“You could call this a murder ballad.As part of a collection of songs about economics, this one is the most abstract of the bunch. Its ties to the theme are more tonal than literal, more ethereal than material.”
“I found myself preoccupied with something I had read about brokers in the midst of a financial meltdown, paralysed by fear, refusing to answer the telephone calls of clients as their investments melted away. This feeling of helplessness is universal. I wanted to translate that emotion and apply it to matters of the heart, in a place more fittingly cold, dark, and swampy. This song is all about what we don’t know, don’t see.
In economics, a perfect market can only exist when all parties have complete and accurate information. I would suggest this to be a rare or even impossible situation in any human interaction and I wanted this story to be about a world falling apart as a result of the not knowing. I don’t know the character in the song, where he is, what he’s done, just that he’s in trouble. This could be a murder ballad but I don’t even know if there’s been a murder, and I wrote the damn thing. I wanted to suggest a large and complicated canvas viewed only in short flashes by the narrow beam of a flashlight. The harsh reality of imperfect information.
Or maybe it’s just a sweet song with a badass guitar solo, it works for me either way.”
—David Ford
David Ford is no stranger to the music scene, however you’d be forgiven if you haven’t heard his name until now. Despite a decade long career, Ford has remained defiantly under the mainstream radar, slowly building a dedicated fanbase behind the scenes. Fast forward to 2018 and Ford is back with a brand new album, Animal Spirits, and we have the pleasure of premiering his next single ‘Why Don’t You Answer Your Telephone?’ exclusively on The Vinyl District.
The single is a blues-filled anthem from the offset, filled with twangy guitar riffs, wonderfully soulful choral harmonies, and Ford’s gritty lead vocals leading the way. Ford is known for his heart-wrenching songwriting skills and this is clearly visible in “Why Don’t You Answer Your Telephone?” The power and emotion in each lyric he sings is second to none and will certainly leave chills down your spine—so be prepared.
Over the past ten years, Ford has supported the likes of Elvis Costello, Ray Lamontague and Aqualung to name but a few. Where he’s been hiding, we’re not sure, but we are certainly impressed and can’t wait to hear more from the multi-talented artist.
Animal Spirits is in stores on 11th May 2018 via AntiFragile Music.
