Vlog

In each city he visits, Birdwell creates a unique travel vlog that shares the history of the area and the music venues that put them on the map for his YouTube channel. Birdwell perfected his storytelling through stand-up comedy and writers nights where the spotlight burns your skin and you could hear a pin drop in a packed room.

“I can’t just play music by itself,” Bridwell said. “I feel like it would be incomplete. I naturally just like creating those videos and editing those videos and sharing about the music scene, so that kind of gives it a bigger story and makes it more complete for me.”

The idea came about when Bridwell noticed that the highest viewed videos that spotlight a city are typically held by real estate agents. He set out to find a link between his interest in the history and culture of a temporary home and a way to create a personal relationship with his audience. 

Crafting the Single at Audio Dallas

Bridwell recorded “Places” at Audio Dallas with renowned engineer Paul Osborn and a team of session players including Milo Deering on dobro and fiddle and was arranged by percussionist Josh Rogers. The studio in Garland, Texas has a rich history that spans over four decades and was the site for Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger.

“I’m going to be releasing a new single every five weeks,” Bridwell said. “The album could have like three dozen songs at some point. It’s not a static album… songs could get added, they could get deleted because it’s just going to exist online. It’s a perpetual album celebration.” 

The video is unique in that it was fully created by prompts sent to an artificial intelligence generator. Lyrics appear in a cloud as you daydream about traveling. It’s another piece to the puzzle that makes Birdwell’s out-of-the-box approach to modern songwriting so special.

More information on David Bridwell can be found here.

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