On David’s new release Boil The Ocean, he freely associates, leaning into Afrobeats, Reggae, Soca and Rock as it suits him. His wide-ranging lyrics cajole the listener into thought as much as movement, often simultaneously as on the singles "Easy", "To What Degree" "Long As Love" and "Again". David Pilgrim's Island Soul has returned, comfortably stretching boundaries, easily entertaining the curious. Click here to hear the album!
#NewMusic Alert! 3 video shorts in as many days! David dropped quick video shorts for 3 songs from his forthcoming album entitled “Boil The Ocean”. The 3 songs include the bittersweet “Again”, the positive vibes of “Easy”, and the sensual “Long As Love”. “Boil The Ocean” is scheduled for an August/September 2024 release. Click here to hear the previews!
Just a fun cover choon in tribute to one of my favorite bands E Dubya Eff. Enjoy!
What if news of news of Freedom Day/ Juneteenth never came? David P. and longtime musical friend from Barbados, David “Batto” Batson, now based in Youngstown Ohio decided to answer the question. Back in late 2022, the two songwriter/producers got to trading files over Facebook messenger and before long TIME AND OPPORTUNITY was born. “The track seemed to speak of a rebellious sprit and the lyrics wrote themselves once I heard Batto’s instrumental, which we called the FIRESTARTER RIDDIM. I added some guitar along with the vocals and we were good to go. Between us we agreed Juneteenth seemed like a great day to release it, given the topic. We hope folks enjoy it and are thoughtful about the cost it took for Black folks to have our freedom today.” TIME AND OPPORTUNITY is a free release on YouTube and Soundcloud. Click the image to hear the track.
Featuring music from across the Caribbean and the African diaspora, David’s carefully curated “Island Soul Society” playlist features selections by notable artists such as Koffee, Lizz Wright, Skip Marley, DJ Spinall and Randy Valentine as well as choice gems from David’s own Island Soul catalog. Jump on, hit the randomize button and enjoy! Click on the pic to be taken Right to the playlist!
An invocation for safe passage out of the pandemic to times when we can all be together again. “FeelGood” is David’s composition, showcasing the eclectic use of Caribbean rhythms and melodies that are his trademark. The track also features the uniquely lush co-lead vocals of Maritri Garrett and the stirring saxophone and horn arrangements of the amazing V. Jeffrey Smith, David's friends in the Soulfolk Experience. “FeelGood” is available for primary release on Bandcamp.com and as well as available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. Click on image to hear the track!
A love song to all in the pandemic, David's new single is a simple outpouring of joy to all who need it at this time. Originally composed in a different, rougher form for his younger brother to sing at the Crop-Over Festival (Carnival) in Barbados in 2019, it remained unresolved until the need suddenly took hold and it finished itself. David says "Sometimes you write a song and you don't know whether you'll actually complete it, much less release it. This song took it’s own sweet time. Then boom! But it's worth it. Just wanted to have some fun. How long has it been since we've been able to do that?" “Love Come Thru” is available for primary release on Bandcamp.com and as well as available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. Click on image to hear the track!
What a time to be alive. What is performing and writing songs in the midst of a global pandemic, political discord and racial unrest? Business as usual for Maritri, Jeff and David. Social distancing has affected all artists’ ability to perform together live, but not the urge to share their gifts. The opportunity arose to perform virtually at the 2020 Full Participation Arts Festival ( https://www.full-participation.org/ ) on Saturday October 24th, and Jeff’s newfound passion for editing videos prompted action. Files came screaming through the internet at odd hours from Brooklyn and California to Jeff’s lair in Jersey City, where a brand new video rapidly came to life. Jeff says “Hold On” never got its shine on video so it’s time has finally come. And the meaning of the song is the same, though we originally wrote in in 2012. If anything, it’s more relevant now. Hope the people enjoy it.” Click on the image to hear the new version.
At first, it was just a way to pass the time in the isolation of lock down due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Now, 90+ performances later, David’s nightly acoustic performances featuring one-minute renditions of his favorite material have attracted have attracted a small coterie of loyal fans, curious about the peculiar quirks behind his musical selection and taste. “I never know what song I am going to sing until about an hour before I post. I have to learn the song, analyze any challenging parts and perform it all within a very tight timeframe. Then write a short profile of the creators of the song and my attachment to it. It’s been a blast, and a great form of exercise, passing through the filters of your own preferences while keeping the musical muscles limber until the pandemic is lifted. Which will hopefully be soon.” #IsolationVibrations Can be heard nightly on @davepilgrim David’s Instagram page and his Facebook page in the wee hours of the night.
