David Garza

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Born and raised in Irving, Texas, Davíd is the fourth of five children. Weened on cumbias, waltzes and rancheras, Davíd listened to Mexican tunes until he was old enough to navigate the radio himself. Long nights were passed attached to his big brother’s headphones and a hand-me-down guitar lost in the never never land of early 80’s Dallas radio. Davíd remembers, "Free form community KERA was one flick of the wrist away from Tejano’s cumbia giant KESS - always playing on our kitchen radio. Then there was KEGL, the station of choice for the newwavers, suburb punks and MTV goths which was right next door to to the triple shot of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Cheap Trick on KZEW." Such disparate styles would eventually seep their way into the songs that Davíd began penning during his teen years.

Garza had his share of garage bands in high school and didn’t waste time forming a trio his freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin. Along with an upright bassist and a percussionist, he began playing on campus three weeks into the first semester. Drawing bigger crowds every day, the trio moved to local clubs and soon began selling out 600+ seat venues. The band would last only a few months longer as Davíd left the university just after his freshman year and went on to pursue a solo career.

Over the next seven years Davíd cultivated a strong fan base with his constant touring of the South and Midwest. He released ten (of his own) albums on his label Wide Open Records and sold over 30,000 copies before signing to Lava/Atlantic Records in 1996.

Davíd kept releasing records on Wide Open when he signed to Lava/Atlantic, a necessity for this prolific songwriter. Awaiting the release of his major label debut, the restless songsmith created his tenth record on Wide Open. The critically acclaimed EP, four-track manifesto, hit stores in 1997 and received high praises from the likes of Billboard and CMJ. A couple of the songs from the EP were even re-recorded for his first Lava release, this euphoria. Overall, the EP proved to be a perfect segue for Davíd’s major label debut.

Garza earned further critical applause upon the release of this euphoria. Billboard compares Davíd to "...trailblazers such as Prince, Davíd Bowie, and Donovan. Garza combines catchy songcraft and sonic adventurism with an effortlessness reminiscent of Beck.“ Frontera Magazine notes, "This Tejano doesn’t just sing. He transmits. His music is a celebration of rock that borders on the religious.”

After extensive touring in support of this euphoria with the likes of Ani Difranco, Ben Harper, Fastball and Sugar Ray, Davíd decided to finally take a well-deserved break. Soon after, he put to tape songs he had written on the road, leading to the release of his eleventh Wide Open record, kingdom come and go.

Much of the album was recorded on the afternoon of April 9, 1999, in a single studio session in Austin, Texas. The rest of the tracks are recorded vintage Davíd style - with his tried-and-true four-track, and some eight-track passes for good measure. Stripped-down and spare, the focus is on the songs themselves and the unadorned conviction of his voice. The cinematic "Compassion" spins a twisted tale and reveals Davíd’s continued experimentation and growth. "We On Fire" is an ambient reflection of Davíd’s heritage, enhanced by Davíd’s passion. With a trusty old acoustic guitar at his side, Davíd orates a fire and brimstone sermon in "God’s Hands". "Asylum" captures a surreal experience walking the crowded streets of Juarez, Mexico, and running into the most unusual of store barkers. "Summer Sky," "Sacred Fools" and "Let Me" are classic Davíd Garza love songs.

As anticipation grows for his Lava/Atlantic follow up to this euphoria, Davíd Garza whets our appetite with this latest Wide Open release, kingdom come and go. Similar to 4-track manifesto, kingdom come and go is the perfect precursor to his major label efforts - relaying an intimacy and passion that gives us a peek into the world that can only be Davíd Garza’s. Davíd assures us that "this is only the beginning" to a journey where half the fun can be found by just pressing play.

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