Dave Renegade: Haunted Heart

(Self-released)

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Singer songwriter Dave Renegade harnesses a life-long passion for music and his experiences of playing with numerous bands throughout his life by finally releasing a solo album, Haunted Heart. As a deep exploration of the darker side of the human psyche, there is little doubt that this stripped down acoustically based collection of songs is a deeply introspective journey which draws on the influence of some of his rock’n’roll heroes who have inspired him over the years.

Like so many musicians from his generation, first hearing the wild, uninhibited and high energy rush of the Sex Pistols proved to be a turning point in the very young life of Dave Renegade. It was clearly a moment that shaped a very early career ambition to become a musician with his early teenage years focused on drums and then guitar. This young talent eventually went on to play guitar and later bass in a number of bands over the decades that were to follow, with the focus very much being on punk and glam tinged rock’n’roll.

Along the way Dave absorbed so much of the music that surrounded his particular scene, building strong influences from a whole range of artists as diverse as Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Thunders, Nikki Sudden and Dave Kusworth. Given these are all inspiration songwriters in their own right, with so many songs focused on delving deep into raw human emotions, it was perhaps inevitable that this theme would start to infiltrate Dave’s own songwriting which finally started to see the light of day once Dave rediscovered his own voice and turned to his acoustic guitar as a means of releasing some pent-up emotions.

All of this has now crystallised into the form of Dave’s new solo album, Haunted Heart, which is a collection of songs very much crafted from his own life experiences as well as being focused on, as Dave explains, “the darker side of the human psyche, exploring the downside of life, the emotional experiences that we will have all felt at some point.” To add to the emotive spirit of the album, Dave stripped back the sound to focus principally on his acoustic guitar and vocals, taking stock of his view that “If it doesn’t sound good on just an acoustic guitar, it’s not a good song.” The only further augmentation to the sound was through some piano, bass and guitar added by Pete Kosanovich who also produced the album.

In the opening song, Just Because You’re Gone (Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Love You), Dave wastes no time in wearing his heart on his sleeve as he pays a heartfelt loving tribute to his father. Fronted by a beautiful acoustic guitar, a sombre piano and haunting harmonies, this first song written for the album certainly provides a very poignant pathway for all that is to follow. Title track Haunted Heart is just Dave on guitar and vocals focusing very much on the longing for a lost love, something which obviously came from deep within Dave’s soul as he only realised he was writing about himself once the song was finished. In a similar vein, What’s Going On With You? explores the complexities of a failed relationship, which relays feelings that will resonate with so many.

Whilst set within a brightly coloured guitar riff which in some ways harks back to the sound of early Beatles recordings, I Can’t Find You (You’re Not There) creates a real air of mystery with a strong sense of self-reflection running through the narrative, almost as if Dave is looking at himself in a mirror and not recognising the person he once was, declaring “I can’t find you, I’m getting scared.” Of course we may all reflect back on our lives and crave our younger selves at times but whatever the intention here, it is a beautifully crafted thought-provoking piece. I will leave it to you to make your own mind up about the songs real focus!

So Many Hearts is a heartfelt tribute to the late, great Dave Kusworth and is performed with the dark and melancholy vibe which characterised so much of Kusworth’s work yet still having an uplifting charm that somehow penetrates the reflective mood created by the sound which is augmented by Pete on lead guitar and bass. Both verses in the song open with the title of one of Kusworth’s best known songs ‘Hearts are like flowers’ which immediately sets the tone for the jangly acoustic guitars and shimmering 12 string that follow. Dave explains its creation as follows, “When I first heard the sad news of Mr Kusworth’s passing, it came as a great shock. In the weeks that followed I started writing this song for Dave. I decided early on that I would write it in the style of one of Dave’s musical projects (and one of my favourite groups), the Jacobites, founded alongside Nikki Sudden in 1984.”

Absent Friends proves a very touching tribute to three close friends of Dave’s who died within three months of each other which, whilst fostering a deep feeling of sadness, also celebrates the memory of those who have passed through the warm and sincere tones in his vocals. The End Of The Line plunders Dave’s innermost Johnny Cash vibes to express similar sentiments. Things take a more personal twist through the deep emotive tones of The Emotion Well with the deep-seated baseline almost emphasising the sense of pain, whilst the urgency of the lead guitar refrains shout out almost like a cry for help. At least the brighter vibe conveyed through the acoustic in Doesn’t Mean A Thing To Me suggests some sense of acceptance that we all have to move on whatever has happened in the past.

This sense of turning the corner continues through the poignant ballad, Scattering The Ashes (Of Our Love), opening with the line “Today is the first day of the rest of my life” bringing with it a real sense of closure to whatever has gone before, with Dark Is The Night going on to offer the first opportunity for some late night reflection within a clearer head. Meanwhile A Tiny White Feather is a song inspired by a book about the last year of John Lennon’s life in which Julian Lennon suggested that his Dad had said if anything bad happened to him he would send him a sign in the form of a tiny white feather floating. Remarkably it was only sometime much later that Dave realised that he wrote the song on the 8th December, the anniversary of John’s death.

Power And Healing is another song with a strong Kusworth vibe as Dave reflects on the power of music to touch people’s hearts in ways that they couldn’t even imagine were possible. This is very much reflective of the cathartic experience that writing and recording this album must have been for Dave as he concludes, “if we can just keep that feeling everything is gonna be OK.” It’s a song Dave always dedicates to Jesse Malin when performed live, given Jesse’s ongoing mantra of PMA which has shone through his own recent life experience of showing so much determination and resilience to overcome a debilitating spinal stroke.

The Hurtful Kind drifts with a haunting melancholy as Dave explores the deep emotional feelings of receiving sudden and unexpected news of the loss of a friend. And then as we move into the final song on the album, Shipwrecks (Just You & I) allows Dave to take some time out on his own to reflect back on the difficult journey that has played out through this collection of songs. As Dave comments, “I liken it to sitting in a bench alone at 3am over-looking sea alone with my thoughts.”

Haunted House is a hauntingly beautiful yet hard hitting collection of songs which documents a journey through so much deep personal grief, full of so many poignant and hurtful moments which are reflected through its narrative. It’s an album imbued with a deeply introspective spirit as well as a real sense of honesty which shines through its grooves. Through ploughing the deepest valleys of human emotion Dave Renegade has created his very own brand of deadly romantic dark melancholy which is a fine tribute to his influential mentors which he holds in such high esteem. And perhaps through this album the wandering minstrel that is Dave Renegade has finally found his home.

Aside from his normal day job and performing live either solo or with a band, Dave Renegade can also be heard on his weekly radio show, the ‘Dark Heart of Camden’ which was first founded in March 2012 and now airs on here every Wednesday 9pm-midnight. You will no doubt hear songs from this album alongside so many other new releases from new and emerging talent.

You can buy the album here.

You can find Dave Renegade on Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.

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All words by Ian Corbridge. You can find more of his writing at his author profile here.