David Dondero
Biography David Dondero
David Dondero
is an American singer/songwriter. In 2006, NPR's All Songs Considered named Dondero one of the "best living songwriters" alongside Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and Tom Waits. Dondero's career began in the mid-1990's with the release of four records with Clemson, SC-based punk band Sunbrain- three on Grass Records and one on Ghostmeat Records. In 1997, Dondero joined This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb as their drummer. He left in 1998 to focus on solo material which was more folk in nature. He has since released eight albums - two on Ghostmeat (see below), three on Future Farmer Records and three on Conor Oberst's Team Love imprint. His ninth album, titled A Pre-existing Condition, will be released February 22, 2011 on Ghosmeat. Dondero is perpetually on tour and has shared the stage with such acts as Crooked Fingers, Jolie Holland, Against Me!, The Mountain Goats, Preston School Of Industry, Bright Eyes, Tilly and the Wall, Spoon and Willy Mason.
A Pre-existing Condition was recorded just outside Athens, GA with Rob Keller (Six String Drag) on upright bass and backing vocals, William Tonks (Bloodkin) on dobro and guitar and Russ Hallauer (Sunbrain) on mandolin and tenor banjo. The album distinguishes itself from other recent Dondero releases with exclusive use of acoustic instruments and extensive use of vocal harmony. Clay Leverett (Now It's Overhead) and Ken Will Morton also make guest appearances with backing vocals and harmonica respectively. The 13-track album features original compositions side by side with Dondero's interpretations of songs by artists such as Little Feat, Elizabeth Cotten, Charlie Pride, Neil Young, Woody Guthrie, Doug Sahm, Jawbreaker, Bob Dylan and Jimmie Rodgers.
"This is the sound of a man on fire. Smart, funny and honestly out of his mind; but he comes back long enough to sing about it. One of the best singer/songwriters I've ever heard." - Bob Boilen, NPR
"Dondero is this generation's Townes Van Zandt, a peripatetic tumbleweed casting across the country's highways and dirt roads searching for truth and love. His reedy tenor shuffles through clever verbal forays, over raga-muffin folk, brightened by Dondero's road-wizened stoicism" - Houston Chronicle
"He has a terrific ear and eye for simple detail, for spinning songs out of the mundane just as deftly as standards like love and loss." - David Bevan, Pitchfork
"His songs capture places in detail, but also the feeling that life can be about grabbing a hold of the wind (or of a song, as he sometimes phrases it) and seeing where it takes you." - Dave Headon, Pop Matters
