David Michael Miller, Buffalo-based singer/songwriter, has his roots deep in the church and gospel music. His music is anchored deeply in a roots gospel, blues and soul foundation. He fronted several bands as lead singer and primary songwriter, getting airplay all around the country in college markets and gospel stations with previous projects. After a hiatus from music, in 2005 he launched back into the local scene and inspired by professional artists such as Tommy Z, he carried his gospel roots into the nationally known blues and soul scene. This led him to the last 3+ years with Dive House Union (DHU) as lead singer, primary songwriter and secondary guitarist. Dive House Union has shared the stage with such greats as Gary Clark Jr, Bobby Blue Bland, Jonny Lang, Jimmie Vaughan, Shemekia Copeland, Joe Bonamassa, and many more. They also represented Western New York in Memphis, for the International Blues Competition in early 2013. DHU has released two live albums recorded locally at iconic rooms, Kleinhans Music Hall and The Aurora Theater.
Recently, David has partnered with local producer Jesse Miller for a couple of solo albums. The first of which, “The Poison’s I’ve Sipped,” to be released in December of 2013 and a gospel album to follow in 2014. He competed this past September in the local Memphis Bound competition with his son, Joshua Miller, and won the privilege of representing Western New York again in Memphis January 2014.
‘David Miller's music is earthy and soulful. A bluesy rock style, a rich voice and guitar, along with years of experience, it adds up to a musical pilgrimage that attracts attention and stimulates a crowd. People get interested, and that's golden!”
- Holt Vaughn, Founder and CEO of the Award Winning group of media companies TheEastcoGroup.com
"No one can define soul. This minor inconvenience of a fact has never deterred people from trying to do so, though. Some say it has something to do with the color of your skin. Others insist it is something that can be learned. Still others will have you believe that we are born with it, or we’re not, and if we’re not, well, we’re out of luck. Most of these explanations are inherently flawed.It’s a silly endeavor, really, but it does often yield some entertaining results, and spurring discourse is always a good idea, right? In the end, all that we can say about soul, as it pertains to music, is that it cannot be defined with any accuracy in mere words, but when we hear it, we know exactly what it is, and at that point, statements of definition just seem vain at last. Words can be soulful, certainly, but they aren’t soul itself.
The first time I heard local guitarist and vocalist David Michael Miller, my response was not an intellectual one, and I didn’t put it into words and then mumble it to myself under my breath. I simply felt something. Miller’s playing and singing were dripping with soul, and before I could truly think about what was happening, I’d already had a physical reaction to it.
Perhaps Miller’s background in church music, gospel in its various guises, had something to do with the deep emotional resonance his performance with Dive House Union instilled in me on that particular day. Who knows? ... But it was dripping with that elusive indefinable quality: soul."
— Jeff Miers, Buffalo News
“Dive House Union is perhaps the pre-eminent band among a new generation of blues-based outfits in the region. Fronted by uber-soulful vocalist/guitarist David Michael Miller - and including guitarist Todd Eberwine, drummer Shannon Street, bassist Dave Herr, keyboardist Tom Scime and saxophonist Barry Arborgast - the band's sound is far too diverse and far-reaching to be labeled strictly blues. But the blues is certainly at the core of the DHU funk/soul/R&B/rock mélange. Early on, the torrid soul-blues tune "Love Ain't So Blind" and the homage to the band's musical forebears, "Son of Many Fathers," combined to tell the DHU story. These guys are serious players who come together as a musical melting pot, blending styles into a soulful, spicy gumbo. A jet-fueled soul-funk take on Bill Withers' "For My Friend" drove this point home, and was peppered with stellar guitar playing from both Eberwine and Miller. jmiers@buffnews.com (August 12, 2012)”
— Jeff Miers, Buffalo News
“Song of the Day Bill Withers, Let Us Love, The Good ...from The Good Neighborhood - 17:28:05 GMT. Dive House Union's David Miller is one of those musicians, and as such he has chosen Withers' Let Us Love, as the gold star cover he'll perform at Wednesday night's Song School song swap at the Sportsmens Tavern supporting Music is Art.”
- Music is Art
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