David Haerle grew up surrounded by music and the music business. His father, Martin, emigrated from Germany to pursue a dream of working in the country music industry and co-founded the independent label CMH Records, setting up shop in the garage and side room of the family home in Los Angeles. David’s maternal grandparents owned the first full time country music radio station in Nashville, WENO with their partner Cal Young. The King of Country Music himself, Roy Acuff, took David onstage at the Grand Ole’ Opry before a full house when he was 9 years of age.
As David’s own tastes developed, he and his dad would have “listening sessions” where they’d play each other their favorite records on the family’s Hi Fi. Martin’s were usually country. For David, it was rock, captivated by David Bowie and by guitar heroes he wanted to emulate. Players such as Toni Iommi, Eddie Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix.
He got his first guitar, a Fender Stratocaster around age 13, along with a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. David played lead guitar in the rock band Four Dudes Jammin’ followed by a stint in Paradise Drive, an all original alternative rock/new wave band which played some of the noted clubs of ‘80’s Los Angeles, such as Club Lingerie and Club 88.
In the late 1980’s he became a music agent at International Creative Management. Then his father, Martin, passed away suddenly. David took over the family business and has served as president of CMH Records for the past 32 years.
Making music took a back seat to running the label, but David never stopped playing guitar. In 2011, he decided to record and release his first full length album. He began in earnest and the project would ultimately take him roughly 7 years to finish. Garden of Edendale was released in the summer of 2018. His second album, Death Valley, was released in the spring of 2020. His third album, El Camino Sierra, is set for release in spring 2023.
Today Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of “Days In The Sun,” one of the standout tracks on the upcoming album. With visuals that complement the song title and capture scenes of nature around Los Angeles, the song is a reflective work of folk-rock that finds David looking back on his life while also embracing hard-earned wisdom. Dramatic instrumentals that feel timeless and with a little bit of power pop layered in help accentuate the power of the lyrics, making for the kind of ponderous song that will leave you reflecting on your own path in life.
David offers his thoughts on the meaning behind the tune:
“I was remembering my trips to the beach as a teenager in Los Angeles, riding on the bus with my closest friends and girlfriends way before we could drive. We shared a thousand discoveries and daydreams lying on the sand as the waves crashed in. Getting older, we learn about limitations, and how some of our plans may not come to pass. Each chapter of life brings both loss and gains. Maybe our best approach is to embrace the hard-earned wisdom that comes with age, while retaining the childlike wonder of youth.”
WATCH:
4 Responses
Very beautiful there David. Great videos of the areas you visited and of course the great song you wrote and sing here.
Great song.
David, your heartfelt song and artful images transported me back to those youthful days on the beach with friends. I was mesmerized by the waves, sand patterns and melody. Meditative.
Beautiful, David. Good reflection.