Somewhere, UT • Truck Stop: Desert

Date: 06-28-13
Location: Somewhere, Utah.
Photographs & Words by: Luis Valdizon

Traveling through the Utah Desert, we came across a truck stop. The views we took in were majestic and awe-inspiring. I got my camera out and started documenting right away. Something about shooting at this particular location was nearly perfect. David's carefree outfit, the cinematic nature and a much-needed break from driving all resulted in the impromptu photo shoot you see above. We're just a bunch of guys in the middle of nowhere chasing their dreams with an inextinguishable fire under their bellies and desert as far as our eyes could see.

My approach to photographing David has always been to capture him in the most candid way possible, because the David I know exists beyond the media that's out there. These photos are a direct reminder of the perspective I have of him, the perspective I wish everyone could see. He works harder than anyone I know and makes it look easy. Most of the time, it feels like he doesn't have a care in the world, but that doesn't mean the countless hours he spends cultivating his career don't go unnoticed. He's always on his phone working on music, marketing or interacting with fans, and there's nothing and no one that can stop him from doing so. He's a born and bred American hustler.

D-WHY • NEW FRONTIERS (SEASON 01 // EPISODE 02)

Date: 12-18-13
Location: U.S.A.
Film by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: David Morris

In case you missed the first episode (watch it below), New Frontiers is my mini-docu-series that gives my fans an insight into my life and travels. Today, we bring you episode two.

Over the past six months, I have done nearly 60 shows and traveled across the U.S. three times. Luckily, I made the journeys with close friends and was able to document a great deal of it. In this episode, filmed during our summer "Young, Loved, Hated & Broke" Tour, DJ Etrayn and I embark on adventure that involves a $1,000 bet to camp out at Backyard heavy metal festival with no tent or blanket.

Stay tuned for future episodes, where we take you along for the ride during "The Party With Your Friends Tour" alongside Hoodie Allen, Mod Sun and OCD: Moosh & Twist.

Watch New Frontiers Season 01 Episode 01 below.

Gaslight Coffee Roasters • Chicago, IL

Date: 08-16-13
Location: 385 N Milwaukee Ave
Words & Photographs by: Luis Valdizon
Website: gaslightcoffeeroasters.com

In our everlasting search for the best stores, eateries, coffee shops, brands, attractions, etc., during our travels, we look for the mainstays in every town we visit. We look for the places that not only belong in their surroundings, but enhance them. Case in point: Gaslight Coffee Roasters in Chicago, IL. Their location on the corner of an intersection in the bustling Logan Square fits perfectly with the artisanal urban aesthetic of the shop. Their staff is well-known to be experts at what they do, and they deliver their services in an unpretentious, yet beautiful environment. We stopped in on a cold October day and ordered some warm drinks and muffins. We've visited a lot of cafes on tour this year, but from the quality of service and hospitality to the baked goods and drinks, Gaslight is hands-down one of the most superb in the country.

D-WHY • Legacy

Date: 08-14-13
Photo by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: David Morris

This song is unlike any I've released before, but it's me. It's me being real about where I'm at right now in life. This whole EP is. My sound is evolving to where I want it to and this project isn't nearly the final evolution, but it has elements of where things are going. Uniform diversity. Well-crafted, unique songs. Honesty. Relatability. Edge. Catchiness. Quality. Consistency. These are basic principles I go by. I want relate to my fans and potential fans, but at the same time I want them to know the real me, and in turn we can all be inspired.

I'm releasing my new EP, 'Young, Loved, Hated & Broke,' on Tuesday; it's my second official project and the first project I've ever put on iTunes. It's going to be the cheapest price possible, because it's not about the money to me. I want to make an impact on the iTunes chart as an independent artist, and I want to do it with you all. We've all been underrated and overlooked in some way, but life is about sticking together and proving people wrong, right? In return for purchasing the EP, you won't just get the music (which includes an iTunes-only bonus track)...

If you purchase the EP in the first 48 hours it's available (12am EST / 9pm PST Monday night - Wednesday night), you'll get a phone call from me. All you have to do is take a screenshot of your iTunes purchase and email it to DWHYcall@gmail.com. There will be other gifts for purchasing, too. Stay tuned.

- D.

D-WHY • Young Madonna (Official Video)

Date: 08-17-13
Shot by: Rex Arrow
Editing & Creative Direction by: Luis Valdizon
Produced by: Matt Morris, David Morris & Orestes Navarro
Female Lead: Maria Papathanasiou

In 2011, I had an ambitious idea to take the guerilla-style music video to new territories. Shooting videos on no budget is obviously limiting, so variation in landscape is key to making enticing, unique visuals. Upon brainstorming upcoming songs and potential videos, we decided that knocking out four in one week would be ideal. We joked about making a trip overseas to shoot them, a move that we hadn't seen done yet by independent music artist at the time. But the joke turned to reality, and we soon had booked a nine-day trip to England, France and Italy. We intended to shoot the video for "Macchiato Music," as well as a mini-movie that would be comprised of three separate music videos for my songs "Crave You", "Limitless" and an unreleased track, "The Night is Young."

Just a few weeks after coming up with the idea, my brother Matt, my friend Maria (my co-star in the above video), OJ (my friend and collaborator who played a big role in making the trip happen), and Ian (a.k.a. Rex Arrow), were off to Europe, a continent that only OJ had visited prior. We shot an enormous amount of footage. Savings accounts were emptied, frequent flier miles were used up and nine days were spent adventuring throughout four countries. We slept on floors, got cursed at in foreign languages by hotel maids, spent the night in airports, dealt with border security and of course, got crazy looks while shooting all of the videos with no permits or licenses.

Upon returning to the states, Ian encountered some hard drive malfunctions. It took us nearly six months to recover, edit and release the video for "Macchiato Music." When the time came to start piecing together the other videos, the status of the tracks had changed and the hard drives were misplaced.

Nearly two years later, after moving on from the original concept and accepting that the Europe footage would probably never be released, the hard drive was found. Ian sent it to me. At first, I was discouraged due to the amount of time that had passed. But after watching it all with fresh eyes, and in the company of Luis (the mastermind behind The Cleanest Corner who edited what you see here today), we realized there was something special in the footage. We had captured a beautiful story of a time when we were genuinely mystified by the new places and experiences that were in front of us. Young people falling in love, exploring, being caught in the moment and enjoying life--this is a big part of what the 'Young, Loved, Hated & Broke' theme is about.

Around the time we received the footage, we had just finished mixing "Young Madonna" and it all kind of clicked. The song is dreamy, yet reminiscent. It's about desire, what could be and what could have been. We found these same themes in the footage and decided it would be cool to match the two up. Now that I watch this, it's almost as if I subconsciously wrote "Young Madonna" with our trip to Europe in mind. I hope you enjoy taking a look back at this special time just as much as I had living it. And I hope you enjoy the song, too. It was produced by Dave Cappa, who also produced "One Day," and it will be included on the 'Young, Loved, Hated & Broke' EP, out November 19!