Biog

David Youngs is a multi-instrumentalist based in Cambridge, UK. In recent years he has been focusing intensely on the acoustic guitar, developing a percussive, finger-style approach to produce instrumental works often featuring unusual yet accessible time signatures and scales.

His contemporary, progressive playing has been compared to that of the late great Eric Roche, crossed with touches of the freedom and lightness heard on Michael Hedges’ early works. In 2011, David was fortunate enough to attend a study workshop with Preston Reed (“widely thought of as the world’s most gifted guitarist” – Total Guitar) and he continues to develop his style to further what has been an entertaining and personal musical journey to date.

Reviewers of his acoustic guitar work commented that he seemed to have ‘appeared fully formed out of nowhere’, although in reality his début solo guitar album ‘Transience’ was the product of many years of study and adaptation of drum and bass guitar rudiments for incorporation into his finger-picked acoustic guitar style.

From the outset, David focused on melodic structure and groove to maintain a mindful balance between technique and musicality. R2 Magazine described his debut release as ‘ a disc of virtuoso playing that somehow manages to avoid even the slightest whiff of showing off…. technique in the service of a good time’, while Sound On Sound Magazine commented similarly that ‘his extraordinary technical ability is married with genuine compositional talent, so that nothing here comes across as empty showboating’.

Continuing to compose following this maxim, David is currently recording his next CD in the studio and continues to perform live at arts festivals, acoustic clubs, guitar festivals and music pubs to promote his music and meet new musical friends.

In addition to his guitar work, David also plays the Halo tuned steel pan – a very special instrument indeed – and has also recorded a 4-track EP featuring some of his recent work.  More information coming soon!