Longmont musician considers "Seeds We Sow"

Driving home to Longmont through the mountains in fall of 2020, local musician David Lawrence saw the mix of snow and ash as winter storms collided with raging wildfires. The unnerving sight inspired Lawrence to write “Seeds We Sow,” a song about the unpredictable mess of life and the will to survive.

“The smoke is so thick that you can’t hardly see everything that’s gonna come/ everything that’s gonna be/ But don’t you worry/ life is like a tree/ Everything that burns will come back/ you’ll see,” Lawrence sings in “Seeds We Sow.”

The song  was released on Dec. 29 in advance of the untitled album Lawrence plans to release later in 2022, with no way to predict the devastating Marshall fire that would sweep through Superior and Louisville the next day.

“It's been coincidental putting that song out the day before the fires broke out in a bizarre and eerie way,” Lawrence said. “I feel like we’re in this weird feeling of deja vu with the pandemic, where we think it's going to get better and we’re getting somewhere and then we’re in another variant.”

Lawrence felt like it was a repeat of last year with the fires and the pandemic, adding a bittersweet poignancy to the song. 

The song was originally written as he processed the uncertainty of the pandemic, the loss of live performances he relied on as a working musician and learning to grow through struggles, he explained.

Prior to COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, Lawrence played well over 200 gigs a year, either solo or with the bands The Spoonful or Gypsy-jazz inspired LAPOMPE. His performances quickly became smaller events for a half-dozen socially distanced people outdoors instead of full band concerts, he said. In 2021, Lawrence was getting closer to booking 200 gigs per year again.

Lawrence, along with his band The Spoonful, leans heavily on finger-picking guitar and fiddle of Americana and blues roots to accompany his soft, reedy vocals. The guitar-driven sound is heavily influenced by blues artists and singer-songwriters, Lawrence said. The band is nearing completion on their yet-unnamed debut album, he said, entering into the post-production stage now. 

With “Seeds We Sow,” the upcoming album and the work of other creatives in the area, Lawrence hoped that arts and music will continue to bring people solace and community in tumultuous times. 

“I think good art is able to touch on topics and things in the world and give people an emotive feeling about what’s happening without telling them how to feel,” Lawrence said. “I like art when it's more open to interpretation for the listener’s experience to come in.”

“Seeds We Sow” can be heard through streaming services now.