In a world where the gap between artist and music lover is non-existent, David Nail posted a request on Facebook: to tell him the songs that take you back, that put you in the moment – and he was surprised by the breadth and depth of responses. Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Denver, Will Smith, Def Leppard, Stephen Stills, Sara Bareilles, Eric Clapton, Puddle of Mudd, and Stevie Wonder were among the artists fans listed as the storytellers of the songs that bring their memories to life.
As “The Sound of a Million Dreams” cracks the Top 40 at country radio, the list of songs and stories that inspire his fans just keeps growing. In fact, the Grammy-nominated vocalist is hoping people will Tweet him (@davidnail) to tell him which songs, what memories, and the last time they experienced the miracle of how songs transform moments.
“Some people tell me about karaoke memories,” says Nail, “and other people tell me about friends who were killed, grandparents who passed on, the girl who left them… the stories are so personal and often a long time ago, yet when they hear a song on the radio, it’s like it’s happening again… right in that moment. The more stories I hear, the more responses I wanna see.”
“The Sound of A Million Dreams,” written by Scooter Carusoe (“Anything But Mine,” “Better As A Memory”) and Phil Vassar (“I’m Alright,” “Just Another Day In Paradise”), is about a girl from long ago, but it’s also about being a young buck ready to stake his claim, going for it, and coming home with his tail between his legs. More importantly, it’s also a celebration of the way unconditional love abides, even when life implodes – and how the radio can bring it all into focus with one certain song.
On Nail’s Facebook page, one fan cited “Amanda” by Don Williams as their touchstone song, saying “I can still my Daddy’s asthmatic voice singing this song,” while someone else named, “Holes in the Floor of Heaven” with “Both times I found out each of my grandparents died, that song was playing. Sad, but true. And both times, it was raining.” Also, “Freebird” was listed with “Brings me back to spreading my dad’s ashes on my mother’s grave. I can picture it clearly.”
“You don’t always think about that stuff,” says Nail. “Because it’s what happens to the song after you sing it… It goes into the world, and then it becomes the people who live their lives in your music. I don’t think a lot of us realize – and reading these stories on Facebook and Twitter has sure given me a sense I’m not the only one who’s life is captured on the radio.”
Nail, called “Stunning” by Billboard and hailed by The Washington Post as “country’s most limber and soulful (singer) this side of Ronnie Dunn,” takes a break from his tour with Bully Currington and Kip Moore to play a handful of solo dates in Texarkana, AR (5/11), Myrtle Beach, SC (5/16) and Ashville, NC (5/17) this month.
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