We had the good fortune of connecting with Dave Coleman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
When I got out of college, I was thrown into balancing being a songwriter, a band leader (my own band, The Coal Men), and a guitarist for hire. Those roles kept me busy, and hungry, always pushing towards new songs, gigs, and bands/artists to accompany. The only community I was involved in inevitably revolved around music. It took time and getting married for me to make sure that work was not the only defining identity of my life.

When I was young man, I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, and was civic minded. I came back to it, and I’m still working on finding ways to give back. Getting involved in community service and our church family has been incredibly rewarding. The Downtown Presbyterian Church offers a free meal to the unhoused every Saturday at 9 a.m.

I’ve seen folks cling to non-stop ambition until they drop dead. It took a while but, even with a creative occupation, volunteering and the chance to meet folks from different backgrounds has made my world a lot richer.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I was in college I started a band called The Coal Men. The drummer, Dave Ray, and I still are playing together after 26 years. Paul Slivka joined the band 14 years ago, and this group has been a second family to me. We’ve made a bunch of records, toured domestically and internationally, had some songs in TV shows and still love to play our gigs. It’s never been easy, but it’s been fun and given me more opportunities to travel, meet heroes, and have our voices heard on the radio (shout out to all the folks at WMOT).

At some point after recording a bunch of records with incredibly talented engineers and producers, I convinced myself to start recording bands too. I love the challenge of recording artists and bands. The more you do it, the more you learn, and the better you get, but there’s no end. There’s always improvements to work on and ways to grow. I don’t think anyone who plays an instrument could ever truly reach a point of knowing it all. The parallel with life is there. I hope to keep growing and finding meaning in each song and day.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My personal favorite place to see and hear music is the 5 Spot in East Nashville. The sound is world class, the artists they book are undeniably talented, and the owners of the club are great people.

El Jaliciense is my favorite food in the world. Mitchell’s Delicatessen will give you the best sandwich of your life. Cafe Margot is my kind of gourmet, with delicious meals and unpretentious staff.

If you want to experience a quiet and restorative place when you are in Nashville, Beaman Park and Bowie Nature Park are great spots for beauty and quiet (don’t mention them to anyone).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to give thanks to Bob Delevante for being such a great mentor and friend. Bob produced and recorded The Coal Men’s first album and has photographed our band since 2003. His own albums, as well as his work with The Delevantes (with his equally talented brother, Mike Delevante) are so inspiring to me.

Big thanks to Tim Carroll for having me be a part of his great rock and roll records through the years.

Parker Hawkins and Lynn Taylor are musical brothers. I can’t thank them enough for the years, gigs, songs, and records we’ve shared.

Thanks to inspiring audio engineers and producers that have meant so much to me and my band, including Lij Shaw, Eric Fritsch, Brian Carter, and Lance Taylor.

Website: TheCoalMen.com & HowardsAPT.com

Instagram: @thedavecoleman

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thecoalmen4

Other: https://thecoalmen.bandcamp.com

Image Credits
all portrait photos by Bob Delevante
live band photo by Kacy Belew

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