What initially sparked your interest in pursuing a career in the arts for those who may not be familiar with your background?
I’ve been obsessed with music from a young age, and before too long I became convinced that it was my purpose in life to create it. But that was also twisted by selfish desires for fame and fortune. I never would have admitted it or even recognized it at the time, but selfish ambition played a big role in my initial interest in pursuing a career in music.
Can you share more about your early days in music, from aspiring to be a rock star to the transformative moment with Jesus Christ nine years ago?
I started playing guitar in 1994 when I was 13, and once I got the basics down I started writing my own songs. Like probably every other teenager that has ever written a tune, I thought my music was the greatest and that I would be a rock star in no time. So my primary motivation for going to college was to form a band, which I did. The band was named Deeper (based on my initials DPR) and we experienced some very modest traction, but I was more interested in partying and women than having the discipline it takes to succeed in music. But then I met Lindsay, the love of my life, which helped to snap me out of my delusions of grandeur. I realized that if I was going to marry her and provide for her, I’d have to get my act together because the starving artist thing wasn’t going to work. So I put music on the backburner. I continued to write a few songs here and there and I would jot down lots of “maybe one day” song ideas. I played a few solo acoustic shows here and there but after we had our 2nd child I stopped performing live, as having two small kids made it pretty dang tough to have a side hustle on top of my full time IT career. Beyond recording a few demos and playing around the house, I wasn’t doing much with music for many years before my life was transformed by Jesus.
Latest Single – “He Knows Your Name”:
What inspired the creation of your latest single, “He Knows Your Name”?
After I finished writing the underlying music, I didn’t have any lyrics yet and I really didn’t even have an idea of what to write about. I prayed and asked God to steer me in the right direction, and he pointed me to Psalm 139 which makes it clear that God is one who created each of us.
As a pastor I have ministered to many people who have battled thoughts of ending their own life or even attempted it. There are demonic forces that are very adept at convincing people that suicide is the only way out of the suffering they are experiencing, and so many people have fallen for this deception.
Can you delve into the themes or emotions explored in this song and its message regarding suicide prevention?
The song acknowledges the reality of feeling worthless and the feeling that your life was a mistake. It offers the only real solution to the brokenessness: calling on God and surrendering to him. God is the only one with power over the demons that are behind suicidal thoughts. The world’s prescription is self-help, therapy, and medication, and I’m not saying those things are bad, but they won’t get rid of the demons. There are often other factors involved, but suicide is a spiritual problem at its core.
How does this single fit into the larger narrative of your music career or your upcoming album?
This is the third single I have released on my upcoming album. My friend Kevin Reddoch has mixed all my songs, and after he mixed this one and listened to the others back to back, he said “it’s really cool because they’re very different but they still fit”. I can’t take any credit for that because I didn’t set out to accomplish that… it’s just one of many examples of God making all things work together for good. So I do not yet know exactly how this will fit into the larger narrative of my career or album, but I do know that God will use it to do something powerful, and I’ve already heard from people who have experienced God’s love and power through this song.
Could you describe the creative process behind “He Knows Your Name,” from its conceptualization to the production stage?
I remember sitting on my back porch working on the very simple picking pattern you hear throughout the verse. It was so simple and beautiful. Sometimes when I land on stuff like that, my first inclination is to abandon it because it’s not complicated or weird enough… and I therefore assume that there are probably hundreds of other songs that sound exactly like it. But it kept running through my head over and over again, and then I started getting some vocal melody ideas that really made it pop. Once I nailed those down I realized I had something special. I prayed for God’s direction on what to write about, and he steered me to Psalm 139. At that point, I started recording in my home studio and when it was ready, my friend Kevin Reddoch mixed and mastered it and made me sound a lot better as he always does!
Were there any unique challenges or moments of inspiration during the writing and recording of this particular song?
Once I started writing this song, I had several moments confirming that I was on target in regards to writing a song for people struggling with suicidal thoughts. God put multiple men in my life who were battling these thoughts, and it helped motivate me to finish the song so they and others could be lifted up by it.
What can listeners expect to experience or feel when they listen to “He Knows Your Name”?
It depends on where their heart is at. If they are seeking truth and hope, they’ll find both. But if they are unwilling to stop believing the lies that their life has no meaning or that they were a mistake, then they’ll just experience the entertainment benefits of listening to a good song if they like my style of music.
Have you received any memorable feedback from listeners that stood out to you?
