Westport-based songwriter David Dee Moore makes musical comeback

After five years spent helping other musicians find their voice, Westport-based singer-songwriter David Dee Moore is turning his attention back to his own music with the release of his new single, ‘It’s You, It’s Always You’.

Inspired by his wife, his long journey towards embracing Westport as home, and renewed love of songwriting, the track marks a personal return to music for an artist whose career has spanned more than four decades.

“I just needed something to spark my love of songwriting again because that’s exactly where I came from,” David tells The Mayo News.

Available exclusively on Bandcamp from Friday, November 6, the single marks a welcome return for the Belfast-born musician, whose four decades in the music industry have encompassed performing, producing, broadcasting, event organising and supporting independent artists.

David says however, his decision to release new music began with something much more personal.

“I needed an excuse. We all need an excuse to release something,” he says.

Having spent much of the past five years working behind the scenes, providing public relations, mentoring and practical advice to fellow musicians, he admits that his own creative ambitions had gradually slipped down the list of priorities.

“I've been doing that, and then I sort of forgot about myself.”

The spark came through a conversation at home with his wife. Half-jokingly, David announced that he was going to release another single. When she asked if the song was about her, he decided he would have to write another one.

With that, David put pen to paper, writing lyrics that reflect their relationship and own journey towards fully embracing the life he has built in Westport over the past 27 years.

David kept the finished track a secret from his wife until he was ready to play it for her.

“I kept it a secret,” he says. “She was at it and I played it for the first time there. I got a great reaction and she was delighted. She loves the full version of it, of course.”

FINDING A WAY BACK

Although the lyrics came quickly, returning to the recording process proved more complicated than David had anticipated.

Five years away from releasing his own music had left him facing a changed musical landscape, with new tools and possibilities available to artists in the studio.

“Things have moved on slightly in five years in what you can do with your songs and stuff like that whenever you're recording them. So I basically almost had to relearn how to create a song again,” he says.

The track took three months to complete, with David carefully working through different arrangements and refining the sound until it matched the song he had imagined.

David says however, lyrics weren’t really an issue.

“The lyrics just poured out in five minutes. Literally poured out in five minutes,” he recalls.

“I had to make a few changes along the way but generally they just went well. In five minutes, I couldn't believe how quickly everything came out.”

He experimented with several verses before settling on the final version, but once the lyrics were in place, he knew he had something worth pursuing.

“The lyrics were easy. They just flew right straight away. Once I wrote those lyrics, I went, yes, that's the song. I'm definitely going to do this now.”

The challenge was finding the right musical setting.

A lifelong admirer of melody and memorable hooks, David wanted the finished recording to be both emotionally authentic and musically engaging.

“I'm a fan of melodic songs. I wanted to make sure that it was catchy enough. That was the hardest part in getting the catches.”

COLLABORATIONS

While the song is personal to David, its finished sound reflects the contributions of musicians who have been part of David's musical life for many years, alongside talented performers he has come to know through the Westport music scene.

Among them is Brian McAteer, his long-standing collaborator from Belfast, who has worked on David's music for three decades and contributed the strings to the new single.

When Brian visited Westport in July, David took the opportunity to begin work on the track with him.

“He actually came down to visit me in July and I said, ‘I've got a new song to work on’,so I got him in here to start off the process.”

The recording also features percussionist Raphael Dziubinski and pianist Aisling Smyth, both of whom David knows through the Monday-night House Band sessions at McCarthy's in Westport.

The sessions, which David hosts as the Monday Night Jam, give musicians and singers the opportunity to perform on stage with a house band, creating a welcoming environment for collaboration and new musical connections.

“One of the musicians involved in that was Aisling Smith, she's the piano player involved in it. And the percussionist, Raphael Dubinsky, he's been here as long as me.”

He speaks with particular admiration for Raphael's experience and ability, while Aisling's contribution adds another dimension to the arrangement.

“As you can hear from the quality of the songs, they did a fantastic job,” David says.

WESTPORT LAUNCH NIGHT

David's return will be marked by a launch event in McGing’s Westport on Friday, November 6 at 9.30 pm, combining a performance of original material with the familiar atmosphere of the Monday-night House Band.

The evening will begin with around half an hour of David's original songs, including the new single, before moving into a full gig with the musicians. 'It's You, It's Always You' which will be available only on Bandcamp on Friday, November 6.