One minute, St. John’s singer-songwriter Dave Whitty is cracking his audience up with tales of misadventures with friends, and the next he’s conjuring profound feelings of nostalgia or pain with stories of love, friendship, and the things that make Newfoundland special. 

With over 15 years of experience playing live shows and three solo albums released since 2012, Dave has molded a one-of-a-kind vibe. His songwriting combines a distinctly East Coast sound with modern themes that resonate and his guitar style is self-taught, using a mixture of strumming, flat-picking and fingerpicking which is immediately recognizable as his own.

Following on the heels of “Ducks in a Row,” Dave is now sharing the second single from his upcoming fourth album, Long Way to Go (due out this September 2024). “Where I Belong” was loosely written with his grandparents in mind and for anyone who’s had to leave to go away for work. Being from the most easterly point in North America, Dave’s known of many people who have to travel far away to work. It’s not easy to always leave your loved ones, so this song is about that feeling of wanting to get back to your home… or where you belong. 

I wrote this song very quickly one day while exploring different guitar tunings. There’s a guitar track in the tuning of CGDGGD and another in standard tuning. This recording also features some incredible Canadian artists. Joshua Van Tassel (percussion), Kendel Carson (fiddle), Todd Lumley (piano/organ), and Chad Murphy (electric guitar). – Dave Whitty