On Heavy Things with David Wimbish

We had the chance to chat with David Wimbish about his new record ‘Heavy Love’ and more! Check out what he had to say!

The theme throughout Heavy Love is, well, heavy. How does it feel now that the album is finished and getting ready to be released?

“I think songwriting lets me take emotions within me—sometimes really heavy ones that feel like they don’t have any boundaries—and put walls around them. Like sticking emotions into a container, one that I can put on a shelf, or point at, or take down when I need it. So the heaviness is there, but it now feels kind of contained for me, which is usually so healing. But then, it’s like those boxes are just on my shelf for a really long time, and it’s super special to get to take them down for other people and let them see them. It feels really wonderful to finally get it out into the world.”

As someone who experienced Hurricane Helene’s aftermath firsthand, you saw a tremendous amount of devastation, along with some other personal challenges you have faced over the past few years. How did these experiences inspire or transform the art you created?

“The human element is what stuck with me the most. I was living in Asheville, NC, at the time, and I think, particularly because it’s a big tourist economy, locals can be pretty slow to accept others into the community. But going through tragedy together forces people to be vulnerable, to rely on each other, and to accept each other. The devastation was so difficult, and it honestly caused some trauma, living through that. But the only way forward was for neighbors to commune with each other, to help each other, and it became this beautiful space of openness that I think has seeped into my music. For me, there’s this sort of central idea in the record, especially on songs like Closest Friend, that tragedy can be a gift because it allows us to connect more deeply with each other by tearing down our walls.”

What does your creative process look like from concept to completion? How has it evolved over the years?

“For my last several records, I wrote a lot digitally—creating beats or chords on my computer and singing over them. Then, I brought them to a band who helped me bring them to life. I wanted this album to be kind of the opposite. I wrote all the songs on a guitar or piano, alone in a room. My hope was that the songs would be tight enough that they didn’t need any extra instrumentation, so that when I started recording them, I could just play with whatever felt like it enhanced the emotion instead of being a band-aid over something that wasn’t that good. I wrote most of these over the course of a year, then built a little studio in the upstairs of my parents' house, and recorded them over the course of two months. I tried to just record one song at a time all the way to completion, rather than the typical way of “all the drums today, all the bass tomorrow…” I wanted to just live in the emotion of a song as long as possible instead of switching my focus. I also really went for efficiency—whatever was the quickest way to plug something in or mic it—so that the magic of the idea wouldn’t be lost in trying to reorganize a bunch of equipment.”

“Love Song for an Empire”—this song hit me. I'm interested to hear your inspiration for this one because it brought me to tears.

“It means a lot to hear that song connected with you! I feel so aware of the time we’re living in—where it’s hard to have people we love deeply who believe radically different things than we do, things that might even be harmful. It feels like conversation and common ground are often impossible. But I remember someone telling me once: nobody thinks they believe something harmful; everyone feels justified in their beliefs. So I started wondering about ways we can lean into the most basic beliefs themselves—things that make us laugh, that make us cry, that feel worthwhile to devote our love to. I think, in that, we often get better at being compassionate and empathetic towards people that are suffering or struggling, instead of trying to find a belief that justifies why certain people should be suffering. I think that song is a way for me to reckon with the fact that I love this country and the people who live here, and yet, they break my heart, and I often also feel embarrassed and ashamed of the things this country does.”

You are stuck on a deserted island. You can bring three albums with you, no greatest hits. What are they?

“Leif Vollebekk - New Ways. Undoubtedly one of my favorite artists of all time, with an incredible voice, rhythm, and stream-of-consciousness lyrics. I’ve followed him for a long time, but this album just hits me, every single song.”

Bright Eyes - Cassadaga. Conor Oberst has always been one of my biggest lyrical and musical influences, and I feel like this band fully matured with this album in every possible way.”

“Tyler Childers - Purgatory. Just a perfect album from start to finish.”