Life in Hollywood isn't fair. Household names snag the headlines while lesser known -- sometimes equally exceptional -- artists struggle to be heard. So it feels like victory when an underdog finally gets a break and captures the attention of a superstar.
Los Angeles audiences have enjoyed a steady flow of laughs and poignancy when treated to the music of David Lucky, a composer/pianist whose sandpaper-dipped-in-honey vocals make you bust a gut and moments later break your heart. "It's always been important to me to write songs that evoke laughter, but also make people think," says Lucky, at ease in his Venice Beach rehearsal studio. "I like to tell stories with my songs and I want to make sure they round out with a positive message, something that lifts you up in a positive way, so it's not just a one-note joke. I've always admired Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser for their ability to be very witty while telling a story in a universal way."
Seated at the piano -- resembling a hopped-up Randy Newman/Borscht Belt comic hybrid -- Lucky delivers a moving mix of intelligent humor, social commentary and tenderness as he performs songs from his latest effort Kill 'Em With Kindness. With a skillfully lighthearted aptitude for exploring the human experience, he's earned high accolades from audiences as well as an always astonishing, Grammy-winning luminary. "David Lucky is one of my favorite people in the world," says Fiona Apple, whose masterwork The Idler Wheel...topped most music critic's "Best of 2012" lists. "He is also my favorite kind of artist. He has no self-serving agenda, no angle to feed his ego. What he has is just a genuine, involuntary need to manifest his personality, his passion and compassion, his undying optimism and humor -- and to share those manifestations in a simple, sacred endeavor to uplift and comfort anyone who likes a little laugh in their cry."
Lucky shares, with a laugh, that he "grew up on the streets of the South Side of Beverly Hills, the wrong side of the Saks." His insightful lyrics and captivating performances have taken him a long way in a short time. He's become a regular performer at New York-style supper club The Gardenia in Hollywood, has sung duets with cabaret sensation Maude Maggart, and was cordially invited by Fiona Apple to join her on stage alongside Zach Galifianakis and uber-producer Jon Brion (Kanye West, Aimee Mann) at Largo at the Coronet Theatre, LA's mecca for music and comedy.
David Lucky has a funny way of fusing hyperkinesia with teddy bear-like warmth. His intimate shows recall the optimism of Louie Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," a cheerful reminder that the world, despite today's distressing headlines, is still a great place. "So many songs have been written, so many things have already been said," Lucky expresses. "I try to write songs that fill in the gaps, songs that say things in a different way, so people can hear a perspective they don't normally hear. It's important to me to connect with people and to really get in there with something that's kind and nice and that helps in some way. I love connecting with the audience, when there is a connection to music and lyric so it all comes together in a way that is positive and kind and funny at the same time."
Kill 'Em With Kindness is available on iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon. For more info, please visit davidluckytunes.com