ABOUT dave starke

Dave Starke is a guitarist and singer-songwriter based in Eshowe, South Africa. His music is built upon poignant lyric writing with simple, sincere musical accompaniment.

Known for his engaging and intimate live shows, Dave writes and performs original music primarily in the Folk Music genre, with touches of Blues, Indie-Rock and Latin Jazz, with influences such as Leonard Cohen, Josh Ritter, Johnny Cash and Jackson Browne.

He describes his instrument as a fragile wooden box, strung and tensioned to near breaking point – fundamental, honest and often downright scary - it’s a good metaphor for the human experience.

Having started in the band scene in Cape Town in the late 90s, Dave gravitated towards songwriting and acoustic performance when he moved to KZN in the early 2000s. Based in rural Zululand, his social and geographical contexts have had a big impact on his writing  performance style. Musically, Dave is a staunch minimalist known for his delicate guitar technique, warm baritone voice and judicious use of whistling.

Dave is currently pursuing an MA degree in the department of Music and the Environment at the University of the Highlands and Islands (Scotland, UK - Online).

Notable works & awards

 White Mountain Acoustic Festival
The National Arts Festival Fringe
Hilton Arts Festival
The Great Zululand Music Festival
GSMC Music Awards - Overseas Artist of the Year 2020
Composer - Original Soundtrack  - The Killing Floor (Feature Film)
The UK Songwriting Contest (Semi-finalist)

Where to find dave