As frontman for The Revivalists, David Shaw has been crushing live shows for over fifteen years, selling out large venues with their unforgettable indie hit “Wish I Knew You,” and solidifying the band’s status as a modern rock force.
Shaw, now 41 and a father of a 14-month-old, hasn’t lost a single drop of swagger—beyond being a seasoned leader of his band he’s also a riveting solo act.
Calling in just days before the second leg of his solo tour takes off in eight cities, including Allston at the Brighton Music Hall on March 1, Shaw reflected on how his second solo record “Take a Look Inside” came to fruition.
“I feel like my blade’s getting sharper as a songwriter and I feel like I’m getting better at writing the songs that are really just me,” said Shaw. “ It’s not [that] I didn’t do that in the past, but I feel like it’s coming a little easier.”
Shaw released his first self-titled project in 2021, a collection of songs he found worked better outside of The Revivalists. Now, “Take a Look Inside” mirrors Shaw’s growth as a solo musician.
“This was one of the most fun and easiest albums I’ve ever made, it felt like such a joy to create it,” said Shaw.
“Easy” is putting it lightly. With the exception of two songs, the rest of the tracks on “Take a Look Inside” he says were written within a week. With the help of some of his Revivalist bandmates playing instrumentals, Shaw was able to record and produce the 12-track record at lightning speed.
“Take a Look Inside” is one of Shaw’s most colorful creations and each track features his soulful voice and intricate guitar, accented by delicate piano that pull together Shaw’s reflection on his currant life.
Shaw took inspiration from his time as a father to explore the relaxing sounds of the piano, which he discovered the soothing properties of early on in his daughter’s life. Inspired, Shaw called in his friend and bandmate Andriu “Yàno” Yanovski to cover “Take a Look Inside” with piano instrumentals to accommodate his daughter’s preferences.
“It was like kryptonite for her. It would put her to sleep,” said Shaw. “It was very relaxing. It was always on in the house, and I got to thinking—man, wouldn’t it just be cool if there were versions of this album where each song had its own version done in this way?”
The details that make “Take A Look Inside” vibrant extend to the album’s cover art. Artist Stacey Rozich designed a cover that features a plethora of zany critters: A spotted leopard and a crow with a swirling pattern exchange a drink and a cigarette, a pink and blue hummingbird carries a tray of cocktails, and a fox armed with a guitar and a sly grin walk through the middle of the menagerie.
“There are 12 characters on the front and there’s 12 songs. There’s no coincidences, each one of those songs is one of those characters,” said Shaw. “ It’s really cool that happened that way.”
With this album, Shaw has been experimenting with his stage persona and wardrobe. Often, he’s decked out in shiny jewelry borrowed from friends and loved ones, as well as tank tops revealing his tattoos and a cascade of necklaces.
“Color certainly plays a role in who I am as a person and it’s how I want to present myself,” Shaw said.
Whether taking the stage alone, rocking out with The Revivalists, or playing for his daughter, he says he always puts everything he has into it.
“It’s such an amazing symbiotic relationship in that way where the crowd plugs in, and I plug right back into them, and it’s fireworks,” he said.
