Hey guys!
This one’s special to me.
When I initially wrote “Search You,” I didn’t believe I was any good at this music thing (still don’t really think so haha)… but I was beginning to embrace the fact that songwriting and producing was my version of journaling. My version of mentally and emotionally dumping out the darkness that floods my mind every chance it gets.
When I initially wrote “Search You,” it wasn’t titled “Search You”… it was named “Soliloquy.”
When I initially wrote “Search You,” it wasn’t a song. It was just a little ditty I could play on the ukulele whenever I needed to comfort myself.
Enter David, stage Portland.
Gosh, I could go on and on about this guy (and his bro!), but to keep things focused on this subject, you should know three things:
- He has vocal cords strung by angels.
- The melodies he comes up with never fail to achieve “wait, sing/play that again” status.
- Technically, he’s my first cuzzo, but he’s more of a brother.
That means whenever I think I have something musical that has even the slightest bit of potential, I always run it by him. So I sent him a voice memo of a mistimed ukulele and pitchy voice. Lol, bless his ears.
At first, I thought he was just being nice, but his response was somewhere along the lines of “this is the best I think you’ve ever written.” Along with making my day he asked to help me flesh it out both lyrically and melodically and let me tell you, writing a few words that rhyme and actually sound pretty good together got me more hype than any math or science problem I’ve ever solved. I was bouncing off the walls so much we had to go on a walk and get some ice cream to cool me down.
A little time passes and he asks if he can share the song with his main songwriting partner and Nashville mentor, Ron. Another guy I’d love to talk about but just know you can physically feel calmed by this man’s aura when you’re in his presence. Long story short, Ron wanted in and within the week we were at his place having a conversation about this random, little ditty. Idk that’s just not a place I ever expected myself to be, yet it was a place that felt like I should be…
Anyway, Ron asks me, “what do you want for this song?” Not really understanding what he meant, I answered “for it to be better!” Lol, bless his ears… but what he was really asking was if I wanted this to be a passion project. Was it something meant solely for me or was it something that could mean something to others too?
So we finished the song, David recorded a demo on his phone and we went about our business as usual for weeks.
Later that summer, David invited me out to Nashville to hang for a few days after his songwriter’s workshop (shoutout Barbara Cloyd and friends!) and we had a crazy time. Writing songs with strangers (at the time), exploring the city, but the pinnacle of the trip was getting David in as a performer at The Bluebird Cafe! Just to mention a few names that were “discovered” (loose-term) at The Bluebird – Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks and Keith Urban – I wasn’t there so don’t hold me to it; however, the reputation precedes itself.
The morning of, David, his good friend Scotty and I each called almost a hundred times just to try to squeeze David in as a performer and after what seemed like hours, we were able to get him in! That entire day after the calls, David kept asking me what he thinks he should perform and I simply kept steering him to stick to his guns and play his heart out.
After a hot, sweaty wait outside with some of the other performers, we were able to get in and get the show rolling. I don’t remember what number David was given but eventually that number was called and he got to go up to a stage of his dreams. The supportive cousin I am, I get set up at a good angle to broadcast him live on IG. I noticed that he was warming up a little differently than I expected but didn’t put two and two until he struck that first chord. The intro to “Search You” began to reverberate around The Bluebird Cafe as every muscle in my entire body seized up like I had just been dunked in an ice bath. I felt like I was crying but nothing was coming out. I felt like I was shaking but somehow the video came out just fine…
He used his first song on a stage of his dreams to play a little ditty-diary entry born in the mind of the weirdo typing this. Yeah, I know he has more chances to play there. Yeah, I know this one event probably won’t lead to any sort of professional opportunity. Yeah, I know these are just words. But damn. I knew instantly this was something I would cherish for the rest of my life. What a freakin’ day. What a freakin’ special day… I’ve said it a million times, but thanks, DJ. I really needed that.
So yeah, the answer to Ron’s question about what I wanted for the song? It was that.
This song is meant to be a hug for those that need it. This song is meant to be a reminder that you have the ability to ease yourself towards less self-deprecating and less self-destructive mindset. And of course, this song is meant to be a BOP lol. Go dance that pain away!
So without further ado… for those that need it:
“Search You” feat. David Unlayao
Special thanks to: David (Writer, Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), Ron (Writer), Holly (Flute), Christian, and countless other friends and family who’ve lent an ear to help this song grow.
✌️‘n Carrots,