Dave Quackenbush is an emerging artist of Ogden who has not only done his emerging but has shattered it. Quackenbush grew up in Payson, Utah, but has been a fellow Ogdenite and Ogden artist for almost 20 years. Last October, Dave dropped two hit singles: “Guy on Polk,” which is, indeed, about Polk Street in Ogden, and “Love is in the House.”

Quackenbush gathers his inspiration and influence from folk and rock as well as blues and soul, and there’s a satisfying sprinkle of each genre in his songs. Robert Plant, Chris Cornell, and even Prince have influenced his music. He says that when he hears a song, he has no idea who is singing or what the song is, but he loves it. He credits his love for multiple genres for his diverse style. When writing his songs, he says his melodies often come to him when he’s practicing other songs, while lyrics come later. 

Quackenbush often uses “looping” when creating his music, which is a technique especially helpful for solo artists. With this technique a rhythmic loop is recorded and creates a repetitive sequence; it is a great way to produce dance beats. Looping originated around the 1950s, when artists would glue two ends of analog tape together to perform a loop. Now, equipment is available to artists in order to perform loops. A looper is a pedal or a complete processor that can record multiple recording tracks. Quackenbush jokes that he busted out the YouTube videos to help him figure out how to use his looper.

Quackenbush plays all over Ogden, from Powder Mountain to Gandy Dancer to The Yes Hell. His music is incredibly diverse and has a little something for everyone. According to Deann Armes, experienced patron of the Ogden music scene, “The first time I saw him, I actually mouthed, ‘WTF.'” His soulful voice, combined with well-composed rock beats, will instantly get you moving.

Listen to Dave Quackenbush live around Ogden, on Spotify, and at davequackenbush.hearnow.com.

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