Nowadays, there’s pressure on artists to produce art that feels broad strokes. Pieces that aren’t specific to a place or time, with the hopes of it reaching the widest audience possible (i.e. the approach of producing “content”).

But what happens when an artist does the opposite? When they not only lean into where they’re from, but also unflinchingly share a life experience that’s hyper-specific to them and their community? For Irish singer-songwriter/visual artist David Balfe (aka For Those I Love), that endeavor has been second nature. But like all great artists, it hasn’t come without a cost, the act of pouring so much pain into works. The end result has been two uncompromising and exhilarating bodies of work, the Choice Prize winning self-titled/debut album (released in 2021) and his latest album, Carving A Stone (released this year). Across this episode, we chat about the depths of those works, how moments of light can seep into times of grief, and our beautiful relationships with his native Ireland.
As mentioned within the episode, you absolutely should listen to Four by Dave’s friend Paul S. Curran here via SoundCloud. You can also check out my old episode with Eloi Youssef here (thank you again to the people of The Netherlands for all the love this year!).