For those Fufkin.com website readers who are unfamiliar with the name David Grahame, here is some background biographical information regarding one of indie pop music’s most talented artists. David grew up on Long Island, New York - where he was “just old enough” to be heavily influenced by the British Invasion of the mid-60s and the New York media. David picked up his first guitar at the age of 12, and he has been a singer/songwriter ever since that moment. During the 1970s, David was the cast member who portrayed Paul McCartney in the Broadway production of “Beatlemania.”

Also during the 70s, David hung out at clubs like the Folk Den and the Back Fence, where he regularly interacted with noted pop artists like Mark Johnson and the Smithereens. By the late 70s, he was a member of the New York band the Mix, which opened for acts like Elvis Costello and the Pretenders. He was involved with various New York City music projects and recording sessions, until he moved to Los Angeles in 1988 and again moved permanently to the west coast in 1990. Although (as he himself points out) you won’t find David’s name in the Rolling Stone Rock’n’Roll Encyclopedia, he did co-write the song “To Be With You,” performed by Mister Big. The song spent 17 weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at #1 for a three-week period in January/February of 1992.

The success of that song provided David with the financial means to continue pursuing his music career, on a fulltime basis, as a self-employed multi-track artist. “Song Equals House,” which appears on his first album, is his artist’s perspective on this commercial success. In the past three years, he has released four albums: Toy Plane, Beatles School Graduate Class of ‘70, One Brick Short and The Power Station Sessions 1982-1986. David’s songs have recently been featured on a number of popular television shows (“Providence,” “Ed,” “Party of Five” and “Dawson’s Creek”) and in several movie soundtracks. I caught up with David (a loving husband and father) in the middle of a weekday several weeks ago after he had dropped his daughter, Tyler, off at her preschool. That same night, David and his wife, Cynthia, were going to attend a Los Angeles area benefit concert featuring both Sir Paul McCartney and Paul Simon. Although David was excited about meeting and hearing two of his musical icons, he didn’t seem too excited about the “black tie” nature of the event.

ES: Aside from the Beatles and Paul McCartney, who else do you credit with influencing your music?

DG: Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Who, almost all 60s artists, Mark Johnson … as well as jazz and classical music.

ES: Do you listen to contemporary pop music? Do you have any favorite artists within the indie pop community?

DG: I’m pretty blind to the current indie pop scene. However, I have heard the Los Angeles area band, the Negro Problem, and they have that certain intelligent sound that I like.

ES: What are the major differences between your previous two releases and One Brick Short?

DG: The first two albums were recorded on a Macintosh computer with sound cards, drum machines, expensive microphones and compressors. This album was performed with real instruments, real drums, 10 watt speakers and an $89 microphone hooked up to an I-Mac. I think it sounds much more “real.”

ES: Did you receive any formal musical training?

DG: Although I took some guitar lessons, I’m pretty much self-taught. After learning “This Old Man,” playing an instrument and writing songs came pretty naturally. I began writing songs when I was 13, after a buddy of mine (who was a Bob Dylan fan) began song-writing. I subsequently studied from a top guitarist; with encouragement and positive feedback, I kept following my musical interests.

ES: Have you ever been offered any record deals?

DG: Back in the 70s, I turned down an Atlantic deal to be another David Cassidy.

ES: You mentioned Mark Johnson as an influence. What was it like to be a teenager in the Greenwich Village music scene of the 70s?

DG: It was amazing. Music was literally coming out of every doorway. Mark Johnson would drop by the clubs with his home-recorded tapes and it would blow us all away.

ES: Why did you leave New York City for Los Angeles?

DG: Mostly for my sanity. I was getting too old to keep hustling for a record deal, work with bands and perform session work. Too many of my peers became cab drivers and/or alcoholics and I didn’t want to join their ranks. I already had a publishing deal in hand with EMI, so I had the flexibility to move. I went back to New York City briefly in the summer of 1988, and then moved to Los Angeles permanently in 1990.

ES: You have just released a fourth album that features songs that you recorded in New York during the mid-80s. How much other unreleased material do you have?

DG: I have written tons of unreleased songs. One Brick Short represents a fairly intense period (roughly three months) in which I selected my favorite ten tunes from that period for the album. It may be my last “pop” record. I have some very Dylan-inspired “Americana” tunes that have not been released, and this material is very different from my previous pop repertoire. I sometimes think that Toy Plane, * Beatles School Graduate Class of ’70 and One Brick Short are essentially the same album. I don’t believe that I have an intense voice, but I do believe that I give my vocals enough innuendo to make them distinctive. I may be ready for a change … if and when I record again.

ES: Is there an autobiographical basis for most of your songs?

DG: The pop songs on One Brick Short tend to be autobiographical, and “No Light” is meant to be very spiritual. Most of the songs I write come off the top of my head; for instance, “Perfect Pop Song” was written in one shot.

ES: You credit Alan Haber as the Executive Producer of each of your albums. How would you describe Alan’s role in your music?

DG: Alan is the guy who pushed me into releasing each of my pop albums; he helped me dip my toe into the water. Except for one face-to-face interaction, our relationship has been on a long-distance basis via the phone or the INTERNET. Alan has been extremely helpful in providing an outsider’s perspective on my music. Alan’s greatest value, as a Producer, is knowing when something is finished.

ES: So what’s next?

DG: I’m not sure. I may release some of the more acoustic Americana songs, or I may record an album of songs with my wife Cynthia (who has co-written songs and performed with David on several of his recordings). I’m under no pressure or pretense. I have my own label and I’ve just released two new albums. With the right push, things should sell themselves.

To go to reviews of the recent releases by David Grahame, click here.

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