David Mead
Encyclopedia
David Worth Mead is a Nashville-based pop singer-songwriter, best known for his soaring vocals and such albums as Indiana
and Almost and Always
. His music has been featured in motion pictures such as Boys & Girls
, Restaurant
and The Sweetest Thing
, as well as many television shows, including Ed
, Men In Trees
and Private Practice.
Over the years, Mead has toured extensively, headlining and opening shows for John Mayer
, Fountains Of Wayne
, Ron Sexsmith
, Liz Phair
, Joe Jackson
and Shelby Lynne
.
. When he was thirteen, he got his first guitar and was soon writing his own songs. Three years later, he was gigging out professionally. His travels eventually took him to Nashville, where he played in bands such as Blue Million and Joe, Marc’s Brother. Drawing on a wide range of influences – from The Beatles
to Broadway to The Police
to Rufus Wainwright
- Mead has honed a highly melodic and emotionally direct style of pop.
and moved to New York City
soon after. The initial sessions for his debut – three songs recorded with Gus Dudgeon
(Elton John
, XTC
) - proved unsuccessful and were scrapped. Mead then regrouped with producers Peter Collins
(Cardigans, Rush
) and Jason Lehning (Emerson Hart
, Alison Krauss
), and between October 1998-February 1999, cut The Luxury Of Time. “The title came from the fact that I had all of my life up to that point to write the songs,” Mead said. Indeed, the album’s fifteen songs were culled from thirty-two demos. Released September 28, 1999 on RCA, the album garnered strong critical response and featured performances from Rusty Miller (Paul McCartney
), Kenny Aronoff
(John Mellencamp
, Smashing Pumpkins) and Paul Deakin (The Mavericks
).
(Fountains Of Wayne
), was recorded at New York City’s legendary Sear Sound Studio (John Lennon
, Steely Dan
) and released May 15, 2001 on RCA. Featuring guest performances from Dominique Durand (Ivy
), Sean Pelton (SNL Band), Danny Weinkaupf (They Might Be Giants
) and Jody Porter
(Fountains Of Wayne
), its fourteen songs were recorded from thirty-four demos. Two of the album’s most notable tracks, “Standing Here In Front Of Me” and “Girl On A Roof,” were written one week before recording commenced, when RCA asked for more “single material.” “Standing Here In Front Of Me” was later featured in NBC’s The Bold and The Beautiful
, and “Girl On The Roof” appeared in the motion picture The Sweetest Thing.
, Guster
). It soon blossomed into the full-length Indiana. Featuring some of Mead’s best-loved songs, such as the title track, “Nashville” and “Beauty,” it remains his most-recognized and critically acclaimed album (“A knack for telling stories via catchy, concise pop ditties” said No Depression) to date. It was released June 7, 2004 on Nettwerk Records.
in Woodstock, NY and Real World Studios
in Bath, England, and mixed by Tchad Blake
, finally emerged as a 6-song EP on June 28, 2005 (11:30 Records). “I got the album back when I left the label but felt, after releasing Indiana that the full package was confusing and not indicative of where I was going musically anymore so I tried to frame the songs as more a lost piece of time,” Mead says. PopMatters
raved, “Mature songs that express genuine warmth and emotional intelligence.”
’s Skylarking
and Elvis Costello
’s Spike
”, Mead said. Produced by Brad Jones (Jill Sobule
, Butterfly Boucher
), its lush textures and elaborate arrangements add sparkle to standout songs such as “Chatterbox” and “Hunting Season.” It was released May 16, 2006 on Tallulah! Media. Paste
called it “dazzling” and it was voted best Pop/Rock album in the 2006 Independent Music Awards.
to raise funds ($20,925) for a new album, Dudes. As the title implies, the songs are all written from the perspective of men. Recorded in nine days in NYC and produced by Ethan Eubanks and Mead (executive produced by Adam Schlesinger
), it deepens Mead’s songwriting with strains of Randy Newman
-esque wry humor (“Bocce Ball”) and sharp storytelling (“The Smile Of Rachael Ray”). The release date is November 15, 2011.
and drummer Lindsay Jamieson (Ben Folds
, Brendan Benson
). Their zany videos and high-energy live shows have made them a Nashville favorite, and a full-length debut album is expected in late 2011.
