David Lapsley

David was born and raised in Terrebonne, Oregon, just south of Mount Hood. He started playing music at age 11 when his brother showed him a pink floyd song on acoustic guitar. He fell in love with the guitar and bluegrass music. He was addicted from that point onward. After starting up a country/classic rock cover band in 8th grade with his brothers, they started to figure out that it was a pretty great way to make money. David appeared in bars and festivals in the 1990's and opened for Diamond Rio, Chris LeDoux, Jack Ingram and the beat up ford band, Fred Eaglesmith, Doug Supernaw, Mark Chesnut, Molly Hatchet, Brian White. After senior year of high school, the band parted ways as young bands so often do.

David decided it was time to venture out and take a chance at making music his life. Many music professionals had told him that the first step was to move to Nashville, TN. So on March 3rd, 1997 he caught a lift and after a 49-hour ride in a 1969 dodge flatbed farm truck, he made it to Tennessee. "I only had $60.00, a telecaster, and a Super Reverb and knew about 4 people when I arrived. I stayed with my friends and slept in my car sometimes." While staying in East Nashville, he discovered he was living three doors down from newly signed recording artist Sara Evans. (She had previously been the super talented but still unknown lead singer of the North Santiam Band back in Oregon). She had just completed her traditional country record, "Three Chords and the Truth" (RCA/produced by Pete Anderson). Sara needed a guitar player, so for the next two years David played guitar and steel with Sara, touring across the US and Canada opening shows for Patty Loveless, George Jones, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill. He appeared on a popular TV show called "Prime Time Country with Gary Chapman” and on MTV, live from Roberts Western World. Also, David can be seen in Sara's "Crying Game" music video*. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXDbY3Vi4ss)

Since then he has played/produced demos and sessions for singers and songwriters in Nashville and toured with various artists, signed and unsigned. David currently plays lead guitar for Universal Records- Kip Moore, and Pedal Steel guitar for Sony/BNA Recording Artist- Chris Janson.
David quotes his influences as being from a pretty broad spectrum. "My parents were both musicians back in the 50's so I got a big dose of big band and doo-wop music and my dad loved him some Chet Atkins and Roy Clark, which I appreciate more and more every day. My brothers are about 15-20 years older than me so I heard a lot of guys like Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Angus Young, The Allman Brothers, all the way to doc Watson, Tony Rice, Ron Block, and then Chris Thile, Sam Bush for mandolin influence. I listened to Mike Johnson and Bruce Bouton, Dan Dugmore for pedal steel influences."
Growing up way out west meant that everywhere you wanted to go, a road trip was in order. "My dad was a truck driver at the time. My mom says I slept in the truck bunk night after night, from a very young age,"he remembers. "I guess that’s why I easily conk out when on a plane or bus." "We used to go 120 miles round trip to church every week so my mother and father used to sing to pass the time... in the old, wood paneled, green station wagon is where I learned to sing harmony."
"Total sob story... our house burned completely to the ground when I was 5 so I learned a lot about losing everything from a young age. I guess that’s where I learned the blues, really."

*It was at these television and video sets that David found an interest in the film making process. In 2000, he got a job in the Art department working as a freelance set dresser and set builder. "I had experience with construction jobs and I wasn't afraid to work so they hired me. I have worked as a set dresser for 10 years now in Nashville. I have rubbed elbows with rock stars and helped to make some great music videos and movies...being a freelance worker also allows me to pursue music as a career since I make my own schedule."