David Rosales Of David & Olivia Takes New Solo EP On Tour

David Rosales

David Rosales plays Saint Rocke Oct. 8
Photo by: Dori Savino Lawrence

Singer-songwriter David Rosales, who is also known for being half of popular local Americana duo David and Olivia, will be playing his solo music with his own band at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach Oct. 8 opening for Dustbowl Revival.

Rosales is the youngest of eight children and recalls music always being played around his home from his father’s love of big band era hits, his mom’s love of country radio and his older siblings blasting rock when their friends were around. After college, he was the lead singer of an LA hard rock band called Silent Treatment, which came to end at the same time the band members were turning 30.

“When I was in Silent Treatment, I was writing songs about death, sex, partying and girls cause that is what you write about in your 20s,” explains Rosales. “But when the band broke up I couldn’t stop writing music, it was just about more mature topics like love and emotions I was not comfortable with before. So once I had some of these new songs, I went into the studio to record them and see where they would go.”

Fall seems to be Rosales’ creative season when he holes himself up at home in Huntington Beach, CA with his wife, Kendra, two year old daughter Amelie, a pen, notebook, and his guitar. After a month of writing and organizing, Rosales comes up for air and begins fine-tuning the songs by playing them in a live audience setting.

“I find that I get really creative and catch a writing bug around the Fall,” explains Rosales, “I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s that I was born around that time, but I just get into this writing groove and settle in with a good batch of songs.”

Rosales spent most of 2013 promoting David and Olivia’s EP, On the Sea, and last year he released his first solo recording, Smile.

“I had seen a girl at a bar in LA and I asked her to play on a few songs on my first solo album, her name was Olivia,” Rosales remarks. “I knew she was the voice I was looking for on one song I had written so I started bringing her along to do gigs and people really responded well to us together.

“I always start out writing songs for the duet, but once I had a few songs written I felt they were better suited for a solo album so I told Olivia I was going to keep the songs for my solo project went into the studio to record my second solo album.”

Rosales’ sophomore solo album was recorded with the help of Night Owl Recorders’ producing partners, musicians and friends, Matt Grundy & Paul Clark (Donavon Frankenreiter). This new EP begins with the first single, “Too Young to Know Better.” With a serene, dream-folk vibe and a touch of country, the track swings into the EP’s up-tempo second single “Slice of Heaven,” featuring an infectious, fun-loving pop hook.

“I write hard rock songs, punk songs, I love song writing,” Rosales says. “My solo works are 100 percent completely me and there are so many facets of me that on this album I have blues songs, rock songs, country tunes, folky tunes. This seven song EP spans a whole sonic spectrum of music and I am really proud of that.”

Rosales just completed a tour playing several shows throughout California, including a special charity benefit with Sea Wolf. After touring through his home state, Rosales will celebrate the official release date of Along The Way with a featured North By North East (NXNE) showcase and Northeastern tour starting in Toronto then Montreal, Quebec and ending in Philadelphia.

“This is my first time on Canadian soil for NXNE, and it is just me and a guitar promoting the new solo album,” said Rosales. “This trip gives my wife and daughter an opportunity to join me on tour, which I am also really excited about. Otherwise I would be sitting alone drinking at a bar before and after my shows.”

For updates on Rosales’ tour or to purchase any of his solo or duo releases visit his website at www.DavidRosalesMusic.com.