David Nail Tour Inspires Closer Connection With Fans

David Nail kicks off his intimate fall tour in Cincinnati tonight (Sept. 6), and he's anxious for your feedback. The singer-songwriter intentionally chose to hit the road and play smaller venues this year, in order to connect with fans, something he's also doing via social networking sites.

"I have learned from Twitter that you get that instant feedback about what people think about what you did," David tells Billboard. "I noticed a lot of people [on Twitter] who have seen us. They seem to take a lot of pride in seeing it from a different perspective and a different size of place, and that they've been there from the beginning. That was one of the first things I latched onto when I moved to town. I would hear people talk about building things from the ground up and word of mouth, and that's the best way to start things off. If you've got someone who is really taken by what they saw last night, and they tell people at work, it's human nature that the next time you come to town, they're going to be intrigued by what the big fuss is about."

Building his fan base is something David's been working on from the beginning. "Three or four years ago, when we got started, I knew there may be some people who came out because they dug some of the stuff we did, but I felt if we could get out there and invest in the people, they would invest in us," he explains. "We've done that in a lot of places. I kind of prefer playing a lot of the smaller rooms, especially at this point in my career, I feel it's a lot easier to reach the people."

One thing that has really struck a chord with fans is David's cover of Adele's "Someone Like You." The tune appears on his 1979 EP, which is available on iTunes, and can even be heard on country radio stations.

"I think more than anything, it's one of the best songs I have heard the past ten years," he admits. "I really felt a connection with Adele and the song. Sometimes you get so jaded, you don't have those initial connections and emotions with music, because you are promoting your own. I remember hearing the song for the first time, and could really feel completely what she was when she was singing the words. It was very easy."

The Missouri native will likely play the tune on his upcoming tour stops. See a list of dates here.