Drake White Seeks True Fulfillment on ‘Pieces’

Drake White has a gift for creating unique experiences. Whether he’s promising those who come to his live show that it will be an immersive experience of laughter, tears and vulnerability, or creates an album that captures the various facets of his life, White is determined to bare his soul in every aspect of his artistry.

He injects this soulfulness into Pieces. As someone who describes ideas as “sacred,” White pulls together various ideas and pieces of his life to build the foundation for the 2018 EP. When he approaches a project, the “Livin’ the Dream” singer has the influences of those that came before him in mind, viewing his idols as model examples for the level of artistry he hopes to achieve. “The Eagles made music. They made music with the same instruments that I have access to. So let’s make something as profound as what Zeppelin and The Eagles and Don Williams and those guys did,” he says about being authentic on his latest EP.

Pieces creates a space for the soul in his voice to shine, and spotlights the Muscle Shoals influence that runs through the Alabama native’s veins. But White presented himself with a true challenge by calling on the acclaimed busbee to produce the project, who’s L.A. sound helped him tap into a different mindset. He embraces a mainstream vibe on “Girl in Pieces” while embodying a traditional country sound on “Grandpa’s Farm.” Collectively, the songs mirror the different aspects of White’s life, reflecting how his wife Alex was heartbroken when they met on “Girl in Pieces” to feeling self-assured that he knows what he wants out of life on “The Best is Yet to Come.”

Though a genuine representation of who he is, Pieces was a growing experience for White, as the collaborative partners weren’t afraid to be truthful with one another and revel in the creative tension of the room, with busbee pushing White out of his comfort zone vocally and sonically. White knows he developed artistically through those uncomfortable moments, using that creative tension as a driving force to create an honest project. “Understand that you’re never going to be happy. Because if you are completely satisfied, then you’re not driving,” he says in regards to his mentality about making music. “I want to grow, I want to be better than I was yesterday,”

He channels this honesty into the EP’s defining track “The Best is Yet to Come” that puts forth his optimistic mindset. “Sometimes you’re going through a hell moment and sometimes you feel great,” he begins. “If you have faith that the best is yet to come, the best moments are yet to come, then I think you’re living a life worth living and you’re living a life of progression. That’s what true fulfillment is.”

Pieces is available now.