If Songwriter/Producer David Malloy wrote a book about his life, it would, no doubt, include the facts that his songs (either written and/or produced) have held the number one spot on the charts approximately 40 times, and in 2022 he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. There would be a chapter on his rich musical legacy that began with his late father Jim Malloy, a renowned engineer and producer. So, it does not seem too far-fetched that as a 15-year-old boy, Malloy knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life when he began writing songs.
Of course, a chapter would be devoted to the fact that the very first artist he ever produced was Eddie Rabbitt, whom he met through Eddie’s buddy and co-writer, Even Stevens. Malloy started co-writing with both Eddie Rabbitt and Stevens around the time of Eddie’s third album. From that time on, Malloy and Stevens penned over 50 songs together. As Rabbitt’s producer, Malloy is credited with creating the crossover-influenced sound of country music that defined the genre in the 80’s and well into the 90’s. Readers would be enchanted with tales of a rich career producing artists like Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Mindy McCready, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, and many others. Additionally, his songs have been recorded and/or covered on albums by Badfinger, Bettye LaVette, Billy Burnette, Dr. Hook, Fleetwood Mac, Gregg Allman Band, Julianne Hough, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Tim McGraw, Roy Orbison, and more.
However, the BIG reveal in the current chapter of such an auto-biographical book would come where Malloy discloses, that “of all the artists I have worked with, there is one artist I have never had the honor or privilege of producing or writing songs for…myself!”This newest chapter in the David Malloy book of life stars the longtime prolific songwriter and hit-making producer—now as the artist. “People have always encouraged me to write a book about my life but that is not something I am interested in,” Malloy shares. “This 43 minute, 3 second album titled Mirror consisting of 14 self-penned songs, is my book. It is a musical anthology and a profound look back at the highs and lows of my life.”
Mirror is a deeply personal collection of songs, capturing the music and the lyrics about some of Malloy’s most life-changing chapters. “The subjects are all life lessons dealing with joy, pain, and loss,”Malloy says of the album he co-produced with artist/musician Paul Childers. “I thought it would be hard to separate myself as an artist from the writer and then from the producer, but it turned out to be easy with Paul’s help. The collaboration was intuitive and magical.”
“I Play Gimme Shelter” the first single off the album, is a song that joyfully reminds the listener of their favorite song they like to play (loud) in the car or when they get home to shake off the day.“I love everything about the Rolling Stones’ song ‘Gimme Shelter.’ It sucks you in from the get-go. Some songs you can’t play loud enough and ‘Gimme Shelter’ and ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ are those songs for me. I wanted to write about how much I love them by creating my own song, ‘I Play Gimme Shelter.’ Of course, my greatest joy would be for the Stones to hear it. Long live rock and roll!”
“A Brand New Day,” the opening song on the album, is like waking up to the most beautiful day outside when the birds are singing, the sun is shining and the rhythm of the song makes you want to jump behind the wheel and drive! “It’s a song about second chances, making amends, one more time to get it right, letting go! I love this track and it always puts a smile on my face–the way I want to wake up every morning.”
The song “Higher Self” is a peek into Malloy’s self-discovery journey. He began practicing Transcendental Meditation several decades ago.
“Mason’s Wallet”, perhaps the most heartbreaking and emotionally driven song in the collection, is Malloy’s lyrical story that shares the path of grief he walked after losing his only son in 2005 and the unexpected sense of closure that began to happen after Malloy listened to Luke Bryan talking about how tight he was with his siblings before losing his brother first and then his sister. “Luke’s documentary helped me find some closure where I could begin to write about my loss and about my son. The more I worked on the song, the more my feelings came pouring out. I felt Mason was right there with me.”
In “Only For You,” Malloy lets the listener bear witness to “a simple, ordinary, sweet as cherry, let’s get married extraordinary love” that he found with his beautiful and talented wife Kathy Anderson, Nashville’s celebrity rock star interior designer, almost 20 years ago.”
Throughout his career, Malloy has been lauded for his technique of “becoming” the artist he was writing for or producing, similar to an actor. Many agree that this was a key to his success. With the upcoming 2024 release of Mirror, Malloy no longer has to become someone else, but simply let the listeners have a glimpse of the exceptional man he has become. “To connect soul to soul would be the highest achievement I could ever hope for with my listeners.”
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