Jade Carlson introduced me to David Pozay at the Ocean Beach farmer’s market this last Spring. She had texted me days before telling me about an amazing street musician she met weeks prior that I had to see perform! David’s trademark “music with a view” has set him apart from normal musician’s Instagram accounts. He positions his IPhone camera in front of a gorgeous natural backdrop and plays acoustic covers ranging from rock and roll classics to modern hits across all genres. Our first introduction was brief at the market where he regularly played on Wednesday’s. I saw him sing a couple songs, it was apperant he has undeniable talent and passion for what he does. This became part of my Wednesday routine and went on for a few weeks until we figured out a date to collaborate on a project.
Finally, we had worked out a day and time that worked for us both, I agreed to meet him at his house. His roommate’s dog “Zig”met me at the door and when I saw David walk up he had a sling over his shoulder and only one working hand. He motioned “come in, come in.” “Would you like some tea?” he asked. I obliged. His friend Olive joined us in our tea and conversation while she rolled us a few joints. (I’LL GET TO HIS ARM LATER)
David moved from Canada to California to live a nomadic lifestyle while busking (street performing) and doing stick and poke tattoos for donations to get by. His first Stop in California was Venice beach. This is where he met a fellow street performer that told him about Ocean Beach. He sold it as a more authentic and wholesome version of Venice without the tourists. O.B. as it is more affectionately called is the hippie hub in San Diego. Before weed was recreationally legal in California, it was legal in OB. It is also one of the cradles of art, culture, and music in SoCal. He told me about his first couple months in California living the dream of surfing, playing guitar, and driving aimlessly on the 101 searching for perfect waves. His tale is throwback to the hippies of late 60’s who lived their lives the way they wanted to, not the way society told them to. If you want to read more about David’s first ten months on the Pacific Coast (Washington, Oregon, California, & Mexico), you can read it HERE in his own words.
Before I met David in person I had only seen him through the lens of Instagram. The kid is an amazing musician, surfer, and professional adventurer. I didn’t know what type of person I would run into! I wanted to make sure that I captured him as a human rather than a online account to idolize. He was honest with me because a recent elbow injury he had experienced skiing put him in an introspective moment in his life. I couldn’t have appreciated his humble demeanor more, when we were there in his kitchen smoking and talking about life the subject of family, manhood, and spiritually were all brought up.
We of course started with the van.
“Grand-Mamie” is the name of the 1980 Dodge B200 that he came down from Blainville (North of Montreal) in for his first California trip over two years ago. It is named after his Grandmother. That van became his home and I am sure that the name makes the vehicle feel closer to his heart.
His phone rang, he told me “I have to take this”, he walked away speaking in French and came back shortly.
David: “That was my mom”
J-Walk : “I would respect you less if you didn’t take that” (which is true but a dick thing to say)
J: “I imagine its hard being so far from home”
D: “My Family is important to me. Its one of the hardest things about traveling. Your away from your family for so long.”
He pauses
D: “Friends are family too to me but its crazy because you end up making home everywhere and family everywhere. That’s what brings me back, Nick and Sam have been amazing. Nick’s been hosting me for six months”
D: “Ive been traveling continuously for two and half years. I’ve only been home four times for my sister’s wedding. To meet her new baby as well as some holidays.
J: “What do your parents think of all this?”
D: “Parents worried at firtst. It was hard for them to understand the “why” behind my lifestyle. They saw after my first ten months they saw that I had grown up and matured. They told me there was a difference since the last time they saw me”
J: I grinned “its different saying you’re a man than being a man. Do you have any siblings? Are they adventurers like you?”
D: “No, they live a more traditional lifestyle. I’m one of four, I have two brothers one sister. Older brother is cop, older sister is Mother, and the younger brother is in corporate sales. Though my siblings and I are living opposite ways we are all still extremely close. We grew up tight”
J: “Well you are doing what you want to do. You are living free, that’s something that I don’t have the courage to do. I live that everyday life and its hard because sometimes it feels like your options are limited.”
We talked about our love for surfing and skating so he showed me some videos of him street skiing as a youngster. It’s basically street skate boarding but with skis during snowy days in Canada. He now finds that adrenaline rush through surfing. It became a lifestyle for him, connected to nature as well as appreciating the moment. I want to make this is clear as well, he is not a cover artist. His original songs are mostly in French but the beauty of the language permeates through his raspy voice. He had over 100 recordings on his phone. Since the I don’t speak the language all I can say is it is the kind of music that makes me want a cold day, hot coffee, and cigarette to cap it off. He is being smart about releasing anything until it is licensed because theft is so common in his industry. I truly believe in David because he genuinely believes in himself. He uses the phrase “send it” before he does crazy stunts or video tapes something awesome. I think the only proper way to end this article would be to show multiple ways of “sending it.”
Links to Davis instagram accounts.
Photographer’s Instagram links
