The Purple Kite is the creative expression of David May. What originally was going to be an instrumental guitar project began to take shape in 2013. After ten Years of traveling as a Guitarist for bands in the Contemporary Christian Music Scene, David realized that the road he had travelled was not getting him to where he wanted to go creatively. After much soul searching, David realized that he would have to take a leap of faith and leave the familiar comforts of a touring musician. He understood that this could be the best thing he had ever done or the worst.
David connected with multi instrumentalist producer Jeremy Larson (Violents, John Foreman, Prince, MuteMath) to help bring his stripped down folk vision to life. His first EP, “The Beginning of Future Things” is the result of that collaboration. Recorded in Springfield, MO, this is the first step in the Journey for David’s new project, The Purple Kite. Recently, David released a cover of Mat Kearney’s song “Shasta” Mat liked the version so much that he retweeted the link to his 120K followers. David is excited for the future as producers Robert Marvin and Andy Selby (Mat Kearney, Kelly Clarkson, Tove Lo) have taken an interest in his newest material.
In this interview spotlight, we chat with David about influences, challenges, the latest project and more.
Full Q&A along with links and streams below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
David : I am originally from Lake Jackson, Tx. It is a small town on the Gulf Coast near Houston, Tx I create ambient folk/pop. My music is currently evolving right now from a acoustic guitar base to a more pastel synth laced sound. I still have the soul of what I did on my first ep ‘The Beginning of Future things” but I am wanting to explore what soundscapes can be created with the tools that we have at our disposal as musicians today. My most recent single is out on Bandcamp and Soundcloud now called ‘Safe and Sound” I feel that it is a bridge of sorts from the first stuff I put out into this neon world that I’m creating now.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course
David : I started playing guitar at a very early age. I was nine when I decided that I loved music and wanted to see what I could do with it. I’m sure a lot of people have said this but for me it was a very visceral thing with music. I just loved the sound. I have always been interested in sound and how that experience can affect emotions. Music is the one thing that is so powerful in the world. I wanted to be a part of being the soundtrack for people’s lives . I think that is what keeps me going today. It is hard work. But it is satisfying work. For me the Art is the driving force. Money is a necessary evil in my opinion. We need it to live but if a person is making music for the money alone then that will come out in the final product.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
My first EP “The Beginning of Future Things ” https://itun.es/us/EUgG8 Was Produced by the very talented Jeremy Larson. We recorded it in Springfield, MO a few Years back. The Biggest difference between that and the new music I am creating is the fact that I am doing everything myself at this point. The New Single “Safe and Sound ” is a good example of that. I wrote and produced and mixed everything myself. It is so amazing that we can do that in this day and age. The goals have always remained the same. I want to create something authentic that people can enjoy. I want to be a soundtrack for people’s lives. I also wanted to create something with a unique signature that people could recognize as The Purple Kite.
Do you face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? How has technology helped you (assuming it helps)?
I honestly don’t think to much about it. Technology has removed the middle man from the music business. I like that a lot because a person can create their art and share it with whoever will listen. The hard thing is that everyone is doing that. I just try and focus on my niche and work to expand that. This takes time to build and everything leads to the next thing.
Where can we connect with you online and discover more music?
- iTunes https://itun.es/us/EUgG8
- Spotify The Purple Kite
- Bandcamp http://thepurplekite.bandcamp.com/track/safe-and-sound-single
Anything else before we sign off?
I am going on tour this Oct 9th through the 22nd with a fellow Singer Songwriter David Brymer. We are going to Hit Northwest AR, KC, Salina KS OKC, and D/FW before driving out west through Phoenix and ending in LA.
If interested in Booking contact me: david.may13@gmail.com
