Davíd Garza | |
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Davíd Garza at the Austin City Limits Music Festival 2009
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Background information | |
Born |
Irving, Texas United States |
February 4, 1971
Genres | Indie Rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, producer |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboard instruments, drums, bass guitar |
Years active | 1989–present |
Labels | Wide Open Records, Lava/Atlantic |
Associated acts | Twang Twang Shock-A-Boom, Davíd Garza & The Lovebeads, DAH-VEED |
Website | www.davidgarza.com |
Davíd Garza is an Austin-based, American singer-songwriter who infuses rock and pop with a Latin feel and whose vocal style draws comparisons to Freddie Mercury, Jeff Buckley, Donovan and Robert Plant.
In 1989, following stints in numerous high-school bands, Garza enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin, where he and his band Twang Twang Shock-A-Boom (named in reference to the guitar, bass, and drums of the group) gained industry attention for Garza's combination of pop-savvy songwriting and Robert Plant-style vocals. After leaving the group to go solo, he formed a new backup band and gigged continually around and outside the Texas area, billed as Davíd Garza & The Lovebeads and later as DAH-VEED.
A third generation Mexican-American, David grew up between Dallas and Fort Worth. Before he was old enough to get into clubs, Garza was handpicked by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians to open for them in the funky warehouse district of Deep Ellum. He played solo gigs by night and attended Catholic high school by day. After accepting a classical guitar scholarship at UT Austin, he dropped out a year later to be a full-time rocker
Garza released a flurry of solo cassettes and CDs, selling them for $5 and $10, respectively. He calls this the “Single Bill Theory,” one he maintains to the present day. He performed tirelessly on the regional club and college circuit, ultimately striking a major-label deal, in 1996. At first, Garza rebuffed various major label recording offers, choosing instead to record and distribute music on his own label, Wide Open Records. After releasing nine records and selling 30,000 copies on his own, he eventually signed with Lava/Atlantic and was featured on the Great Expectations soundtrack. His major-label debut, This Euphoria, followed in April 1998. For This Euphoria, he was featured in an ad campaign for Best Buy, saying "You don't know me but you will." He took over production duties for his second Lava/Atlantic record, 2001's Overdub, and brought in Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish, the drummer and bassist of Living Colour as his backup band for the sessions. Juliana Hatfield contributed backing vocals on the song "Keep On Crying."