New Singles "Shaken" and "Promised Land" Out Now

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen

David has released his first-ever solo singles “Shaken” and “Promised Land,” from his forthcoming studio album due out in 2021 on his very own Yokoko Records in partnership with C3 Records.

LISTEN to “Shaken”

LISTEN to “Promised Land”

A brand-new video for “Shaken” coming at 9 am EDT on September 25th also accompanies the two tracks:

With his new music, David riles up his raw rock ‘n’ roll impulses as he opens up like never before as a lyricist, poet, and storyteller. Rollicking lead single “Shaken” speaks to anyone who feels different or not good enough, often because of the very qualities that make them special. “Shaken” was the first song born as David began exploring this side of his artistry for the first time and while it reflects his inner dialogue as he penned the song, it quickly became something much bigger – a message of confronting fears and insecurities, learning to listen to and follow the things that make you fulfilled and happy, trusting in the path you are on and embracing the unique things that you have to offer as an individual – all illustrated in the video for the song, directed by Kevin Johnson of Hometown Crew.

Released alongside “Shaken,” “Promised Land” is a searing statement on the ever-increasing divide between the haves and the have-nots, reflecting the nation’s current reckoning with racial and systemic injustice as the COVID- 19 pandemic further exposes the inequities in health outcomes along racial and socioeconomic lines. A dark beat simmers as David rails against inequality with a soulful howl, reminding us that freedom is beautiful only when it can be shared by all. 

David shares,

“I was going through some tough times, and ‘Shaken’ came out when I first sat down to write a song knowing I was writing for just me this time which was a strange and different sort of feeling. At first, writing this song was an exercise in self-care, but it became bigger than that. This song is for anyone who feels different, left out, misunderstood, or insecure – I want you to know that the things that make you feel that way now can be the same things that can lead you to your purpose or passion, to your happiness or success. On ‘Promised Land,’ I was thinking about how I love my country, but America is not a promised land for so many people. Land of the free – sure, if you’re white and privileged. If you’re Black, you are walking around with a target on your back. Just ask George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others – you can’t, because they aren’t here anymore. The song is talking about the divide we have with race and class in this country. We need to act to dismantle systems that oppress and dehumanize people of color in this country.”

The journey of David’s solo artistry and forthcoming album began as he placed a renewed focus on self-care and personal growth, using music as medicine and noticing something within himself that, as he says, he “needed to water” as he began to create a new personal equilibrium in his life. Listening solely to his own creative impulses, David completed a studio in his backyard where the songs took shape, and he recorded them at The Parlor Recording Studio in New Orleans.