David Kushner – “Ritual”

Hailing from Chicago and based in Los Angeles, this singer-songwriter grew up in a music-loving family, with his four sisters playing the piano and a brother playing in a band. He took guitar lessons aged 9, but didn’t pursue music at first. He returned to it after high school, taking vocal lessons and starting songwriting. He’s played festivals like Rock Werchter and Bonnaroo, as well as venues like The Troubadour. Inspired by Hozier, Bon Iver and Adele, he debuted with “Miserable Man” in 2022.

Singing about feeling trapped in a painful vicious cycle of a toxic relationship, his new single explores the emotional exhaustion of going through the same hurtful patterns over and over again. Taken from his upcoming album “Devotion”, expected on November 13th, this song blends gothic-touched, orchestral pop with melancholy. With a somber piano, cinematic strings and rising percussion padding the anthemic vibes, it’s his gravelly baritone voice that makes this a dramatic tune.