Mead also formed Davey Ukulele & The Gag Time Gang. Nashville Scene
said: “Sounding like a cross between “Whip It”-era Devo
and the pop pastiches on Phineas & Ferb, this merry kids’ band actually camouflages a genuine supergroup: the tag team of David Mead, Swan Dive’s Bill DeMain, Brother Henry’s David Henry and The Mavericks’ Paul Deakin.” Their debut, The Adventures Of Davey Ukulele & The Gag Time Gang, was released in 2010. A follow-up is expected in 2012.
Several times a year, Mead travels to Key West, Florida to perform in a cover band called Phanni Pac (with Jason White, Scotty Huff and Paul Deakin) at the Hog’s Breath Saloon.
He has also been a regular guest singer with Nashville’s popular 80s-era cover band Guilty Pleasures.
“I have ‘Nashville’ by David Mead stuck in my head.” – A Tweet by Taylor Swift
“Apart from being such a great songwriter, he's probably the best singer in America.” – Adam Schlesinger
of Fountains Of Wayne
“A major tunesmith.” - MOJO
“One of the best solo crooners since Jeff Buckley
.” - Paste
“Rich melodies...a keen sense of pop music history, from Paul McCartney
to Squeeze to Crowded House
.” - Nylon
“A clear-voiced tunesmith... he scores with sweet melodies...” - Entertainment Weekly
“Mead makes blue-collar rock of the most delicate kind, his soaring but unshowy falsetto and luscious harmonies far above the ordinary.” - Uncut
“Everyone Knows It But You” in Restaurant (Lions Gate)
“Girl On The Roof” in The Sweetest Thing (Columbia)
, National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (Artisan)
and The Future Diary (ABC Pilot)
“Only In The Movies” in Ed (NBC)
“Standing Here In Front Of Me” in The Bold and the Beautiful (NBC)
“Beauty” in The Days (ABC)
“Only Living Boy In New York” in Everwood (ABC)
“Hallelujah, I Was Wrong” in Men In Trees (ABC)
“Last Train Home” in Private Practice (ABC) and The Protector (Lifetime)
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Almost and Always
Almost and Always
Almost and Always is the fifth full-length album by singer/songwriter David Mead.Many of the tracks saw their live debut at The Basement in Nashville, TN on July 30, 2008.-Track listing:All tracks by Bill DeMain and David Mead except where noted....
. His music has been featured in motion pictures such as Boys & Girls
Boys and Girls (2000 film)
Boys and Girls is a romantic comedy film that was released in 2000, directed by Robert Iscove. The two main characters, Ryan and Jennifer meet each other initially as adolescent teenagers...
, Restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
and The Sweetest Thing
The Sweetest Thing
The Sweetest Thing is a 2002 American film farce directed by Roger Kumble and written by Nancy Pimental, who based the characters on herself and friend Kate Walsh...
, as well as many television shows, including Ed
Ed (TV series)
Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, and Viacom Productions that aired from 2000 to 2004....
, Men In Trees
Men in Trees
Men in Trees is an American romantic television dramedy series which premiered on September 12, 2006 on ABC and starred Anne Heche who played relationship coach Marin Frist. The series was set in the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska and concerned Marin Frist's misadventures in relationships...
and Private Practice.
Over the years, Mead has toured extensively, headlining and opening shows for John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Fountains Of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
, Ron Sexsmith
Ron Sexsmith
Ronald Eldon "Ron" Sexsmith is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario, currently based in Toronto. He started his own band when he was fourteen years old, and released the first recordings of his own material seven years later, in 1985...
, Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
, Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
and Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne is an American singer, songwriter and actress. The success of the 1999 album I Am Shelby Lynne led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, even though she had been active in the music industry for some time...
.
Biography & Album Releases
Born to a traveling salesman father and school teacher mother, David Mead moved often during childhood, mostly around the southern US. As a kid, he sang in the church choir and school stage productions like The Sound Of MusicThe Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
. When he was thirteen, he got his first guitar and was soon writing his own songs. Three years later, he was gigging out professionally. His travels eventually took him to Nashville, where he played in bands such as Blue Million and Joe, Marc’s Brother. Drawing on a wide range of influences – from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
to Broadway to The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
to Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
- Mead has honed a highly melodic and emotionally direct style of pop.
The Luxury Of Time
In 1998, Mead signed a major label deal with RCA RecordsRCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
soon after. The initial sessions for his debut – three songs recorded with Gus Dudgeon
Gus Dudgeon
Angus Boyd Dudgeon , most commonly known as Gus Dudgeon was an English record producer, most notable for production of many of Elton John's recordings.-Early career:...
(Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
) - proved unsuccessful and were scrapped. Mead then regrouped with producers Peter Collins
Peter Collins (record producer)
Peter Collins is a record producer, born January 15, 1951, in London.In 1976 Collins was signed to Magnet Records and formed a group called Madison, along with Ziggy, Peter Spooner and Page 3 girl Cherri Gilham, to perform his pop song "Let It Ring"...
(Cardigans, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
) and Jason Lehning (Emerson Hart
Emerson Hart
Emerson Hart is a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and producer. He grew up in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.-Biography:Emerson Hart is the lead singer and songwriter of the alternative rock band Tonic...
, Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
), and between October 1998-February 1999, cut The Luxury Of Time. “The title came from the fact that I had all of my life up to that point to write the songs,” Mead said. Indeed, the album’s fifteen songs were culled from thirty-two demos. Released September 28, 1999 on RCA, the album garnered strong critical response and featured performances from Rusty Miller (Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
), Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...
(John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, Smashing Pumpkins) and Paul Deakin (The Mavericks
The Mavericks
The Mavericks is a country music band founded in 1989 in Miami, Florida, United States. Between 1991 and 2003 they recorded six studio albums, in addition to charting 14 singles on the Billboard country charts...
).
Mine And Yours
Mead’s second album, produced by Adam SchlesingerAdam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger is an American songwriter, composer and record producer. He has been nominated for Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy , and Golden Globe Awards. He is also a winner of the ASCAP Pop Music Award....
(Fountains Of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
), was recorded at New York City’s legendary Sear Sound Studio (John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
) and released May 15, 2001 on RCA. Featuring guest performances from Dominique Durand (Ivy
Ivy
Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...
), Sean Pelton (SNL Band), Danny Weinkaupf (They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
) and Jody Porter
Jody Porter
Jody Porter is an American musician. He is the guitarist of Grammy Award-nominated power pop band Fountains of Wayne. The band has released four major label albums, including Welcome Interstate Managers on Virgin Records in 2003, an RIAA-certified Gold LP. The album spawned the hugely popular U.S...
(Fountains Of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
), its fourteen songs were recorded from thirty-four demos. Two of the album’s most notable tracks, “Standing Here In Front Of Me” and “Girl On A Roof,” were written one week before recording commenced, when RCA asked for more “single material.” “Standing Here In Front Of Me” was later featured in NBC’s The Bold and The Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
, and “Girl On The Roof” appeared in the motion picture The Sweetest Thing.
Indiana
After Mine And Yours, Mead delivered a follow-up for RCA, titled Wherever You Are. But it was made under a proverbial dark cloud, after an A & R person for the label proclaimed at the recording’s commencement dinner that, given sales of his first two albums, it was a “miracle” that a third was being recorded at all. Mead soon departed from the label, and in between road gigs, started an EP with Nashville producer David Henry (Matthew RyanMatthew Ryan
Matthew Ryan is an American alternative country singer-songwriter. Ryan has also collaborated with Neilson Hubbard to form the band Strays Don't Sleep...
