Local favorite guitarist and songwriter, David Courtenay, is proudly introducing tracks off of this latest EP, Paradise Found on Thursday, October 22 at Blind Tiger. The EP houses hints of Courtenay’s early influences, from The Beach Boys to The Beatles, and plays with the positive theme of simple, feel-good fun.
Most of the songs on the album were written in the quiet beauty of Costa Rica. Here Courtenay says the music came “effortlessly” as opposed to his earlier days as a musician. “My song writing used to be a lot sharper on social commentary,” he said, but that has shifted. “Music is a very powerful medium and I have realized that in my later years as a musician. I become very deliberate with the way I write music because I want it to be a gift for people”.
Now with a more positive outlook, Courtenay chooses to focus his lyrics on the beauty of nature and life. His melodies and lyrics come from “a place of playfulness.” Courtenay says this could be “sitting on the back of my boat and just fiddling on my guitar, or sitting on the beach, or hiking up a mountain.” He laughs, and then finishes his commentary on the artist process. “Long story short, it’s like getting struck by lightning and then struggling to write it down while its still in my head.”
This album marks not only a shift in tone but also a shift in the production, as it is Courtenay’s first time recording with a producer. Producer, Jesse Seibenberg, has opened Courtenay’s eyes to an evolved version of his songs. Courtenay says about Seibenberg, “He’s got an incredibly sharp and objective ear compared to mine. He brings out the intricacies of the music.”
Courtenay’s music has a very clear and positive message that he hopes his audiences will be able to understand and apply to their own lives. “A lot of my music is about being the change I want to see in the world, the love I want to see in the world. I am the peace of the world,” he said. “I want them to take away the sense that they are the director of their own lives, to live wonderful, beautiful, powerful lives.”
Courtenay has also begun a crowd-funding campaign to organize a U.S. tour around the album and spread his music past the borderlines of California. To support his cause and his new record check out, click here.
Courtenay will be hosting a release party for Paradise Found at the Blind Tiger (409 State St.) on Thursday, October 22 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. Call (805) 957-4111 or visit blindtigersb.com for more information.