David & Olivia play the Constellation Room May 23
Photo by Flip Cassidy
The story of how this Americana Duo came to be is an intriguing one. It has that fairytale ending and a sense of musical completion the, “I finally found what I was looking for.”
Walking into a club in L.A. and hearing Olivia May’s rendition of Joplin’s Mercedes Benz, David Rosales knew that’s what he was looking for. There is no doubt that Olivia’s vocal is what sets them apart and makes them unique, this is exactly what David needed to complete his sound.
With the release of their newest EP On the Sea David and Olivia can share what has been their musical journey traveling alongside the Pacific Ocean, while playing their music along the way. Be sure to catch this amazing duo at Bacchus’ Secret Cellar in Irvine on Thursday, June 20.
OCCG: Where do you prefer to play LA or OC and why?
DR: Each is unique for the other yet they share an exciting palpable energy when we’re onstage. Orange County is so unique because of its close proximity to this major U.S. metropolis that is Los Angeles and yet it still retains a small-town tight knit feel. It’s also a lot easier to drive anywhere in OC from my home in Huntington Beach than to LA! (laughing)
OCCG: What was the experience like playing SXSW?
OM: We had a great time in Austin this year at South by Southwest! To be surrounded by incredible like-minded artists and the people that appreciate them was inspiring. The whole festival was such a rush of adrenaline and we look forward to being back next year.
DR: Yes, we played some great shows and met some amazing people. Ran into a bunch of our friends from the OC music scene around town like Bill @ Secret Chief, Micah Brown, Annie McQueen, Robert John & The Wreck and Yellow Red Sparks.
OCCG: David, how do you manage family and music?
DR: By the seat of my pants! (Laughing) I feel like I’ve got so many plates spinning in the air at all times… I just try to keep a balanced schedule and focus on being present in the moment. I don’t sleep very much, but I wouldn’t trade in my life for anything.
OCCG: Olivia, would you ever date a fan?
OM: Dating hasn’t been my focus for the last few years. I enjoy meeting new people and spending time with those I find interesting. I suppose they have to be a “fan” of me in terms of appreciating that I am a musician but I’m not going out of my way looking for dates while I’m at one of our shows. (Laughing)
OCCG: What is your outlook on the music industry?
DR: I think it’s an interesting time to be a musician in the music industry. On one hand you have an unprecedented “wild west” of information and music coupled with a plethora of ever-evolving media platforms to directly communicate your message with fans and potential fans. On the other hand, there is so much noise to sift through as a consumer that it becomes increasingly difficult to find music that is genuine, honest and of a high grade.
OCCG: Describe your music making process.
OM: Our music making is a subconscious collaborative effort.
DR: We have spent thousands of miles driving up and down the coast together on tour and shared many of our views and life experiences with one another. I’ll generally sit in a quiet room with a guitar and work on the melody, structure and lyrics. Once it has taken a well enough shape we’ll mix it into a live set and see where the song wants to go. We feel that a song is a living breathing entity. It grows and changes just like we do. When we record it, we’re simply capturing where the song is at that moment. Lyrically, songs that we write end up manifesting into an experience of hers or mine or a mixture of both. The music is personal, yet entirely relatable at some level because of the shared human experience aspect.
OCCG: What is the most unbelievable rumor ever printed about you?
DR: (Laughing) It wasn’t about us, but about The Civil Wars. We often get compared to them because we’re a guy/girl duo and this magazine asked if we were splitting up like TCW… we politely answered we had no intentions to do so and that in fact TCW was releasing a brand new record. Rumors are silly.
OCCG: What songs are you most proud of?
DR: I am most proud of “Key to My Heart” because it started this whole journey for us. Without that song, there would be no ‘David & Olivia.’
OM: “Finally Fine” is our first original co-write. I had written the basic idea awhile back and sent it over to David to listen to it and see if he could spice it up some. He was immediately inspired and after a few hours he had the new and improved song!
OCCG: What would be your fall back of you weren’t doing music?
DR: There is no fall back plan, we don’t have day jobs. We’re artists, we will continue to create art.
OM: I concur doctor.