Interview with David Myles : Releasing Here Now

David Miles. Photo Riley Smith

Text by Colleen Kinsey

David Myles is a singer, songwriter, and self proclaimed music nerd. He experienced an interesting transition into the world of music. He was applying to law schools when he decided to bolt on his plan and turn to songwriting. Myles felt that there was something lacking in his life, which only music could fulfill. Now, he has been on tour for almost 10 years and releasing his EP, Here Now, on April 8.

David Miles. Photo Riley Smith

David Miles. Photo Riley Smith

Myles has experienced a busy, but exciting, year on tour and most recently working on Here Now. It’s a collection of six songs that Myles feels truly passionate about. The EP has a slightly different style than his previous works, but still has the same vibe and perspective. Myles feels very fortunate that his fans are able to follow his creative journey.

While Myles was creating the EP, he was looking to express modern energy. Here Now has a mixture of classic tunes from the ’50s and ’60s, but is also influenced by today’s pop music. Myles listened to Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber to experience new music and find what he thought would work well in the EP. Myles typically listens to music like R&B and soul, so merging today’s hits was a fun challenge for him. He wanted to focus on making mature and sophisticated music that engages all age groups.

His latest song Doctor, Doctor has a sense of hopefulness to it. Myles came up with the first line, “I went to the doctor, guess what he told me,” and the story of a heartbroken man started flowing into the song. The message behind it is that you can’t be afraid to fall in love, because the risk is worth the reward. Myles does an excellent job of combining two opposite worlds, hip-hop and soul.

Myles and his team put together The Big Share, a new movement to share his music. The essence behind The Big Share is similar to a modern day chain mail. Myles gave Here Now to five super-fans. Those fans then shared the record with whomever they wanted. The interactive map allows fans to track where in the world people are listening. The map shows listeners from all over, including Canada, Mongolia, and Brazil. This fresh idea fits perfectly into the concept behind Myles’ new record.

Myles is very fond of Montréal. Some of his favourite memories include eating at his friend’s Italian restaurant, Nora Gray, and the Montréal Jazz Festival. One of his dreams has always been to perform at the Montréal Jazz Festival and it was everything he had hoped it would be and more! The crowd was amazing and his wife and two daughters were able to share the experience with him.

Myles has been very into country music most recently and already working on his next project. He is currently listening to Willie Nelson. When he’s not on tour, Myles plans to spend as much time with his family as possible.

Here Now is available April 8.

Colleen has a passion for guitars and ukuleles. She enjoys jamming, teaching, and getting others involved in music. Her website, Coustii, focuses specifically on guitars and ukes.