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Dave was born in Oregon's Willamette Valley and spent his formative years in Western Massachusetts. Although he largely ignored his guitar throughout college, the galaxy of artists, actors, and musicians at Oberlin stirred in him an aesthetic to be realized only over time. Un-musical sojourns would follow: cooking beneath Wyoming's Grand Tetons; teaching in the Black Hills of South Dakota; Environmental Education in distant pockets of Maine; and therapeutic wilderness treks across southern Idaho. Finally, Dave addressed his muse and settled into the Cambridge folk scene, playing shows at Club Passim, the Can-Tab Lounge, and the Nameless Coffeehouse. His first CD, "The Burn of Summer," enjoyed regular airplay on Folk Radio's WUMB and on numerous college stations. His second CD, "Gilding the Lilies," was released this autumn and will be promoted nationally.
“...Taps hopeful, bluesy melodies and reverses lyrical expectations at every turn... exudes a brand of humane charm that sets him apart from every other songwriter you’ll see this year.”
--Club Passim.
"Dave Dersham is a storyteller who makes the dark and troubling underbelly of the world and its messes sound nearly lighthearted. A deft twist of phrase reveals as much to the listeners about themselves as about the writer and his subject, and plenty about our current state of affairs."
--Brian QTN. Troubadour, and three-time Kerrville New Folk Finalist.
"...Defies the trappings of songwriters. He deftly sidesteps with wit and melody unlike many I've known. A true champion of art. "
--Elam Blackman. Founder, Constant Clip Records.
“Dersham’s lyrics are fiercely honest, wonderfully literate, and a full-on challenge to our current state of indifference.”
--Karl Meyer, environmental journalist, award-winning children’s author.
