David Deacon

He’s a singer-songwriter, poet, former champion racecar driver, painter, entrepreneur, and an example of how to live life, really live it. Now in his 70s, David Deacon’s fifth album, Good Day Good Night, is a collection of stories that reflect on the crashes and burns and dust-yourself-off recoveries we all experience to varying degrees. He tells them with the intensity of someone who has often paid a big price for his choices. From the lead track and bluesy first single, “Soldiers of the Universe,” to the anthemic “Moments of Joy” and wistful focus track “And They All Sang Along,” David’s sound is distinct, his gravelly voice and delivery not unlike Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Robbie Robertson or even Louis Armstrong. Good Day Good Night is David’s second album this year, following the late-winter release of the 10-song Four, his first full-length since 2000’s Stranger In The Morning. “I'm doing music again is because I decided I wanted to write more songs, whereas before I did a lot of spoken word, as it was much closer linked to poetry,” says David who has been writing poetry since his youth. “I enjoyed that, but it was a bit esoteric for listeners and was also driven by the fact that I had a lot of talented musicians I worked with and really nobody thought I was,” he chuckles. “They always said, ‘We really like your spoken word, do that; don't sing.” He laughs, knowing he’s in good company (see Leonard Cohen).