Absolutely. Shortly after announcing the release to my mailing list subscribers, I received this response from Donald in Pennsylvania. It touched me deeply and he gave me permission to share it:
“Thank you David, you do not know how much I needed to hear this beautiful God inspired song. I literally felt HIS arms wrapping around me. Gotta tell you that 3 weeks ago I was there. I felt so worthless. I have been struggling with opioid addiction for 4 years, after being electrocuted almost 10 years ago. My wife was ready to leave me, and I was sure God didn’t want me anymore. But I realized that I couldn’t fix me. And I finally surrendered it all to God. I am taking to you now, 11 days sober, clear minded and ALIVE in Him. But in that moment before; I felt so much like what your song speaks of. I am now in the rebuilding process with my wife and we are healing a little each day. My God is the God of second chances. And, yes it made me cry, but for me it was tears of joy and peace. Please be encouraged. Please write what God gives you, and I will share with those I can. Did I mention that I Loved the song? I look forward to hearing more from you. Thank you again.”
You mentioned your upcoming album. How does “He Knows Your Name” set the tone for the overall diversity and uniqueness of the upcoming project?
As I mentioned in my previous related response, I don’t know exactly how everything is going to fit together on this album, but I know that somehow God will bring cohesion within the diversity and there will be a synergy that makes the combined work much more powerful than each song on its own. In the music industry the focus has certainly shifted more towards single releases than albums, but albums are still a big deal, especially when they were written to help the listener encounter their Creator.
Can you share a bit about the album’s direction, especially in comparison to your previous singles, “God of Vengeance” and “On The Rock or the Sand”?
I’m sticking to my tried and true method of just producing songs I like. I have a lot more to finish and record, and I trust that God will keep me on the path that results in bringing him the most glory and Kingdom impact.
As an artist, you mentioned being picky, innovative, and patient. How do these traits manifest in your music, and can you share an example from your creative process where these traits played a significant role?
These traits manifest in pretty much every song I write. The pickiness causes me to discard the vast majority of my ideas, because I just don’t like them enough to be worth the time investment required to bring them to fruition, and I stop wanting to work on them. I have to be patient to give a song idea enough time to determine if I’m going to grow tired of it. We’ve all experienced plenty of songs that we liked at first and then grew bored of, and patience helps me avoid that with my own songs as much as possible. Patience also prevents me from rushing a song. I wait on God to give me the remaining parts in his perfect timing, and if they don’t arrive, I move on to other ideas where the inspiration is flowing. I have tons of incomplete songs that have great potential and are in the “maybe one day” status. Innovativeness pushes me to create new things that don’t sound exactly like my other songs. I like a lot of different styles of music, but I grow bored of listening to the same style repeatedly and I don’t want to grow bored of my own music as much as I can help it. It’s exciting to me when a song goes a different direction than I think it will go the first time I hear it, and I try to strike a balance between wandering on and off the beaten path.
What can fans anticipate in terms of your upcoming projects, and do you have a timeline in mind for your second album’s release?
While there are too many variables to guarantee this will happen, my goal is to release the next album by the end of 2024, and I’ll keep releasing singles along the way between now and then.
Are there specific elements or surprises you’re excited to unveil in your upcoming work?
Sure, but I don’t know what they are yet!
Where can readers find additional information about you and your work online?
My website at https://davidraybuck.com , and that’s where they can subscribe to my mailing list to stay apprised of the latest and greatest.
How do you use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to connect with your audience, and what role do these platforms play in your overall strategy?
These platforms provide low-cost ways to reach new people. I mostly post a lot of short-form videos as popularized by TikTok and now adopted by the others. Obviously I’ll post my music, but I’ll also post about other interests I have or things going on in my life. Some people, including me, connect with the music before they might connect with the artist that wrote it. But many others connect with the artist before they connect to their music. So I intentionally change it up, and ultimately I am trying to get followers on these platforms to subscribe to my mailing list so I don’t have to depend on the platform to keep reaching them.
Any final thoughts or messages you would like to share with your fans or those discovering your music for the first time?
Life is short and time is fleeting, so to know that you are spending some of it listening to my music and reading this interview when you have so many other choices means a lot to me. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my mailing list at https://davidraybuck.com so we can keep in touch.
Is there anything else you’d like to add that we haven’t covered in this interview?
Thank you so much for the opportunity. I’ve done a lot of interviews and most of them have questions that are much more generic, but you took the time to tailor them and you asked great questions… so again- thank you!
