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Wanderin’ Fool
The thrill of the unknown can be exhilarating. Untethered by tradition, Americana singer-songwriter David Quinn hit the open road to find himself and rediscover his love of music. The highway swept out from under his feet, weaving through the mountains of Colorado down to the sweltering heat of Texas and then back out west to the coast of California, collecting images and bits of songwriting for what would become his debut album. Wanderin’ Fool is very much indebted to what he reckons was his quarter-life crisis, an adventure that not only reaffirmed his passion but gave him a new lease on life.
For his debut album, he worked with highly-sought-after producer Andrija Tokic, known for his work with Alabama Shakes, Langhorne Slim, Hurray for the Riff Raff and Margo Price, among countless others. Through his musical journey, Quinn has been lucky enough to share the stage with Sam Morrow, Josh Card, and The Giving Tree Band.
With this debut, featuring an all-star band comprised of Dave Roe (Johnny Cash), Jimmy Lester (Hayes Carll, Billy Joe Shaver), Jon Estes (John Paul White, Kesha), Micah Hulscher (Margo Price) and background singer Alexis Saski (of Americana-blues band Muddy Magnolia), Quinn plots out a dusty honky-tonk record that explores falling in and out of love, learning to live in the moment and the beauty of the American buffalo.
“Love the green grass under my feet / Feeling the mid-summer’s heat / The snow and the rain and the sleet / Just driving down ole main street,” he sings on the titular cut, alighting upon the tickle of piano and warbling electric guitar. In his staunch plainspokenness, Quinn gives a masterclass in storytelling with the ability to stage vibrant vignettes of life, home and heart. His craftsmanship exudes the blood, sweat and tears of a working musician just trying to get his voice heard. The significance of his west-bound road trip cannot be understated. “I really left everything and the life I was trying to make behind to do this. I had no intentions or plans at all. It was truly wandering,” he says.
“Gonna ride this ole line / Not a damn thing on my mind / Driving by them mountain trails ‘cross that ole coal mine / Gonna ride down low / Here I come, now here I go,” he chugs along at a steady pace on “Grassy Trails” in true Willie Nelson fashion. “Gap Tooth Girl” is a bartop romper about his fondness for gap-toothed women, while “Three Quarter Time” is a time-warped ballroom weeper reminiscent of The Nashville Sound era. He burns through the songwriting at a cool stride, allowing you the chance to soak your soul into his stories. His life-changing excursions, which also took him to the edge of the Grand Canyon and to the city of Moab, Utah, are tattooed onto his skin and feel as though he’s passed some sort of ultimate test.
Quinn’s life leading up to this very pivotal moment is rich with a working musician’s turmoil, his hands slathered in dirt and sweat from his brow. A midwestern boy born and raised in Woodridge, Illinois, 50 miles west of Chicago, Quinn was surrounded by old school country, soul and rock ‘n roll records. He spent most of his summers as a kid up in the north woods of Hayward, Wisconsin with his grandfather, which is where he gained a love for country music. Back at home, his father would often whip out the guitar for intimate at-home jam sessions. His dad’s real influence came when every weekend he would drink Jack Daniels and spin records all night. It was a bit of a history lesson of good music for Quinn, who inevitably took over that same routine.
His older brother also displayed a knack for music and picked up the guitar to play gigs around town. Quinn began playing drums in high school and started to write his first songs. In the years that followed, he mounted numerous high-profile gigs in and around Chicago as a member of his brother’s blues-rock band. But his tastes quickly shifted right around the time he graduated high school in 2005. When a childhood best friend reached out to him to play together, Quinn uprooted his life and moved out to Los Angeles. While he was hammering away as part of a pop-rock outfit, he found himself playing for throngs of concertgoers. A year later, unease crept into his bones, and he longed to play his own music. A move back home felt right.
After going back to a day job, Quinn got married, bought a house and had seemingly settled down. He continued playing drums in his brother’s band, all the while questioning his next steps in his music career. When the marriage fell apart, cascading him into an even deeper state of uncertainty, he was feeling creatively unfulfilled and reached out to some friends who played in The Giving Tree Band. Not only did the bluegrass-folk outfit play on his debut EP, but Quinn opened for the group at numerous local shows. Even though he inched closer to being satisfied, something still wasn’t right, and he needed to shake things up again.
So, Quinn sold his house, quit his day job and mounted an emotionally-vital road trip across the country. Along the way, he played many of the country’s finest establishments, most notably Rex Bell’s Old Quarter Cafe in Texas, the famous spot of Townes Van Zandt and Hayes Carll. “I just did a bunch of shit I wanted to do,” he says.
Two years ago, he once again returned home to re-plant his roots and gather his senses with a renewed confidence and focus. He soon met producer Andrija Tokic of The Bomb Shelter studio, and the two exchanged emails for months before setting aside some studio time, turning attention to his new material.
His transformative travails are best exemplified with the album’s closing track, “Where the Buffalo Roam,” a genre-busting bookend to a necessary chapter of his life. “It’s the step-child of the record. It doesn’t fully fit. That song encompasses a lot of who I am and what I’ve been through,” says Quinn. “I’m also obsessed with the mountains and buffalo. I spent a lot of time in Colorado, and I used to sit and watch the buffalo. There’s a place outside of Boulder where they’ve preserved this land, and I would go there, sit and watch, and write.”
Wanderin’ Fool is a statement-making record of gutting, instinctual songcraft. From the heart-rending gallop of opening number “Cryin’ Shame,” in which he broods on a soured relationship, to the magical swirl of “In My Dreams,” his way to discharge another lover, to the tear-jerking “We Both Know,” Quinn’s debut cuts to the heart of what has made country music such an enduring art form.
Now, armed with his own voice and storytelling strengths, Quinn is finally ready to share the full breadth of his life — through every dizzying high to the most troubling low. Wanderin’ Fool is cured in the salt of the earth and packs a punch at every turn. You’d be hard pressed to find a more honest and downright delightful debut record.
“A traditional country two-stepper…appreciation for the genre’s roots shines through.” – Wide Open Country
“Evokes the cosmically wild vibe of far-west Texas with vintage instrumentation and rich, mystical harmonies.” – The Boot
“Three Quarter Time’ isn’t just another life written down in notes. It’s David’s own little trek, marred by whiffs of irony and a whole vat of resilience.”- Comeherefloyd
“An adrenaline rush.” Americana Music Association
“Not over-produced, simply great playing, a cool production sound . . . and Quinn’s voice that swings between rockabilly and honky tonk.” – Post Wire
“Wanderin’ Fool is cured in the salt of the earth and packs a punch at every turn. You’d be hard pressed to find a more honest and downright delightful debut record.” – Glide Magazine
“Wanderin’ Fool is sure to be a top-rated debut album of this year.” – Americana Highways – Americana Highways
” ‘Cryin’ Shame’ – is a simplified, bluesy, country track that will leave you absolutely reeling'” – Imperfect Fifth
“It’s an upbeat song that made me want to get up and dance. The entire album feels like that.” – Country Music Views
“It’s as ripe for front-porch pickin’ as it is for the hoedown at the local watering hole” – B-Side and Badlands
Publicist: Rachel Hurley
“Rachel was an absolute pleasure to work with! Her dedication and attention to detail were the best I have seen. This process was new to me and she broke it down each step of the way and made sure I was always kept up to date. She was always available whenever I needed and was always working to get my record and name in front of the right people. The amount of press and exposure that came from her hard work was beyond my expectations. I can not recommend her and Baby Robot enough. I will definitely be asking her to work my next record!” – David Quinn