Ballerina Releases Debut Single “I’m a Boy”

After years of playing guitar in his bedroom, Charleston native David Hall decided this past May that he wanted to try recording some music. To do so, he linked up with his friend Luke Fedorko and formed the band now known as Ballerina. Over the past few months they have played a handful of shows in Charleston, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Nashville. One notable show in Charleston was the infamous 3 Bogard house show, where the newly-formed Ballerina (just David at the time) opened for Heyrocco and The Dumbest Kids in School. The debut single from Ballerina is called “I’m a Boy”, and made its way onto the web in September.

David wrote “I’m a Boy” after a long semester of mental anguish, during which he battled the inner demons of his own gender and sexuality. These internal struggles left him feeling drained, but Hall can at least say that he is happier now that he’s got himself mostly sorted out. “I’m a Boy” speaks almost directly to the issues he faced, as well as to some of the lingering anxieties that still hang around and haunt him, but the song approaches these issues with a mask of laid-back indie pop that makes for easy listening.

The simplicity of “I’m a Boy” can be attributed to David’s view on music and art in general. Here’s what he had to say in that regard:

I feel very strongly that all art should say something whether towards the medium itself or something larger. Too often I feel like rock music these days tends to spin its own wheels in this regard. To me, great pop music is about complex ideas in simple packages.

Listen to David’s embodiment of his musical philosophy below.