The world of NASCAR has changed a lot over the years.  What was once a majority blue collar sport of gearheads and fast cars has now turned into a multi-billion dollar business, encompassing drivers, crews, and fans from all walks of life.  It is a sport for the masses now, breaking out of its Southern roots, bringing together drivers and fans worldwide, with different upbringings and interests. 

With these changes in the sport comes an ever-evolving fanbase, and I count myself proud to be part of that.  But, NASCAR is not the only extra curricular activity that I love, as I still put music above the love of NASCAR (sorry guys).  If only you people could see my old tape collection, the books and books and books of CD’s that are stacked in our apartment in Chicago, and the fully stocked 160 gig iPod that I cherish above most of my worldly possessions. 

A couple of months ago, my girlfriend and I got a call from a friend who was going to be playing a show with a fellow by the name of David Berkeley at a local venue.  So, we geared up and went to check it out…and we absolutely loved what we saw and heard. 

David Berkeley is an extremely talented singer/songwriter, originally from Jersey (just like Martin Truex, Jr.).  His lyrics are emotive and his songs sound as if they were crafted by someone much older than he.  There is an engaging and heartfelt quality to his voice that is such a fresh perspective in this over-produced American Idol singer world in which we currently live, and there is something much more visceral than what is being pumped out of studios that rely on voice modulation and pro-tools to make the formulaic pop nonsense that passes as popular music now. 

You can find David Berkeley online at www.davidberkeley.com and also at his myspace.   David has four albums out, all of which are available on CDBaby and iTunes.  Recently, he was interviewed and played some songs on NPR’s “This American Life” and had his song “Fire Sign” featured on an episode of the CBS drama Without A Trace.

After the show in Chicago, David and I spoke and I mentioned that I write columns for a NASCAR site.  I asked what he knew about the sport, and he said, truthfully, that it was not a whole lot.  Regardless, I asked if he would allow me to interview him, ask him a little about NASCAR, some about his music, and poke into his personal life.  He was gracious enough to agree, and even though he is busy enough with his music, his wife and son, and a recent move, he answered my questions.  

So, without further ado, here’s a Friday diversion for all of you.

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Patterson Belser:  What's the latest story with you?

David Berkeley:  I suppose the latest story is that I just bought a used car from Randy Pobst. Heard of him?  Not NASCAR, but as close as I've come.

And the other story is that I have a new record called Strange Light that is unofficially available now on iTunes and through my site, www.davidberkeley.com.



PB:  What did you get from Randy Pobst?

DB:  I bought a used 2002 VW Golf hatchback (navy blue, manual) from Randy.  Not as sexy as you might have hoped.  But, I did drive in tandem with him for a while, and he was hard to keep up with.

PB:  How did you wind up attending Harvard?

DB:  Harvard?  A lot of people make that mistake.  It was Hartford not Harvard.  Sorry to disappoint.

Just kidding.  It was Harvard.  And I'm not sure how it happened, but I do know that I spent most of my time their courting a particular girl and not going to my classes.  I also know that I picked one of the only careers where a Harvard degree doesn't matter a lick.  I studied literature and philosophy.  And I definitely learned a lot about how to write lyrics from my studies.  I didn't learn how to write pop/candy lyrics.  But I do think I learned the difference between good and bad poetry.



PB:  According to your website, you are married and have recently had a kid.  How are you enjoying being a husband and dad?

DB:  It is by far the greatest part of my life.  And virtually all the songs I write are to some extent about one or both of them.  It does make touring more complicated, as I don't want to be away from them for too long.  But it also keeps me sane and grounded.  Traveling a lot and playing shows is exhilarating, but it can make you lose your footing and your sense of what's important.  Without Jackson and Sarah, it would be a pretty empty existence.



PB:  At what point did you decide to say, “Screw it all, I want to be a musician for a living”?

DB:  I started singing early (literally when I was 4, I sang door-to-door with my babysitter who walked me around the neighborhood hoping that my voice would help her sell Avon products).  But I decided to be a musician when I realized that playing guitar and singing did more to attract the members of the opposite sex than anything else I knew how to do.  I started writing songs when my heart was broken badly in college.  And I really became committed to it as a career while recording my first record in 2001 and, with the help of my guitarist and producer Alex Weinstein, believing in my songs and voice in a serious way for the first time in my life.



PB:  Did you ever think about pursuing any other career in lieu of traveling musician?

DB:  Yes.  And I still do.  I wish I could tell you that I considered racing, but actually I considered being a public school teacher (which I did for a bit in Brooklyn), and I was a travel writer for a while and a river rafting guide - both of which had and have great appeal.  I also really love food.  And sometimes I think I could be more successful if I just wrote about food I eat on the road.



PB:  The last time we saw you play in Chicago, you mentioned that you are currently living in France.  Can you enlighten us a little more on where you are and how you wound up there?

DB:  The village is called Tralonca.  It's in the mountains on the island of Corsica (which is French - where Napoleon was born).  35 people live there - including me, my wife and my son Jackson.  We moved there because my wife is an anthropologist and that was where she chose to do her fieldwork.  So Jackson and I went with her.  We spend a lot of time eating blood sausage among shepherds and singing on the tops of mountains.



PB:  As far as the sport of NASCAR goes, have you ever watched a race or paid attention to the hijinks?

DB:  I must say that I have never been to a race.  That may change soon.  I have watched them (or parts of them) on TV.



PB:  What is your general impression of the world of NASCAR?

DB:  I can say that my wife would be pleased if I had to fuel up at regular intervals.  I have a tendency to push a tank to fumes.  Not sure why.  And we've run out of gas twice together.

The first was in Brooklyn where we rolled into a gas station (which for me marked a perfectly used tank). 

The second was on the interstate between Chattanooga and Nashville.  We were on the way to a gig.  I convinced her to come, although she was pregnant.  We broke down with barely a shoulder, trucks flying by.  We had to hitchhike a couple miles and then walk back with a jug of fuel across a mosquito infested bog behind a Wendy's.  We then had to climb over a fence.  Did I mention that my wife was pregnant?

I lost a lot of driving credibility that day.  And now if NASCAR is on the TV, I always hear some sort of remark about how those guys know how to handle a car.



PB:  The movie "Days of Thunder": Totally Brilliant or Complete Horsepoo?

DB:  I don't know what the consensus is on this one, but I have to go with complete horsepoo.  But maybe that has more to do with my feelings about Tom Cruise than anything else.



PB:  Are you currently working on a new album or new music?  Is fatherhood changing your songwriting perspective in any way?

DB:  My new record, Strange Light, is just out now, so I don't expect to release another new one anytime soon.  But I am writing a lot at the moment - songs about Corsica.  Being a father makes me want to write songs that are more direct, perhaps.  I write more emotional songs.  And I think a lot more about what kind of world I want my son to grow up
in, and that influences what I write.



PB:  When are you planning to make it back for another tour through the states?

DB:  I expect to tour this spring.  Dates will be at www.davidberkeley.com.

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Thanks again, David.