| Dave
Mallen's songs blur the lines between folk, country, rock, and
worldbeat, translating the complexities of life into words and
melodies we can all relate to. Perhaps it all began at age 4,
when his mother taught him his first piano chords; or age 8, when
one day he mirrored the guitar fingerings he saw Buddy Holly play
on an old Ed Sullivan broadcast. Or maybe it was the day his father
played him some vintage reel-to-reel recordings of a 1968 folk
music radio show. All we know is that Dave discovered at a very
early age the immeasurable power of music, and his love for creating
it.
Flirting with musical pursuits
throughout his childhood, Dave's career really gained steam
in 1994, when he began performing a mix of covers and originals
as part of an acoustic duo at coffee houses along the Jersey
shore. This led to the formation of the Newport Blues Band,
a folk-blues project that paid tribute to many of the artists
who had played the famous Newport Folk Festival. With the Newport
Blues, Dave was booked to perform at the legendary Stone Pony
in Asbury Park, NJ, also the springboard for the career of Bruce
Springsteen.
Moving to the
nation's capital in 1995, Dave made sure to find time for music
in between his studies at American University. It was at AU
that he joined up with the P Street Blues Band (their first
gig was on P St. in DC). This was a chance for Dave to hone
his blues piano skills, utilizing his ear and knack for improvisation.
Dave's studies took him to Paris in 1998, where he collaborated
with a number of French jazz/blues musicians.
Upon returning
to the states, Dave set out to form a new band in the DC/Northern
VA area. He teamed up with local musicians to form Darwin's
Radio, a roots-rock band that inspired some of Dave's first
original band arrangements.
Whether solo
or in collaboration with local musicians such as Mark Fleming
and Justin Sheehy (from Jonasay), Dave is energized about his
upcoming performances, and is more focused than ever on writing
and recording new material.
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