In this interview spotlight, we chat with David Stone about his latest release(s), influences and motivation, challenges and more. We recently featured David’s single Hours; that article is here.

Full Q&A along with links and streams below.

Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?

I really enjoy telling stories with my songs, and this is the style where that comes most naturally to me.

How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?

I started recording myself, uploading music to sites like Myspace, and making CD’s at home around 2008 I think. I released my first EP as a solo artist 2011 though, that was what really got the ball rolling for me as a solo singer/songwriter.

Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?

My biggest influence is probably Gord Downie (The Tragically Hip). Bands like Metallica, Stiff Little Fingers, Rush and Alice in Chains were some of the first to get me excited about writing songs as a kid. More recently I’ve been influenced by artists like The Rural Alberta Advantage, Jadea Kelly, Ed Sheeran and Noah Gundersen. I like pretty much everything, and I’m always excited to hear something interesting, lyrically, or musically.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?

I tend to focus on one song at a time. I have a pretty hard time moving past a song to write something else without having some sense of completion, even if I don’t think I’ll keep the song, or record it. Sometimes getting those ideas out of the way is the only way I can start working on something else. EP’s or albums tend to come together once I have a handful of songs I’m happy with, and excited to share. If anything, the common theme amidst these six songs is that each one has a different, specific, true to life story behind it.

What was the last song you listened to?

“Victory Lap” by Propagandhi.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

I think each one has its place. If I’m going to just sit and listen to something at home, I really like vinyl. When I was pretty young, I listened to cassette tapes, which were basically replaced by CD’s, which were basically replaced by MP3’s, so in my world they all kind of served the same purpose, and had the same job. I was never a big fan of commercial radio growing up, so anything that let me listen to my favourite music was fine with me.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

I think Apple Music and Spotify are basically interchangeable, each with its pros and cons, but nothing to sway me one way or the other, yet. I like that Bandcamp gives you the option to make changes real-time, and I use Soundcloud as a kind of networking resource, as much as a place to share music. I try to make my music available everywhere, each platform is a little different, but if people can find my music there, it works for me.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?

Standing out in a crowd is always a challenge. I find at this stage in my career it’s really important to strike a balance between giving my current listeners a reason to stay engaged while giving new listeners a reason to become engaged.

Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?

You can almost always find me gigging around southern Ontario. Besides that, I try to book small tours a few times a year. It’s best to check facebook for any gig and tour updates! As for live-streaming, I haven’t quite gotten on board with that yet, though I do try to stay active on youtube.

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?

www.DavidStoneMusic.ca is the easiest place to find links to my music, videos, and social media pages. You can also search “David Stone” on streaming services, or “David Stone Music” on google to track me down online.

Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?

I’d really appreciate anyone who’s interested giving my “Alright EP” a quick listen, and feel free to reach out and drop by to see a gig if I’m in your city!