, Guster
Guster
Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...
). It soon blossomed into the full-length Indiana. Featuring some of Mead’s best-loved songs, such as the title track, “Nashville” and “Beauty,” it remains his most-recognized and critically acclaimed album (“A knack for telling stories via catchy, concise pop ditties” said No Depression) to date. It was released June 7, 2004 on Nettwerk Records.
Wherever You Are
The third album, recorded August 2002 at Bearsville StudiosBearsville Studios
Bearsville Studios was a recording studio at Bearsville, New York just west of Woodstock, New York.The studio was opened in 1969 by Albert Grossman, manager of Bob Dylan, The Band, Janis Joplin and Todd Rundgren....
in Woodstock, NY and Real World Studios
Real World Studios
Real World Studios is a residential recording studio in Box, Wiltshire, England associated with the Real World Records Ltd. record label founded by rock musician Peter Gabriel...
in Bath, England, and mixed by Tchad Blake
Tchad Blake
Tchad Blake is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer and musician.He has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including State Radio, Apartment 26, Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Brazilian Girls, Sheryl Crow, November 2nd, Travis, Marike...
, finally emerged as a 6-song EP on June 28, 2005 (11:30 Records). “I got the album back when I left the label but felt, after releasing Indiana that the full package was confusing and not indicative of where I was going musically anymore so I tried to frame the songs as more a lost piece of time,” Mead says. PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
raved, “Mature songs that express genuine warmth and emotional intelligence.”
Tangerine
In 2005, Mead got married to artist Natalie Cox, and this album found him coming to terms with both domesticity and the quirks and eccentricities of being in your thirties. “I wanted to make a super expansive pop album in the tradition of XTCXTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
’s Skylarking
Skylarking
Skylarking is XTC's eighth studio album, released on 27 October 1986 and produced by American musician Todd Rundgren. Skylarking is a "life-in-a-day" semi-concept album which displayed songwriting and arranging heavily influenced by The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Kinks...
and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
’s Spike
Spike (Elvis Costello album)
Spike is the 12th studio album by the British rock singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, released on and compact disc as Warner Brothers 25848. It was his first album for the label. It peaked at #5 on the UK album chart, and at #32 on the Billboard 200....
”, Mead said. Produced by Brad Jones (Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule
Jill Sobule is an American singer-songwriter best known for the 1995 single "I Kissed a Girl", and "Supermodel" from the soundtrack of the 1995 film Clueless...
, Butterfly Boucher
Butterfly Boucher
Butterfly Boucher is an Australian singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She has released two albums, Flutterby and Scary Fragile .-Biography:...
), its lush textures and elaborate arrangements add sparkle to standout songs such as “Chatterbox” and “Hunting Season.” It was released May 16, 2006 on Tallulah! Media. Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
called it “dazzling” and it was voted best Pop/Rock album in the 2006 Independent Music Awards.
Almost And Always
In 2008, after a divorce, Mead moved from Brooklyn back to Nashville. Reteaming with Brad Jones at Alex The Great studio he recorded this intimate collection in seven days, most of it live. The majority of the album was co-written with Bill DeMain of Swan Dive. Originally, Mead and DeMain had conceived the project for an imaginary chanteuse. Lead track “Last Train Home” was an NPR Song Of The Day, and featured on episodes of TV’s Private Practice. Mead and DeMain also co-wrote a second, as-yet-unreleased album, 1908 Division, a conceptual suite about the denizens of an apartment building where Mead once resided.Dudes
In late 2010, Mead enlisted the financial support of his fans via KickstarterKickstarter
Kickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors, ranging from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.-Model:...
to raise funds ($20,925) for a new album, Dudes. As the title implies, the songs are all written from the perspective of men. Recorded in nine days in NYC and produced by Ethan Eubanks and Mead (executive produced by Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger is an American songwriter, composer and record producer. He has been nominated for Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy , and Golden Globe Awards. He is also a winner of the ASCAP Pop Music Award....
