About
Los Angeles gave the world a lot of questionable things in the 1980s, but David + David was not one of them. The duo consisted of David Baerwald and David Ricketts, two singer-songwriters who met on the LA club circuit and clicked immediately over a shared love of literate, street-level storytelling. Their chemistry was undeniable, blending Ricketts' polished production sensibility with Baerwald's rawer, more sardonic lyrical bite. Together they crafted something that felt genuinely distinct in a decade drowning in synths and hairspray.
The band released just one studio album, Boomtown, in 1986, and it stands as one of the more underrated records of the era. Featuring the minor hit Welcome to the Boomtown, the album painted a vivid, sometimes brutal portrait of LA's underbelly, populated by runaways, hustlers, and dreamers chewed up by the city. Musically it sat at a fascinating crossroads of heartland rock, new wave, and adult alternative, with cinematic arrangements that held up long after the decade ended.
Though David + David never followed Boomtown with another record as a duo, their influence quietly rippled outward. Baerwald went on to a respected solo career and became a sought-after co-writer, contributing to Sheryl Crow's breakthrough Tuesday Night Music Club. For fans who dig thoughtful, narrative-driven rock with real grit beneath the polish, Boomtown remains essential listening.
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