As I walked down Music Row with a tote bag in hand, my nerves buzzed with anticipation for my first listening party. Hundreds of signs were advertising different artists’ albums, but I was only focused on one — singer-songwriter David Kushner’s debut album, “The Dichotomy,” set to be released on Aug. 30.
Kushner started his music career shortly after graduating high school in 2019. He teased his songs on TikTok for years after that and went viral over his 2023 platinum hit “Daylight,” which inspired this upcoming album. With its release approaching, Kushner hosted his first listening party in Nashville at Ocean Way Studios.
Ocean Way Studios is a 100-year-old Gothic stone church featuring stained glass windows depicting biblical events and cathedral windows, fitting for an artist whose faith inspires his music. String lights were hanging from the ceiling, adding a modern vibe to the otherwise historical space.
Once Kushner entered the room, everyone immediately lined up to get pictures with him. After the meet and greet, there was a Q&A session where Kushner shared that he wants to create art that makes people think but also brings hope. He also shared his fondness for growing up in the Midwest, calling the Chicago suburbs home.
Following the Q&A, Kushner introduced the album. “Dichotomy” means a division in two, and in Kushner’s words, this album is about human desire — what we are drawn to and its effects on us, similar to yin and yang. He prefaced the listening by saying much of the music is ambiguous, providing his thoughts on each track but leaving the deeper message up to the audience. On the whole, Kushner believes the album is about always chasing the light and leaving behind things that do not steward our lives well.
“The Dichotomy” has four subcategories: “Lust, Jealousy, Anger,” “Confliction, Desire for Awakening,” “Existential Thoughts of Existence” and “Revelation, Healing, Entering the Light.” Six of the 17 songs are available now, as they were initially released as singles. Kushner teased eight additional songs for us, leaving four from the album unheard.
Kushner first shared a track under “Lust, Jealousy, Anger.” “No High,” produced with Evan Blair, was written as a dark love song. It opens with a cool, ruinous guitar. Kushner’s deep baritone voice perfectly suits this song, adding to the ominous vibe. The lyrics epitomize the dark love theme — “If it were up to me / I’d die before I walk away.”
The next song Kushner debuted started with the titular line, “Love is going to kill us.” He wrote the rest of the “Confliction, Desire for Awakening” song from there. The beat drop before the chorus that pulls you into the song was one of the many brilliant production choices. It left me thinking about the love shared between two people as both wonderful and destructive, with the only escape being when it ultimately consumes them.
Kushner then introduced John Hughes, the producer and co-writer of “Poison,” a song produced in Nashville. This song belongs to the “Lust Jealousy, Anger” subcategory. Kushner describes this track as an internal conflict between the present “poison” and the need for change. Unless the narrator makes a change, they will be stuck in this endless cycle of hurt, which is emphasized by the lyrics, “I don’t know better / I’m so close to going under.”
One of both Kushner and his manager’s favorite tracks is “Flesh x Blood,” which Kushner deemed more of a ballad. He admitted this song was vulnerable and came from his heart, stating it was about him praying to God, hoping he would hear him. Kushner sings, “I look for love in empty places,” and, “This silence feels betraying,” emphasizing how alone you can feel when all you ask for is recognition. The falsetto chorus symbolizes hope and things going up, while the violin in the background mimics his feelings of despair.
Kushner and his songwriter Jake Torrey wrote “Buried at Sea,” one of the last written for the album, in about 20 minutes. Kushner commented that it is vocally one of his favorites on the album. The first verse is about the biblical story of Lucifer, but the rest are up to interpretation. The key change into the bridge sounds hopeful, like catching a glimpse of what could be.
Introducing the next song “Universe,” Kushner disclosed that his manager had to fight for the track to be on the record because Kushner did not love it. During a week off in London while on tour last year Kushner produced this song with the help of Rob Kirwan, the producer of “Daylight.” This song falls into the “Existential Thoughts of Existence” subcategory. Kushner drew our attention to the central lyric, “Maybe we could last a lifetime in another universe,” emphasizing the wonder of what could have been.
Falling under the same subcategory, the next song was “Heaven Sees,” about being in danger but only seeing the positive. Kushner believes this to be a triumphant song, a change of pace from the last few. This was enhanced by his use of tenor and falsetto and the opening lyric, “I’ve been living in a coffin for too damn long.”
The last song Kushner played, which he said is in his top five on the record, is called “Darkerside.” He wrote this song about being aware of intentions when people do bad things, including lyrics like, “I know it’s so wrong but it feels so right.” The beat led by drums in this song set it apart from the rest and made it one of my favorites. Watching the crowd bob their heads and sway to the rhythm of the new music was hypnotizing. Everyone left buzzing with excitement, surprised looks on their faces, still picking apart every song. The listening party has made me excited to listen to these songs all over again (and again and again). There are still four songs that remain a mystery, so hearing those for the first time will be electrifying.
Kushner will be touring “The Dichotomy” starting in Portland, Oregon, on Sept. 9. He will come back to Nashville on Nov. 1 to perform at Marathon Music Works.
