Meet David Ely | Artist & Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with David Ely and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I grew up in Southern California (San Diego), so I was always surrounded by the D.I.Y. surf, skate, punk, and art underground culture. They set a great example for all us youth. If you have a vision, pursue it at all costs. You don’t need a budget, you just need to build a pure, honest rep and word-of-mouth spreads. I had a music business teacher at Berklee College Of Music told me who managed Trent Reznor for a period of time, he taught us so many things but the most important thing was, word of mouth marketing is the most effective for any business and that’s what they are all trying to accomplish. So, with that, get out there and go do your thing from the heart and for the right reasons and people will start to pay attention. Persistence is everything.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a mixed medium visual artist, music producer, and drummer. Some say a bit of a throwback but I believe that a true artist must control and be able to facilitate every aspect of their art and expression. What sets me apart is my extensive training and experience in each medium. I’ve been very fortunate to have amazing teachers and mentors all around the world through my travels and I’ve dedicated my life to my art. The outside perspective probably doesn’t see all the sacrifice and I’m cool with that because I know deep inside that I continue to give my all.

I got where I am today with relentless and probably a psycho level of persistence. Sometimes things are amazing and you’re flying through life, professionally and artistically. Other times, it can be a slog and you can’t see a way through the fog of obstacles ahead but you keep pushing, trusting, and knowing that it will get better. Then when it does, which it always does, you arrive at a place you never thought existed and you grow with it and rise to the challenge. This is the beauty of lifelong creative pursuits. Some would call it a spiritual or possessed pursuit to try and be as honest with yourself and others as possible.

My brands, DAVID ELY ( Art), DAPOOLPARTY (Music), and BOLTRECORDS.XYZ ( Record Label), are about doing it yourself. The backbone is based on self-empowerment through a commitment to craft, no matter how big the challenge. Just know that only can see what you are seeing, only you can hear what you’re hearing, so don’t settle for anything less. Feel your aesthetic, know yourself and just be that. Be honest with yourself and screw the rest if they don’t like it. Real people will find you in time. You’ll find each other naturally.

I’m very appreciative of everyone I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with because each one of those experiences in whatever city or country it may be has influenced and continues to influence my work. I love it that way. Life is richer with a broad perspective and an understanding that we don’t know everything. The weirder the person, or the more abstract the perspective, the better.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would pick them up from the airport with the air conditioning blasting on high and the windows all the way down for the true L.A. experience. We would then head to our Bolt Records studio headquarters to drop things off and maybe start on a track or some art. From there I’d take them up North of Malibu to a few hidden beaches and have some beers to catch the sunset. From there, go get some Mexican food truck tacos at a couple of spots over on the east side, probably the spot in Echo Park. Then head out around town that night over in East Hollywood or downtown dropping in on friends and seeing some music or art.

During the day I would also take them up to Elysian Park which overlooks the city and Dodger stadium. Great place to see the lay of the land and get some fresh air.

Spots:

Golden Gopher downtown on 8th is a great place for a day drink.

Harvard and Stone in East Hollywood is a great place to see a great rock band.

The taco truck across from the post office in Echo Park is the best taco stand in L.A.

Leo Carillo beach.

Elysian Park.
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I’m gonna stop there for now lol.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Firstly, thank you to Voyage LA and Mike for reaching out to me. Also, a massive thank you to my business partner and manager, Jonah Levine. Together we have a music label, BOLTRECORDS.XYZ, which we started in Australia and recently moved here to Los Angeles. We are constantly pushing each other to find new angles and innovative ways to market our art and music. We strive on building community through honest self express expression. Shout out to everyone within our community for being absolute legends. Great people with integrity can be hard to find so hold onto them when you find them. Lastly, shoutout to all of you out there for reading this! Keep pursuing what you love and I hope to see you out and about town or at my next event! Please feel free to drop me a line over my socials or at my website. I’m always open to new collaborations.

All the best.

KEEP PUSHING,

David Ely (DAPOOLPARTY)

Website: www.ThisIsDapoolparty.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dapoolparty/channel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7tE-hSKNvLgj_gQ8_3NdMQ

Image Credits
Photos by: Matt Ferrington (San Diego) and Benson Keers (Australia).