We have a tremendous community of listeners and readers of UTR’s content – many of whom are musicians and songwriters.  Late in 2019, David Vaters took a chance to reach out, and we enjoyed getting to meet him. While he’s a new-to-us artist, he’s been rapidly growing a strong following, racking up over 22 million digital streams, and recently called “creative and original” by the Huffington Post. He sent us an advanced copy of a single he had just finished, which we enjoyed thoroughly, and are planning to include it in our next “Heart, Soul, & Mind” Playlist.  That single “Flying” just released today (2/20/20) – streaming now on Spotify. We also had this conversation with David to help you get to know this emerging artist.

UTR: Do you have a concert or music experience that really marked you as a youngster?

David: As a kid i bought a guitar and took a year of lessons and didn’t like it so i quit. But I found my brother one day playing it along with a songbook of Harvest by Neil Young. I got jealous and took both from him and learned every song. That’s when it all began for me musically. It wasn’t the best reason to start playing and writing songs but I’ve asked for forgiveness and i think i got that covered! So I guess listening to the classic rock music genre took over from there listening to Neil Young, the Eagles, Dylan and Petty along with Leonard Cohen and some not-so-new or obscure artists like Larry Norman and Bruce Coburn.

UTR: What is the lyrical theme of your new single “Flying”?

David: I wanted this to be an uplifting song – given that at some point in life we all lose loved ones. It’s inevitable but it’s never easy. In fact, more often than not it’s a painful experience – one that is often soothed by the hope of something better after death. Several in my life have passed away recently and I began to think about what things might be like from their perspective when they transition to Heaven. I think every songwriter draws from their own experiences, and faith is an important part of my life – it’s an everyday thing. When I write songs, I tend to write about life and getting through things; and with this song, I wanted to touch on having the faith and hope to get through grief and loss.

The single “Flying” is available on the Spotify widget below or thru any major music platform.

UTR:  How did you approach the musical arrangement side of “Flying”?

David: Like most songs, I write them in a half hour or so. The writing and arrangement is done all at the same time. I can’t say that there is any approach because songs just come to me and I have to stop everything, including pulling over the the side of the road or ending a conversation with apology and sing it into my mobile phone. Otherwise it usually gets lost and i just go on to the next one. I have on occasion set out to write a song on a particular subject or theme like Christmas Eve Forever or Hockey Night but usually the songs just come and I’m just the blessed guy who gets to write it down.

UTR:  What do you hope listeners will experience when they hear this song?

David: I hope to provide my fans a sense of hope and (yes) even joy during times of life that are often the most difficult. To quote the chorus: “Everything is different now/ I’m flying and looking down/ It’s better than I thought it was/ I’m flying with angels now.”

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UTR:  What are your music plans for the rest of the year?

David: I have a few dates we are planing in the fall but I am still writing and recording and being an indie artist.  It’s important to take care of the business side of things – marketing and creating, not only the music, but the videos and other content. So, my manager & wife Susan and I are planning to release A Voice in the Wilderness, Vol. 3 (the last album in this trilogy) and play a few gigs in 2020 and then a new untitled album followed up with a tour in 2021 with some of the great players on the album. By then, with 4 albums under our belt and the fan base we are building, it should be an exciting tour to get out and meet the fans.

David Vaters is a Canadian-born singer-songwriter who resides near Nashville, TN. Discover more of his music at www.davidvaters.com.