David drops a new single and EP “Burning Bridges” inspired by the generally tumultuous times in which we find ourselves. He says “America is the most volatile I’ve known it in the 30 plus years I’ve lived here. Being a father of brown children makes me more concerned than ever about their safety and their future. I just responded to the moment and let things flow out. I think while the song depicts an adversary, it’s necessary to hold mirrors up to ourselves and realize that we created this, and only we can solve it.” The title song was mixed by Grammy-nominated engineer Fernando Lodeiro who has done work with the likes of Roberta Flack, Esperanza Spalding and Vampire Weekend. Rapper Haifah Walidah is prominently featured on the uptempo “Resist” and the more contemplative “Millimeters” features the flute work of David’s Soulfolk Experience bandmate V. Jeffrey Smith. David is wholly responsible for all other output. “This record is the product of loss and lockdown. A cathartic way forward through this messy moment we call 2020. Hopefully this music helps fight our way through.” Burning Bridges is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
David has teamed up with musician, playwright and social arts activist Hanifah Walidah on a new release right for these turbulent times. Look out for the teaser campaign on Instagram and the release date in May 2019. #Resist
In commemoration of his first 1998 solo album "Under The Bushel", David has released "Shake It Up", the first of 3 singles from "Under The Bushel 20". The remaining 2 tracks, "Who mek De Rule" and "Could It Be" are in the final stages of mastering and production. "Could it be" is a re-imagination of the final track on the original 1998 album featuring the Soulfolk Experience, while 'Who Mek De Rule" features a stunning horn arrangement from V. Jeffrey Smith as it explores socially-conscious themes. Release date is currently slated for July 4, 2018. Click the image to hear "Shake It Up" on Spotify.
David lends his voice in a rare moment of dancehall chanting on "World On Fire" the single and album by ELECTRIC POWERED SOUL. V. Jeffrey Smith and Howard Alper teamed up to form EPS out of the band they share with David, The Soulfolk Experience. Their debut album features appearances by several of their other talented contemporaries including Corey Glover (Living Colour), Sandra St. Victor (The Family Stand) and Marcus Machado (2014 Rolling Stone Young Gun). The album 'WORLD ON FIRE' will be available JUNE 7th 2018 on all streaming platforms. Click the pic to link to hear "World On Fire" on Soundcloud.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of his first solo album Under The Bushel, your favorite Island Soul gems from David Pilgrim's catalog are now available on Spotify. Click on the pic below to hear and enjoy!
In anticipation of his forthcoming EP "Under The Bushel 20" (a celebration of his first solo release, the 1998 "Under The Bushel") David has gathered the amazing talents of vocalist Sabrina Clery (@sabrinasaharasings), rapper Toni Blackman (@toniblackman) and Soulfolk Experience cohort V. Jeffrey Smith on horns and horn arrangements. He describes the song as the "quintessential romantic protest", wishing to write a song to help #resist in these troubled times, but not be overtly preachy. "Shake It Up" is the result. Click the pic to hear a limited release early mix on Soundcloud.
For all our diehard fans and our newbies yet to come - The COMPLETE SOULFOLK EXPERIENCE playlist, streaming now on Spotify. Need to find that specific song? Changes are its here. Click the pic below and cozy up with your favorite Soulfolk Experience track.
In commemoration of his first solo album "Under The Bushel", released in 1998, David is working on a 3-song EP to mark its 20th anniversary. "There will be one remake and 2 new songs. Two of the songs are nearly finished and the third is a music sketch in search of a story. Soon come." he says. He is working with his Soulfolk Experience bandmates on the project which is near to completion. Stay tuned for an early 2018 release. Click the image to hear the original 1998 album.
Getting a ride home from a Soulfolk Experience rehearsal, David got to hear a dance-oriented track by his bandmate, drummer Howard Alper, on the car stereo. "The track seemed to have a story in it somewhere, under the beats." said David. Howard Alper, a well-known session pro on the NY scene had been stretching into songwriting and production beyond his work with Soulfolk Experience and Living Colour vocalist Corey Glover among others. Two songs later, Dream Dome was born. "Layaway Love" and "Body Up" are songs are as commercially driven as any the pair has ever done, and while written in fun, are perfectly viable for song placement in film or sound media. Click the link below to hear the unique chemistry that is Dream Dome.
David Pilgrim releases a new solo project "Longer Here Than There". LONGER HERE THAN THERE is his fourth solo album, documenting his movement into fatherhood and is his first album produced having lived in America longer than in the West Indies. While the central journey of exploring the tensions between those two locations remains the same, his time in a band of songwriters who are unabashedly seasoned has empowered him to explore beyond the limits of his influences to find a quality that places him beyond most mainstream fare. Yet, the results are always accessible. "I love all things Caribbean, but am honestly now more of a unique, mature hybrid of the Urban and the Island. My music shamelessly reflects that now, and as a result has become increasingly more difficult to categorize. But that's fine, because music itself has become so dispersed and boundless right now, that the old silly genre classifications are outdated.I believe both myself and my audience are ready." He says. LONGER HERE THAN THERE is very much its own special universe, crackling with its own eclectic energy. It invites its listener in and takes risks. And like most great risks taken, there is great reward at the end of the journey. Click the link below to hear "Longer Here Than There".
