David Meulen embarks on a solo career

The singer-songwriter received his first guitar when he was six years old and music has been a way of life ever since.

“I play my guitar endlessly,” he says.

“Quite honestly, I’m not quite sure what to do with my hands otherwise.”

NEW DIRECTION. Former Dividable Grand frontman David Meulen pursues a solo career.
Pictures: Supplied

Meulen has been entertaining local audiences for some time as a member of the rock band Dividable Grand. When that group disbanded, he felt the need to reinvent himself.

“I went on a long road trip alone, out to nowhere. I wrote endlessly, discovering new music and new experiences. Many of the songs on my debut solo album are the result of that road trip,” he says.

Returning from his travels, he enlisted the help of old friend and talented producer Brendyn “Rusti” Rossouw, of Heritage Sound studios.

“He loved the tracks, gave his two cents, and then myself, him, and Jessi Howell (who co-wrote many of the lyrics on the album) went down to Knysna for two weeks’ preproduction. Two months later and here we are,” adds Meulen.

Since the release of his debut album @davidmeulen, its first single, Remember Me, has received extensive airplay on KFM and has been selected as the theme song on the local property show Show House (DStv channel 176).

He says: “I knew the song had radio potential but I didn’t know it would play for this long.”

When asked about the meaning behind the song, he says: “I prefer people to fit their own meaning to my songs. They can let me know what they think it means, or what special meaning it has for them.

“Never read lyrics like an autobiography, because you never know where they actually came from. The songwriting process really begins with just living life. The beauty of music is you get a glimpse as to how the writer views the world. That’s far more insightful than listing experiences you’ve had. Although I get a lot of inspiration from my past experiences, those memories are never captured perfectly.”

Meulen’s focus has been on creating a very natural sound, combining his voice and his guitar.

He concludes: “We made sure not to include anything that needn’t be there.”