THE WORKDAY RELEASE play the Troubadour Sep. 4
Love guru musician David Ottestad has found his niche with his solo project, The Workday Release. As an alternative pop singer/songwriter, Ottestad has created a sound entirely his own, with beautiful acoustic melodies and an array of personal lyrics (often about love). As part of his current tour, following the release of 2015’s City Lights EP, The Workday Release will hit the Troubadour on Sep. 4.
His break into the music industry came when he released his hit “Love in a Box” from his album, To the Beginning. This acoustic gem is a collection of Ottestad’s breathy lyrics, and simplistic, catchy guitar riffs.
“My first record is all over the place if you listen to it,” he said. “Every song is a different style because I didn’t know what I wanted it to sound like. Then I had a love song called ‘Love in a Box’ that kind of took off on YouTube and Pandora. That gave me momentum with an audience.”
Breaking away from the love song quota, the latest EP reveals his transformation from a young, musically uncertain 18-year-old, to a strong musician with deep lyrics. The last track, “The Other Side” is the final mark of Ottestad’s success.
“I feel like it sums up seven years of doing music,” Ottestad said. “From being a kid who’s just a dreamer who wants to pursue music and become a rockstar, whatever that means, and then going through the reality of what that takes.”
Love song or not, Ottestad has a confidence about him that makes all of his songs, even the first releases he found so unorganized, to be something penned from a musical veteran.
“The Workday Release has been my baby since I was 18, since I started it alone,” he said. “I like to be very detail-oriented. I’m a songwriter, that’s what I am, and what I do.”