Music
Press
Times Like These
The cover image of Times Like These sports a family photo of well-dressed tots by the Christmas tree, circa the late 50’s. One can speculate on the connection to the music contained inside, whose lyrics sometimes refer to emotional circuitry based on nostalgia and self-discovery. But the music itself is grounded liess in time like the ones we’re in than it harkens back to a certain sector of ‘70s pop when there was still a band sense but also smart touches of jazz chords and melodic twists. That crafty keyboard-oriented pop line that runs up through Ben Folds and the like.
Lead singer-songwriter Dave Hetrick is a handy man in the studio and behind a pen who cooks up rockers like “Remember”, Dan-esque funkers like “Don’t Waste My Time”, and flexes a melancholic muscle on “In-between”. It’s a pleasure to hear music grounded in actual keyboards, i.e. a real Rhodes, piano, and even organ, played by Marianna Hetrick.
The prize here is the art-pop mini-epic of a title track, with it’s cleanly articulated scheme of syncopated low Rhodes chords and a bridge with a thickened plot, and actual Mellotron in the mix. For things actual here, including honest music making, we commend you!
Santa Barbara Independent
- Santa Barbara Independent
If you're not familiar with David Hetrick, you should be. This guy is a multi-facted artist who's the real deal - and those are nearly impossible to come by in these days of "copy artist" and MBA record execs. Get the CD, listen to it three or four times and you will see there are multiple layers within each song that will continue to show you something new with each listen. This is also a great album to turn your friends on to - they will thank you for it.
Reviewer: Christopher Zerbe - Making Music Magazine
Over-all, this cd is a plethora of vibrant, yet soulful melodies combed through with a resilience that, at times, made me laugh. The song '21', left me with a pretty funny visual. Noahs Song was pleasantly remeniscent of a friend of mine, who also died at a young age. Outro was 'da-bomb'!! This cd was masterfully arranged with an array of licks and unique vibes. GREAT ALBUM!! - CD Baby
Discography
Albums by David Hetrick
Four Words 2009 BEAGLErecords
Deeds 2006 BEAGLErecords
Times Like These 2001 BEAGLErecords
Photos
Bio
David draws a lot from his up-bringing in a small town in the
Midwest. The values of the Bible belt while character building could also be stifling creatively. His family's strict religious lifestyle offered a strong work ethic albeit with a guilt-ridden sensibility. David's ironic sense of humor lends itself in part to his ability to find hilarity in circumstances from his childhood as in the odd jobs he held as a teen and living in a place that he never really felt he belonged "see Trade". He worked as a farm hand performing many maligned chores including pulling chickens, detassling corn and trimming pine trees with a machete. He worked in the family business at a Texaco station with no aptitude or interest in the automotive field and mixed paint after being diagnosed as colorblind.
David began playing the piano, acoustic guitar and the drums at an early age. Though he was most accomplished in drums and percussion through high school and college, he craved the creative freedom of a singer-songwriter as well as the front and center attention garnered by a front-man.
After college, David moved to California where he built “Beagle Studios.” He produced and recorded over 100 artists in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles area including: Kenny Loggins, Woody Harrelson, John Patitucci, Alan Parsons, Snot, members of The Beach Boys, The Moody Blues, Toto, Fleetwood Mac and many others. He also served as a studio musician and played live with many area bands including the popular California favorite “Spencer the Gardener”. David toured with “Spencer” as a percussionist for three years, peaking with a featured performance on “Good Morning America.”
David played most of the instruments on “Four Words”. He also wrote, produced, and recorded all of ‘Four Words’. Most of the writing occurred during his travels around the world over the last 5 years. “At any given time I’ll have 20 or 30 musical ideas or lyrical topics I’m working on, but completely finishing any particular one is what I find most difficult.” David said, “The frequent isolation of travel helped me focus on these songs enough to finally consider ten of them finished.”
Recording the CD was also challenging. “there was a lot of running back and forth between the recording console and whatever instrument I was playing/recording” Hetrick relates, “while it was often a pain in the butt and didn’t always result in the best takes, I guess I wouldn’t have had it any other way. While the CD isn’t perfect, it’s definitely all mine.”
After a recent move to Austin Texas, David won first place in the Austin Songwriters Group's annual contest in the Rock category for the song 'Running Out Of Time'.
David is employed by KRK Systems as Director of Worldwide Sales and lives in Austin, TX with Marianna and their two beagles Shiloh and Junior. He is currently playing showcases in the greater Austin area and booking the same around the globe.
Links
