David Luning’s music has been called “gritty, joyful, soulful Americana.” Whether performing solo or with his full band at festivals or intimate house concerts, Northern California based Indie-Americana artist, David Luning, captivates audiences with his heartwarming humor, rich timbre voice, foot-stomping sing-alongs, and poignant songwriting.

While studying film scoring at Berklee College of Music, David was introduced to the music of John Prine, Ryan Adams, Old Crow Medicine Show, Todd Snider, and The Band. “Something just clicked. It was like a slow bolt of lightning that struck my soul. It was honest. The kind of music that spoke of real life, heartaches and loss, but also of heartwarming humor and foot stomping sing-alongs. It was simple and it was real.  …Like a family that I wanted to be a part of.  Call it Americana, folk, roots, or alt-country – it resonated with me. I had found my genre, my voice.” That’s when David decided to relocate back to the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue a career as an Americana, Alt-country artist.

In 2013, David auditioned for American Idol to receive worldwide exposure for his original music, and to be an advocate for Americana music. Out of 75,000 people who auditioned, he made it to the top 100, performing his original song “In Hell I Am”, which appeared on American Idol’s January 16th, 2014 episode, viewed by 18 million across the world. Jennifer Lopez commented, “I love it. He has a really, really beautiful tone.” Keith Urban praised, saying, “you have stanch originality, no one’s doing what you do…you’re a good singer-songwriter, story-telling guy.”

David writes, records, and performs with The David Luning Band and with a vocal virtuoso, Brodie Jenkins, in the folk duo called Ghost and Gale. Their music is comprised of haunting cinematic folk harmonies that showcase David’s vocal range and his skills as a guitarist and talented pianist.