About
“Undeniably, these songs deliver a punch that prompts consideration. Seume emerges as a wildcat with a gleam in his eye… His sound and vocal talent could easily attract audiences elsewhere and forge a lasting connection.” - Present Magazine more…
“Hints of brilliance that bode well for the future… David Seume has proved himself to be a talented musician who plays many of the instruments on the album and is capable of creating high-quality tunes.” - Room Thirteen (UK) 9 out of 13
“Seume’s attention to detail shines through. It Is What Is is promising: a mixed bag of pop and rock riffs, plus folksy ballads and just enough hooks to have you humming along.” - The Pitch more…
“The catchy melodies and sing-along lyrics will take him far. He’s definitely one to keep your eye on.” - Ink Magazine
Nominated Best Singer-Songwriter 2009 - The Pitch
Inquiries:
If you’d like to receive an EPK, use a song for your blog/podcast, or have another press-like query… drop us a line.
BIOGRAPHY
The release of David Seume’s debut album It Is What It Is unveils an exceptional new artist with a coming of age story. Seume (pronounced “sue me”) delivers top-notch vocals, versatile music arrangements, and engaging lyrics throughout the 11-song LP. He casts winning melody lines, summons gospel-soul roots, and reaches a sweet pop falsetto – showcasing his voice while tracing the contours of pop, rock, and gritty Motown-laced soul.
Seume’s behind-the-scenes work on the album is equally notable – spending three years to write, record, produce, mix, and master this truly independent project. It Is What It Is represents the culmination of Seume’s creative gifts and determination to produce a recording that truly captures his artistic voice. A steep learning curve, unyielding ambition, a powerful debut: How David Seume has attracted early attention is an impressive story.
The Start
After spending his childhood in Kansas City, MO, Seume lived his formative years in The Netherlands with missionary parents, visiting much of Europe. Following high school, he moved back to the United States and earned a degree in philosophy. While in college, Seume picked up the guitar, began writing songs, and started a band as his first forays into creating original music. Before this time, he’d played piano and trumpet, but had yet to fully realize that music would become his primary passion and focus for his talent.
During his final semester, Seume bought an eight-track recorder and began producing demos in his bedroom, playing guitar and singing with innate soul and rhythm. The ability to layer tracks gave him an outlet to develop his ideas and individual voice as a singer/songwriter. As the initial songs took shape, Seume envisioned a more colorful, dynamic sound that would require skill as an engineer and contributions from other musicians. So, within weeks, he’d invested in a bare bones home studio, committed to learning the craft, and started looking for players.
From the beginning, the artist was intent on producing music that was unapologetic. “I wanted to produce something quality,” Seume says. “No excuses for the songs, the lyrics, the musicianship, the production… From the start, I wanted an album that would stand up on all counts and have a lasting effect.”
It Is What It Is represents the distillation of a three-year effort, the grit of an indie project that’s been polished to a brilliant shine. Working from scratch tracks, Seume recruited other talented musicians to help construct his soul- and pop-drenched sound. Despite his lack of experience as an engineer and producer, Seume embraced these roles along the way—recording each player and directing them to capture the sound he was after.
“I was pretty specific about what I wanted to hear for the parts I wasn’t playing, and I found some great musicians willing to collaborate,” he points out. Seume performs the majority of the album’s music in the form of guitars, piano, keyboards, trumpet, percussion and some bass. After months of composing, performing, recording and mixing, he linked up with a couple local engineers “to sweeten the tea.” Then, it was time to master the album.
Lawrence, Kansas’s resident sound guru and equipment master, Tom Wagner, came into the picture when Seume’s amp blew near the end of electric guitar takes. While Tom revived the amp, the two exchanged recordings and quickly developed a mutual appreciation and friendship. As a result, Wagner allowed the artist to participate during the mastering process––something he’d never done prior to these sessions. The experience was one of many opportunities that Seume took to learn how to make a recording that measured up to his high standards.
The Voice
Seume infuses his songs with nuanced messages informed by spirituality, philosophy, technology, and relationships in a swiftly changing world. He wraps his lyrics in energetic pop melodies, driving guitar hooks, and R&B-laced grooves.
Though Seume was very intentional with words, some of the album’s lyrics came tip-of-the-tongue as he developed melody lines for the songs. A line in the second verse of “Speaking of the Devil” – Voices telling me go hear / The Underground Sound at the show, boy – holds a particularly interesting story.
“Those words came out where demo-track-gibberish was planned,” says Seume. “I wasn’t quite sure where they came from or what they meant at the time, but I kept them ‘cause I thought they fit.” Three years later, Seume ends up mastering at Wagner’s “Underground Sound Studio” – a place he wasn’t yet conscious of during writing. “Little signs like this at the end — and throughout the whole process — reinforced my belief that everything was moving in the right direction.”
The delightfully upbeat track, “Will Ya Be My Friend” embodies a simple message. “I want you / I want you / And that is all / Is that enough for you?” Seume asks for an honest connection and deals with relationships at the foundational level. Several of the album’s songs employ relationships as metaphors to carry weightier thoughts.
“Friend” is a complement to the gritty “Revolution Son,” a song recorded on the first take. He placed the song in the album’s final spot because he wanted something “especially candid at the end.” The track is raw, powerful and stripped to its core, highlighting Seume’s talent as a live singer. Its lyrics examine the status quo and encourage listeners to speak truth to power. We been seeing though they blindfold us / They keeping secrets and they gunning for more trust / It don’t seem right, and it ain’t what we’ll do / The Revolution Son is shining down on everyone.
Seume assembles a wide variety of material on the album, ranging from the rock-n-soul of “Baby Now” to sizzling track “The Fire.” Other songs such as “Leavin” and “Apple Tree” are slower, early-morning-pop numbers. Tough to categorize, these eleven songs demonstrate Seume’s range and appeal as a songwriter.
Press Forward
Few artists could juggle so many roles and deliver results that impress. And with a sound that personifies his voice, Seume has sought unique visual art to accompany it.
He hired Smiling Wolf, a design firm based in the United Kingdom, to create the album art, logos, and web design. The artwork features eye-catching photography from Alexandra Wolkowicz, who shot the now-iconic image of the man smoking on the cover of the Arctic Monkeys’ breakout album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.
Seume released It Is What It Is on the independent label he started during the process, Grassland Records. With only two weeks of advance booking for his first live show in the city, he headlined in front of a packed house at KC hot spot, The Brick. The night received media recognition as one of the year’s highlights in local music, and the album quickly garnered praise from the press — earning him a Best Singer-Songwriter nomination in 2009 from The Pitch.
Seume recently premiered a motion-animated video for “Will Ya Be My Friend” directed and produced by Mur Mur Man – the tag team of Kansas City’s own, DJG, and NYC-based PJC.
With It Is What It Is receiving a growing list of glowing reviews, David Seume is certain to continue reaching a wider audience. Listen to “Speaking of the Devil” or “Will Ya Be My Friend”, “Baby Now” or “Revolution Son”, and hear why it won’t be long before Seume becomes a familiar name.
