Since becoming a singer/songwriter and focusing on Americana music, I feel like I’ve developed a deep musical curiosity about great songwriters, past and present.

Slowing it down just a bit for this new release from New Jersey-based Dave Vargo, who is becoming an emerging presence in the Americana music scene.

He started taking guitar lessons at eight, graduated from the Berklee College of Music as a music/performance major (with a focus on jazz and jazz fusion), then scored amazing early professional gigs – working with Phoebe Snow on East Coast tours, playing regularly in California with Vonda Shepherd and touring with Whitney Houston during her peak years of 1987-88. 

Which granted is all before I was born, which is all the more reason to give him his props where they are due. Also, Whitney Houston. I’m just going to leave that there.

With one indie album behind him (2016’s Burning Through) and another full length release deep in progress, the versatile singer/songwriter is the first to admit that while the music comes easily to him, he labors much longer over the lyrics. The friends I have who make Americana music are quite the same — not to say that other genres aren’t as soulful and thoughtful, but this is definitely I see a lot in this particular genre.

The two infectious, rootsy, high-energy electric guitar-driven tracks he is currently releasing as lead tracks from his upcoming new album show that he’s well on his way to developing solid chops as a musical storyteller. 

Listen to the two tracks below: