Folk Singer David Wilcox
In this episode...
David Wilcox is a quintessential folk singer, telling stories full of heart, humor, and hope, substance, searching, and style. His innate sense of adventure and authenticity is why critics and colleagues, alike, have always praised not just his artistry, but his humanity, as well.
In this episode of The Soul of Life David treats me to several live songs as we discuss his phenomenal ability to touch emotional chords and speak to the hearts of thousands of his listeners over the years.
"I've Got a Song For You"
On this episode David sings:
- We Make the Way by Walking (from The View from the Edge)
- Start with the Ending (from What You Whispered)
- Forest Fire (from The View from the Edge
- The Beautiful
To my surprise, he also shares a brand new, (unnamed at the time of this publication), song about listening to your body.
When David expressed genuine interest in my experience of depression he said, “I’ve got a song for you.”
Wilcox is known for his trademark storytelling before and during live performances, with humor, tenderness, and full emotion. Fans will appreciate new stories with old songs and the gift of his new song debut.
David talks about music as his rescuer from a life he says he wouldn’t have survived without the color and hope it brings him. And he and I banter about the work it takes to love in marriage, as he plays my longtime favorite, Start With the Ending.
"Sometimes I think what people call depression is sort of like a strike at a factory. Let’s say that that the people working an assembly line, in this sort of ecosystem of our emotional state, are really unhappy and they’re trying to send messages to management and management is not listening. And they say 'Okay, we’re shutting down.' And management says, 'What’s wrong?' And the workers say 'Oh you’re listening now? Tell you what, stay in bed for about a month and we’ll talk.'”
– David Wilcox
David Wilcox’s latest album (May 2021) is called The View from the Edge, and is his first recording since 2014. Wilcox’s fingerstyle playing is likened to Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell, extensively using open tuning. This often features customized capos with notches cut out to allow lower strings to ring open, which we discuss in the interview.
When David is not touring he is staying home trying not to get COVID which, he tells me, makes his ego shrivel and summoned from him a horrible whining sound (he attempts an imitation of the Wicked Witch of the West and croaks, “I’m dyyying….I’m dyyiiiing!)
You can find all of David’s music here, see where he is playing next, hire him to write you a song (how cool is that?!) or play at a workshop.