Hailing from a small Icelandic community in Gimli, Manitoba, Canada. Dave Helgi Johan moved to Byron Bay in 2019 to actively pursue music full-time as a solo musician while playing and collaborating with many local artists. His sound has been described as Lofi Indie, Folk, and Alt-Country. Dave has performed and toured for the last decade in countless acts. Recorded and released a handful of albums and music videos in past groups, and has finally committed himself to a solo career.
Having travelled and toured on and off throughout Australia in a van from February 2019 up until the present day, Johan has been writing and recording this whole album in the van, sometimes in a hostel dorm room and even a wagon at The Arts Factory in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia. Playing every instrument and sometimes even borrowing different instruments from friends and other musicians to fill out these tracks, this album has been a process with some roadblocks along the way, and without a doubt is a labour of love.
On his new single, “Fly High, Swim Deep,” Johan crafts a relaxed slacker rock anthem that doubles as a soundtrack to heartbreak. The breezy new tune evokes the raw warmth of lo-fi as the vocals growl under a warping arrangement with jangling guitars and toe-tapping tempos. Upon first listen, “Fly High, Swim Deep” is a stunning piece of indie rock with infectious tendencies that manifest into staggering harmonies and loose riffs. However, a deeper listen reveals a new story. Lyrically, Johan pens an anthem for the wounded heart, an ode to pridefully moving on from a relationship that felt like your whole world, only for that world to become polluted with anything but the purity of love. The artist tackles this harsh reality with a chip on his shoulder as he fearlessly carries the weight of separation into a calmer headspace, where his creativity can help lift the load. “Fly High, Swim Deep” introduces Johan as an empathetic songwriter with a natural knack for sun-drenched melody-making, emotional songwriting, and the means to tie it together beautifully.
“This song is an emotional and personal song to me that culminated from a particularly devastating place: a breakup. I was feeling very lost and struggling with mental health, mostly from years of alcoholism,” explains Johan. “You will find hints of addiction and failed relationships throughout this album. It can be hard to believe, but there really is light at the end of the tunnel, so hold on to hope. Don’t give up.“
