David Kushner
BIOGRAPHY
“I talk to God and dance with Satan/I wish it was my imagination” “Flesh x Blood”
Multi-platinum singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist David Kushner’s epic, autobiographical, 17-song The Dichotomy, his full-length debut, tells the story of his own spiritual. philosophical and ultimately musical odyssey. The album takes us on a journey from alienation, despair and sin to a tentative acceptance of faith, while acknowledging that gnawing doubt will always exist. It’s a study in opposites, Kushner’s basso profundo vocals outlining a life in darkness, while a soaring falsetto offers glimpses of the divine light which continually beckons him. Like its title it is a study in opposites — God and Satan, light and darkness, good and evil, righteousness and sin, physical and spiritual, pleasure and pain — a meditation on mortality, internal conflict and the desire for awakening through revelation and transcendence.
“The music and songs came first, which led me to formulate the meaning of the full project,” explains the 24-year-old Chicago native, now living in Nashville, who built his multi-million social media presence on TikTok, first posting shirtless thirst-trap workout photos of his abs before segueing into giving life advice until finally embracing his destiny as a musician less than three years ago.
“The Lord exposes the deepest lies/And you bring me back to the light,” “Darkerside”
The initial focus track for radio is “Darkerside,” which finds Kushner asking a higher power to help guide him as part of The Dichotomy’s final section tracing his redemption. “The music is about my faith,” explained Kushner, “but it’s also about my various experiences, dealing in the human condition and finding personal meaning that applies to everyone.”
The roots of David’s music can be heard in the likes of Hozier’s fervent spirituality, Johnny Cash’s Man in Black fire-and-brimstone, Leonard Cohen’s sacred songs, Peter Gabriel’s world beat, Nick Cave’s gravitas and even his own early favorite U.K. singer-songwriter Tom Odell’s narrative facility, adding Imagine Dragons and OneRepublic as two bands he currently admires.
“Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time” “Daylight”
The Dichotomy is split into four individual sections, the first, comprised of five songs -- including “No High,” “Poison,” “Skin and Bones,” “Hero” and “You and Me” -- finds Kushner caught up in feelings of lust, jealousy, anger and desire, with demons including addiction and violence. The second section of five songs – “Love Is Going to Kill Us,” “Dead Man,” “Flesh x Blood,” “Sweet Oblivion” and “Buried at Sea” – delves into death, conflict and the desire for awakening. The third consists of three songs – “Humankind,” “Universe” and “Heaven Sees” -- which take a wider view of the world and humanity, exploring the existential meaning of life. The final four tracks – starting with the first single, “Darkerside” into “California Nights,” “Saving Your Soul” and “Daylight” – represent David coming full circle to themes of revelation, healing and entering the light, while still wondering, “I scream to God at night/Afraid that I just might/Be talking to yourself/And living in my hell.” Even at the point of accepting forgiveness, there’s a nagging uncertainty that can’t be fully suppressed as the struggle continues.
Among the top producers on the album are Steve Rusch [Beyonce, Diplo, Colbie Caillat, Solange, Logic], TMS [Lewis Capaldi, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, John Legend, G-Eazy, Bebe Rexha], Ojivolta [Kanye West, Playboi Carti, XXXTentacion, Lil Nas X, Justin Bieber, Halsey] and Rob Kirwan [Hozier’s “Take Me to the Church,” PJ Harvey, Local Natives, U2, Depeche Mode, Sneaker Pimps].
“My faith in God has been a foundational thing in my life,” he said. “I embrace that and write music I believe will touch people. I want to make the world a better place. Music is spiritual by nature; it leads us to a higher power. I’m just a vessel for these songs.”
The Dichotomy comes after an impressive start to David Kushner’s career. After working in his father’s life insurance business, David set his sights on establishing himself as an influencer, at first posting trendy videos and musical covers, then segueing into offering motivational life advice and encouragement to those suffering from mental illness and depression. His first two singles, “Miserable Man,” about a couple running away from a small town to find a larger purpose, and “Mr. Forgettable,” a narrative inspired by his grandfather’s bout with Alzheimer’s, attracted a following that ultimately surpassed what he had gathered as an influencer. Both tracks, which appeared on his 2022 debut EP, Footprints I Found, went viral on TikTok and earned gold certification, the former hitting the charts in Norway, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K.
“TikTok has been very important in spreading my music,” said Kushner, who has toured with Lauv, Dermot Kennedy and Dean Lewis and is set for a headlining jaunt himself next year in conjunction with the album’s release. “I definitely had not planned to market my music, but I knew TikTok would be a powerful tool to connect with an audience.”
“I’m spiraling down and out of control/There’s a war no one sees inside my soul,” “Darkerside”
“We’re not perfect, we never will be, and while we strive to be good, we’re never going to reach that because we’re only human,” concludes Kushner. “There is no resolution to that song, which fits the theme of the album.”
The Dichotomy expresses this conundrum in a coming-of-age tale that transcends individual experience to touch on the universal, the perfect antidote to the spiritual malaise threatening the modern world. After turning his faith into music, David Kushner is ready to take his vital message to the masses.