"guitar spanking, open-tuning grooves as well as gentle folk-tinged pop. His lyrics range from insightful, image-driven stories to equally insightful humor."
-- Jay Votel, The Washington Times, Washington, DC

"[LaMotte] pushes the envelope with challenging lyrics and unusual tunings, but he also pays homage to folk tradition."
-- The Boston Globe, Boston, MA

"David LaMotte is a thoughtful songwriter whose lyrics shine with clear images and well chosen words. Memorable lines abound..."
-- Richard Middleton, Victory Review, Tacoma, WA

"...an outstanding singer/songwriter."
-- Jan Hoffman, Soundcheck Magazine, Germany

"LaMotte creates melodious folk pop imbued with a subtle, joyous spirit. Vocally, LaMotte exudes an easy going charm that brings to mind James Taylor... but at no point does he come off as imitative."
-- Russell Hall, Performing Songwriter Magazine, Denver, CO 

"LaMotte is a folk poet of elegant simplicity."
-- Dirty Linen Magazine, Baltimore, MD

"...a top-flight performer who gets crowds eating out of his musical hands...knack for writing intelligent, witty and passion-packed songs... a treasure." 
-- Frank Rabey, Mountain Xpress, Asheville, NC 

"When someone enjoys music as much as David, it is heard in every note he sings and plays. He makes the music that your ears are hungry to hear."
-- Moorcroft Leader, Moorcroft, WY 

"David sings songs from his heart, from the heart of the North Carolina mountains, with style, wit, and old-fashioned charm."
-- Jan Brick, WERS-FM Boston, MA 

"...a singularly mellifluous and rich voice, a keen sense of appropriate tune and a carefully honed talent on the six-string... But the really excellent deal, the reason his CDs keep winding up at the top of my stack, involves the man's lyrical finesse..."
-- C.L. Bothwell III, Rapid River, Asheville NC

 

Complete Articles

Here is a collection of some of the more interesting articles from the last few years...

JMU 'Be the Change' Profile
Short feature on David in Montpelier, the James Madison U. Alumni magazine. 3/12/7

Concert Series Features First Double-Bill
A short article from the Shreveport Times about a performance with Beth Wood . 3/2/7

Double Dose of Folk
Short plug for a concert in the Boston Globe. 1/11/7

David LaMotte Might Be Known Mostly For His Music...
Short article in Sing Out! Magazine about the Guatemala project. Winter, 2007

David LaMotte's Guatemalan School Projects, Music Flourish
Update on Guatemala work and music, Black Mountain News, 11/30/6

Hear David LaMotte and Help Him Make a Difference
Article on new CD, dancers and Guatemala work by Amy Jones, Asheville Citizen-Times, 10/6/6

Balm the World to Peace

an article on David's career, travels and music by Cecil Bothwell for the Mountain Xpress. 10/4/6

LaMotte's Work Branches Beyond Music with Non-profit
interview by Sarah Kucharski for the Smoky Mountain News. Covers Guatemalan work, upcoming CD and S.S. Bathtub Book. 11/23/05

Day In the Life of Three Local Musicians
by Alli Marshall, Mountain Xpress. Article/Interview with David, Sherri Lynn Clark and Dave Desmelik, three Asheville based singer/songwriters. 3/16/5

LaMotte Starts Project to Help Guatemalan Schools
by J.P.Kennedy, Black Mountain News 10/13/4

Review: David LaMotte - Spin
by Jennifer Layton for indie-music.com, 1/4/4

New CD Has Quite a Lot of LaMotte
Asheville Citizen-Times, 11/21/03.
Interview and general article about career, plug for upcoming release party.

Local Favorite to Release Eighth CD, “Spin”
Black Mountain News, November 20, 2003. Article and review of Spin, plug for upcoming release party.

Smart Bets: David LaMotte
Mountain Xpress, Nov. 19, 2003. Short plug for Grey Eagle release party show for Spin.

David LaMotte
Long interview by Steve Stockman of the Phantom Tollbooth on the BBC in Belfast, Ireland. Steve's show is focused on mostly secular music that has overtones of faith, and he's the author of Walk On, a successful book about U2. 2002

Singing Praises: Songwriting Award Says David LaMotte is Tops
Article on David's awards in the USA Songwriting Competition. Mountain Xpress, Dec. 18, 2002

David LaMotte Lays Down Some Good Tar
Singer Magazine. Nov. 2002. This interview ran as a full-page interview in the magazine, but since we have the transcript of the whole interview, here it is. This is a long one about just about everything.

David LaMotte - Good Tar
Good long interview and review of Good Tar by George Olsen of Public Radio East.

LaMotte Salutes Diversity of Views
interview and review by Jay Votel, Washington Times, March 9, 2002.
Focus on pacifism, music and democracy.

David LaMotte - Good Tar
review of Good Tar and live performance by Jennifer Layton for indie-music.com

David LaMotte: A Life for the Music
by Jan Hoffman (translated by Markus Quast and Barb Ruehl)
Soundcheck Magazine, Germany, September/October 2001
review of Corners and preview for David's German tour

LaMotte's Life's 'Soundtrack' Transformed into Renowned Musical Career
by Linda David March
Black Mountain News, Black Mountain, NC March 29. 2001
long article on David's career

Learning by LaMotte
by Jeff Flynn
The News-Record, Gillette, Wyoming, March 28, 2001
article on school residency

Beyond Shopping and Leather Pants
by Elizabeth Newberry
Sojourner's Magazine, March/April 2001, review of Corners

A Troubador and His Van
by Darrell Laurant
Lynchburg News-Advance, June 12, 2000, interview and commentary

LA (bon) MOTTE: David scores with Corners
by C.L. Bothwell III
Rapid River, Asheville NC June 4, 2000, review of Corners

LaMotte to revisit the cafe on third Thanksgiving trek
by Jack W. Hill
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock AR November 26, 1999, interview with David and Crow Johnson

David LaMotte Travels Musical Road
by Ted Geltner, Ocala Star-Banner, September 10, 1999
General interview and plug for show in Ocala, Florida.

David LaMotte
Bele Chere Mountain Xpress, Asheville NC, July 23, 1999
Short plug for David's performance at Asheville's annual street festival.

Livewire - David LaMotte
Rapid River, Asheville NC, January 10, 1999
Review of 12/98 show at Be Here Now in Asheville and David's kids' record S.S. Bathtub.

The Land of My Father's Father
Black Mountain News, Black Mountain NC, April 23, 1998
Long story on David's family history in Western NC on the occasion of his thirtieth birthday.

Hope Like Thunder
by Frank Rabey, Mountain Xpress, June 4, 1997
Long interview with lots about Hard Earned Smile and Quakers.