David Norris: Interview

Anna: How did you get started in songwriting?

David: I’ve been writing songs ever since I found out you were allowed to. Apparently I’ve always had a creative mind - when we were little my twin brother and I would sing our dreams to each other every morning. We were always making up stories, influenced a lot by the early Max Fleischer Popeye cartoons, which evolved into writing songs as we grew older. I won my high school talent show playing songs I had written. Years later it was the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest.

Anna: Who would be on your short list of most-influential-writers?

David: Well, I’m afraid there’s no short list when it comes to being influenced by all the great songwriters who came before me. I’ve always said I would love to be able to write half as good as Lester Flatt or Carter Stanley. Their writing was so splendidly simple and yet so heartfelt. When I was growing up it was all about some guys named Hank - Hank Williams, Hank Thompson, Hank Snow. . . then the Beatles, who gained their popularity just as I was old enough to be so impressed....

Read the rest of the interview with Dave here