), it deepens Mead’s songwriting with strains of Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
-esque wry humor (“Bocce Ball”) and sharp storytelling (“The Smile Of Rachael Ray”). The release date is November 15, 2011.
Collaborations
In recent years, Mead has been involved in two high- profile side projects. In 2009, he founded Elle Macho, a power trio with Aussie singer-songwriter Butterfly BoucherButterfly Boucher
Butterfly Boucher is an Australian singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She has released two albums, Flutterby and Scary Fragile .-Biography:...
and drummer Lindsay Jamieson (Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
, Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released four solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs....
). Their zany videos and high-energy live shows have made them a Nashville favorite, and a full-length debut album is expected in late 2011.
Mead also formed Davey Ukulele & The Gag Time Gang. Nashville Scene
Nashville Scene
Nashville Scene is an alternative newsweekly in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1989, became a part of Village Voice Media in 1999, and later joined the ranks of sixteen other publications after a merger of Village Voice Media with New Times Media early in 2006. In 2009 the paper was...
said: “Sounding like a cross between “Whip It”-era Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
and the pop pastiches on Phineas & Ferb, this merry kids’ band actually camouflages a genuine supergroup: the tag team of David Mead, Swan Dive’s Bill DeMain, Brother Henry’s David Henry and The Mavericks’ Paul Deakin.” Their debut, The Adventures Of Davey Ukulele & The Gag Time Gang, was released in 2010. A follow-up is expected in 2012.
Several times a year, Mead travels to Key West, Florida to perform in a cover band called Phanni Pac (with Jason White, Scotty Huff and Paul Deakin) at the Hog’s Breath Saloon.
He has also been a regular guest singer with Nashville’s popular 80s-era cover band Guilty Pleasures.
Acclaim
“David Mead is one of my favorite singer-songwriters.” – John MayerJohn Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
“I have ‘Nashville’ by David Mead stuck in my head.” – A Tweet by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
“Apart from being such a great songwriter, he's probably the best singer in America.” – Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger
Adam Schlesinger is an American songwriter, composer and record producer. He has been nominated for Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy , and Golden Globe Awards. He is also a winner of the ASCAP Pop Music Award....
of Fountains Of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
“A major tunesmith.” - MOJO
Mojo
Mojo is a term commonly encountered in the African-American folk belief called hoodoo. A mojo is an amulet consisting of a flannel bag containing one or more magical items. It is related to the West African word "mojuba," meaning a prayer of praise and homage. It is a "prayer in a bag," or a spell...
“One of the best solo crooners since Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
.” - Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
“Rich melodies...a keen sense of pop music history, from Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
to Squeeze to Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
.” - Nylon
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...
“A clear-voiced tunesmith... he scores with sweet melodies...” - Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
“Mead makes blue-collar rock of the most delicate kind, his soaring but unshowy falsetto and luscious harmonies far above the ordinary.” - Uncut
Uncut
Uncut may refer to:* Without censorship* Uncut , a docudrama about censorship* Uncut , a popular monthly publication based in London* A non-circumcised penis, meaning that the foreskin is intact...
Discography
- The Luxury of TimeThe Luxury of TimeThe Luxury of Time is the debut album by singer/songwriter David Mead. It was released to critical acclaim by RCA Records in 1999.-Track listing:# "Robert Bradley's Postcard"# "Sweet Sunshine"# "Touch Of Mascara"# "Apart From You"...
(CD) - RCA RecordsRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
- 1999 - Mine and YoursMine and YoursMine and Yours is the second album by singer/songwriter David Mead. Released by RCA Records in 2001, the album was produced by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne...
(CD) - RCA Records - 2001 - Indiana (CD) - NettwerkNettwerkThe Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Management, Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk One Publishing, Nutone Records, and Artwerk. With over 150 employees, the Vancouver-based company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Boston, Nashville, and Hamburg...
