About this user
Growing up in a small southeastern Missouri town, David Nail mightve chosen to follow any of the dreams that drifted by like the riverboats on the mighty Mississippi: but in the end, it was music that called his name. I was definitely more into sports growing up, says the Midwest native, I think I was expected to play in college, but as I grew older I became more interested in music. After my senior year, I had a few small college offers to play baseball. My coach came to me and said David, you need to decide where youre going to school, and out of the blue I just said, Do you know anybody in Nashville?
For singer-songwriter Nail, it was a history-making moment -- small town boy decides to chase a big city dream -- and a theme that has informed his music ever since. On his first album from MCA Nashville, he neatly bridges the divide, laying claim to his hometown roots while keeping a firm grip on the future, and all the deeply emotional territory in between.
Drawn to Music City after high school, Nail took that first step on his long and winding road, following the music. I had been to Nashville as a small child but I had no memories of what it was like and obviously had no idea what the music business was like, he says. I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing. Overwhelmed, he ended up moving back to Missouri in less than a year.
Returning to Nashville two years later, Nail became frustrated once again in early 2005 with the lack of movement with his music career. David spent the next two summers helping an old college buddy coach the Twitty City Knights, a select group of some of Nashvilles best baseball talent. Shortly thereafter, mutual friend Brian Wright, whod recently become V.P., A&R, for both the MCA and Mercury Nashville labels, introduced Nail to Frank Liddell, who 10 years earlier had produced one of Nails all-time favorite records, Chris Knights self-titled Decca debut.
Through the ups and downs of a life in the music business, Nail was persistent and his dream became a realization with Im About To Come Alive, a collection of songs that captures the highs and lows and the hometown flavor of his own experiences. I wanted to take something from the people whove inspired me, he says, but also put myself in there, and just make something I could be proud of. Its definitely a moody record, theres definitely going to be some heartbreak in there, definitely going to be some dark times. But theres music you listen to when youre feeling good, and music you listen to when youre down and out, and I think this is a record that satisfies both needs.
From the second he started recording, Nail was determined to bridge the gap between traditional country and the soulful stylings of a Lionel Ritchie and Ray Charles. Ive got to have a piano player with a lot of fire, a little more recklessness! he says. Liddell (Miranda Lambert) offered up legendary player Chuck Leavell, who brought his inspired piano into the mix with Nails smooth, yet soulful vocals to create magic on tracks like Mississippi. Its a very reflective ballad about a guy from a small town whos in the city, Nail says. Very moody and Ray Charles-esque. Chuck went in there and started playing the intro and suddenly I felt as if I was back in those early days of recording. His playing sent me to another level of singing.
Turning Home had that same soulful emotion and drew Nails attention as a demo. When I first heard it, it was a lot of what I was feeling at the time. I just kept listening to it over and over. I felt like I had always been searching for a song I could really sing, put some emotion, pain and hurt into, and then here was this song, he said. The result is a perfect match between singer and song, with that same church-meets-honky-tonk piano on the side, and vocals reminiscent of another one of Nails big influences, Vince Gill.
Nail wrote five of the eleven Im About To Come Alive tracks, including Missouri. I was in the middle of a two-year bout with depression, said Nail. Along side Scooter Carusoe Anything But Mine Nail also wrote Clouds, which, he explains, is about one of his most recent misses at romance. The best songs Ive ever written just kind of come to me. You dont have a choice in the matter, they just more or less pour out. Both Missouri and Clouds were like that.
Hard knocks and heartache, good times and bad, small towns and big cities its all in his music. Theyre all aspects of life, he says. Im still growing as both a person and artist, and will hopefully continue getting better in regards to both.
For the full David Nail bio, go to:
http://www.umgnashville.com/davidnail/about
Hometown
Kennett, Missouri
Country
United States
Occupation
Country Music Singer
Companies
Universal Music Group
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