Bio

David Ullman's music is at once poignant, intimate and fiercely intense. In outpourings of passion that are sometimes savage and other times delicate, Ullman sings brooding "sad bastard" songs with an underlying optimism. Ranging from a whisper to a roar, his soulful voice rises above the melodies plucked and pounded out on his guitar to deliver personal, candid, and insightful lyrics that linger with listeners long after his final note fades. "Playing music was an integral part of my upbringing," Ullman says. "My Dad taught my brother and I how to play guitar as kids, and we've both stuck with it." Ullman began learning Buddy Holly songs at age eight, employing the rock & roll pioneer's practice of overdubbing vocal and guitar parts to fill out his own amateur recordings. In the bathroom of his childhood home, Ullman taped himself performing a mixture of Holly's signature tunes as well as his own early efforts at songwriting—sometimes recruiting his father to play the lead guitar lines. During his adolescence, he began gravitating towards acoustic arrangements, as they enabled him to carry a tune unaccompanied; and throughout his teens, the young singer developed the ability to imitate his favorite performers, closely emulating their vocal delivery and style for small gatherings of family and friends. However, Ullman would ultimately find freedom in singing his own words. "I'm finally finding my voice. A lot of that has to do with having something to say, something that I need to communicate for my own emotional wellbeing, and I've found that songwriting provides me with the most visceral and immediate means of expression." With interests that extend beyond just playing music, David Ullman is intimately involved in all aspects of the artistic experience. A devout "do-it-yourselfer," he maintains his own website, as well as doing the bulk of his own recording and graphic design work. An experienced and award-winning filmmaker, with four feature-length productions, countless short-subjects, and over 60 broadcasts to his credit, Ullman also takes a hands-on approach to his music videos. Collaborating with the Pennsylvania-based production company Ship King Media LLC, the singer-songwriter co-produced the clip for his first single, "Déjà vu." Like many original artists, Ullman finds it difficult to describe his own music. "I suppose my songs incorporate different styles and approaches. Some tend to be very mellow and reserved, while others are loud and edgy. It's not uncommon for all of that to be going on in one song." Raised in rural Ohio, Ullman, 27, lived in Raleigh, North Carolina for several years before moving back to Ohio in 2004. He now resides in Kent, where, in addition to playing music, he is a full-time student at Kent State University. His debut album, DOG DAYS, is due out this year. The disc's first single, "Déjà Vu," was recently released on Ullman's own Dreaming Out Loud Records. February 2007