- 2004 - Wherever You Are EP (CD) - Eleven Thirty RecordsEleven Thirty RecordsEleven Thirty Records is an indie label based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and owned by RedEye Distribution . Co-founded in 2004 by A&R Director Stephen Judge and Redeye and Yep Roc Records co-owner, Glenn Dicker, the label has released albums by artists such as: Concrete Blonde, The Gourds, A.J...
- 2005 - TangerineTangerine (David Mead album)Tangerine is the fourth full-length album by singer/songwriter David Mead, released on the Tallulah label in 2006.-Track listing:# "Tangerine"# "Hard To Remember"# "The Trouble With Henry"# "Chatterbox"# "Reminded #1"# "Hunting Season"...
(CD) - Tallulah Media - 2006 - Almost and AlwaysAlmost and AlwaysAlmost and Always is the fifth full-length album by singer/songwriter David Mead.Many of the tracks saw their live debut at The Basement in Nashville, TN on July 30, 2008.-Track listing:All tracks by Bill DeMain and David Mead except where noted....
(CD) - 2008 - DudesDudes (album)Dudes is the sixth full-length album by singer/songwriter David Mead.The songs that made the final tracklisting were chosen by a group of fans who were a part of the Kickstarter campaign to fund the album. Of the fifteen songs fans were given to audition, eleven made the final cut...
(CD) – 2011
Songs Used In Film and Television
“World Of A King” in Boys and Girls (Miramax)Boys and Girls (2000 film)
Boys and Girls is a romantic comedy film that was released in 2000, directed by Robert Iscove. The two main characters, Ryan and Jennifer meet each other initially as adolescent teenagers...
“Everyone Knows It But You” in Restaurant (Lions Gate)
Restaurant (film)
Restaurant is a 1998 independent film starring Adrien Brody, Elise Neal, David Moscow and Simon Baker. Written by Tom Cudworth and directed by Eric Bross, Restaurant was the follow-up to this writing–directing duo's first film, TenBenny, which also starred Adrien Brody...
“Girl On The Roof” in The Sweetest Thing (Columbia)
The Sweetest Thing
The Sweetest Thing is a 2002 American film farce directed by Roger Kumble and written by Nancy Pimental, who based the characters on herself and friend Kate Walsh...
, National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (Artisan)
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
National Lampoon's Van Wilder is a 2002 comedy film directed by Walt Becker that stars Ryan Reynolds as the main character. The film also stars Kal Penn, Tara Reid, and Daniel Cosgrove. It features Sophia Bush's acting debut...
and The Future Diary (ABC Pilot)
“Only In The Movies” in Ed (NBC)
Ed (TV series)
Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, and Viacom Productions that aired from 2000 to 2004....
“Standing Here In Front Of Me” in The Bold and the Beautiful (NBC)
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
“Beauty” in The Days (ABC)
The Days
The Days is a 2004 ABC television series. Each episode chronicles 24 hours in the lives of the members of the fictional Day family.The series was produced for ABC by MindShare Worldwide, a GroupM media agency within WPP Group that financed the series in exchange for ABC advertising time.- Plot...
“Only Living Boy In New York” in Everwood (ABC)
Everwood
Everwood is an American drama television series that initially aired in the United States on The WB. The series is set in the fictional small town of Everwood, Colorado, and was filmed in Ogden, South Salt Lake, and Draper, Utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in Canmore, Alberta,...
“Hallelujah, I Was Wrong” in Men In Trees (ABC)
Men in Trees
Men in Trees is an American romantic television dramedy series which premiered on September 12, 2006 on ABC and starred Anne Heche who played relationship coach Marin Frist. The series was set in the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska and concerned Marin Frist's misadventures in relationships...
“Last Train Home” in Private Practice (ABC) and The Protector (Lifetime)
External links
- Official Website
- Official Fansite
- [ All Music David Mead Feature]
- David Mead collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive