David James Allen
Music
On his latest single, “By Your Side,” Canadian singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David James Allen provides a soothing balm for anyone experiencing tough times. Built upon an easy-flowing groove and featuring the soaring pedal steel work of Andrew Ivens, Allen sings with honest conviction that any of life’s trials can be overcome through love and commitment. “By Your Side” is the latest preview of Allen’s forthcoming album Jubilation Potpourri, following “Platform No. 12 (Old Friends),” which was added to Sirius XM’s North Americana and CBC Music’s Canadian Country playlists.
Free
Details
David James Allen has been releasing music for more than a decade, but over the past several years—after moving east of Toronto to the wilds of Prince Edward County—he has been startlingly prolific. Beginning with 2017’s When The Demons Come and carrying on through 2020’s Radiations and the following year’s The Architect, Allen has been steadily amassing a remarkable body of work that stands alongside those of any of his Canadian contemporaries. He cites Canadian poets Al Purdy and Nelson Ball for inspiring many of his lyrics, with a predominant theme being the perils of hard living. Musically, whether channelling the rootsy funk of The Band and Bill Withers, or delivering a devastating ballad in the style of Townes Van Zandt and Harry Nilsson, David James Allen’s music is built upon a soulful foundation few of his contemporaries possess, putting him firmly at the vanguard of the alt-country/Americana scene.
