David Nail

Biography

David Brent Nail (born May 18, 1979) is an American singer/songwriter and country music artist. In 2002, he debuted the single "Memphis" from an unreleased album for Mercury Records Nashville. Five years later, he signed with MCA Nashville, for which he has released four studio albums: I'm About to Come Alive×I'm About to Come Alive18 August 2009 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Mississippi4:362I'm About to Come Alive4:283Red Light4:064Again4:215Clouds3:536Summer Job Days4:117Strangers on a Train4:088Looking for a Good Time5:129This Time Around3:2510Turning Home4:5911Missouri4:02, The Sound of a Million Dreams×The Sound of a Million Dreams15 November 2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Grandpa's Farm4:212Songs for Sale3:443Desiree4:524She Rides Away4:375Let It Rain4:596I Thought You Knew3:437Catch You While I Can4:238Half Mile Hill4:209That's How I'll Remember You4:5910The Sound of a Million Dreams3:5511Catherine4:53, I'm a Fire, and Fighter plus two extended plays, 1979 and Uncovered. The albums have produced seven chart entries on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, including two that have reached No. 1: "Let It Rain×Let It Rain1 January 2011 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Let It Rain3:42" (featuring Sarah Buxton) and "Whatever She's Got×Whatever She's Got18 June 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Whatever She's Got3:55", plus the top 10 hit "Red Light×Red Light2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Red Light4:06".

Career

David Nail's first recording contract was with Mercury Records Nashville, a division of Universal Music Group Nashville. While there, he recorded a self-titled debut album, which was produced by Keith Stegall and John Kelton. The lead-off single, "Memphis", reached number 52 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. Deborah Evans Price gave the song a mostly-positive review, calling it a "solid performance" but saying that she considered its storyline implausible. Advance copies of the album were sent to radio stations, but it was not commercially released. He also sang backing vocals on the track "But I Can't Let You Go" on then-labelmate Meredith Edwards' 2001 album Reach.

I'm About to Come Alive and The Sound of a Million Dreams (2007–2012)

Nail signed to MCA Records Nashville, also a division of Universal Music Group Nashville, in April 2007. His debut album for the label, I'm About to Come Alive×I'm About to Come Alive18 August 2009 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Mississippi4:362I'm About to Come Alive4:283Red Light4:064Again4:215Clouds3:536Summer Job Days4:117Strangers on a Train4:088Looking for a Good Time5:129This Time Around3:2510Turning Home4:5911Missouri4:02, was produced by Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke, the same producers who work with Miranda Lambert. The album includes a duet with Lambert, co-writes with Kenny Chesney and Rascal Flatts' lead singer Gary LeVox, and five songs that Nail co-wrote.
The first single was "I'm About to Come Alive", originally recorded by Train on their 2003 album My Private Nation. Nail's version peaked at number 47 on the country chart. The second single, "Red Light×Red Light2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Red Light4:06," entered Top 40 in May 2009 and peaked at number 7. "Turning Home", which Chesney co-wrote with Scooter Carusoe, was the album's third single, reaching a peak of number 20.

In February 2011, Nail released his fifth single, "Let It Rain×Let It Rain1 January 2011 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Let It Rain3:42", which featured Sarah Buxton on guest vocals. It served as the lead-off single to his second studio album, The Sound of a Million Dreams×The Sound of a Million Dreams15 November 2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Grandpa's Farm4:212Songs for Sale3:443Desiree4:524She Rides Away4:375Let It Rain4:596I Thought You Knew3:437Catch You While I Can4:238Half Mile Hill4:209That's How I'll Remember You4:5910The Sound of a Million Dreams3:5511Catherine4:53, which was released on November 15, 2011. In January 2012, "Let It Rain" became Nail's first No. 1 hit. The title track was released as the album's second and final single, and reached a peak of number 38 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Nail released a three-track digital EP titled 1979 on July 17, 2012. The EP includes a cover of Adele's "Someone like You".

I'm a Fire and Fighter (2013–2017)

A new single, "Whatever She's Got×Whatever She's Got18 June 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Whatever She's Got3:55", was released to country radio on May 28, 2013. It served as the lead-off single to his third studio album, I'm a Fire, which was released on March 4, 2014. It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in February 2014. The second single from the album was announced to be "Kiss You Tonight×Kiss You TonightMarch 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Kiss You Tonight", co-written by David Cook, an American Idol winner.
On July 20, 2015, David Nail released a new single entitled "Night's on Fire." The song peaked at No. 14 on Country Airplay in July 2016, and served as the lead-off single to his fourth studio album Fighter×Fighter15 July 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Good at Tonight3:302Night's on Fire3:103Ease Your Pain2:594Home5:565Lie with Me2:506I Won't Let You Go5:327Fighter4:368Babies3:259Got Me Gone3:1210Champagne Promise3:5411Old Man's Symphony3:42.
In May 2016 he released an EP of covers titled "Uncovered×Uncovered20 May 2016 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1In the Ghetto3:152Can’t Feel My Face3:323In the Air Tonight4:294Send My Love (to Your New Lover)3:305Looking for a Good Time5:23." It included "In the Ghetto", "Can't Feel My Face", "In the Air Tonight", and "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)".
In September 2016, the album's second single, "Good at Tonight" featuring Brothers Osborne, was released to country radio. It failed to reach the Top 50 of the country charts and it was announced in early 2017 that David Nail had parted ways with MCA Nashville after 10 years with the label.

David Nail and The Well Ravens (2018)

In July 2018, Nail announced a new project as the frontman of the band David Nail & The Well Ravens. The band's first album titled Only This And Nothing More×Only This and Nothing More2018 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1The Gun3:492Come Back Around3:263White Trash Girl2:414Cheating on Me4:415Over3:276Heavy3:467In My Head4:16, was independently released on September 14, 2018.
Since the release of Only This And Nothing More, Nail has independently released five EPs and three stand-alone singles. He has consistently toured North America playing for tens of thousands of fans. In March 2025, he joined Vanity Fair to premiere their film Take No Prisoners which he recorded a cover of Bruce Cockburn's "Pacing The Cage" especially for. He announced in late 2025 that he is working with Anderson East who will produce his first full-length album since 2016, Fighter×Fighter15 July 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Good at Tonight3:302Night's on Fire3:103Ease Your Pain2:594Home5:565Lie with Me2:506I Won't Let You Go5:327Fighter4:368Babies3:259Got Me Gone3:1210Champagne Promise3:5411Old Man's Symphony3:42.

Personal life

Nail was born and grew up in Kennett, Missouri, where his father was a high school band director. He married longtime girlfriend Catherine Werne on June 6, 2009, in Franklin, Tennessee. On December 12, 2015, Nail and Werne welcomed twins, son Lawson Brent Nail and daughter Lillian Catherine Nail. Their third child, daughter Ellie Britton, was born on October 19, 2020.
Nail participated in the 2010 Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game, hitting a home run past the right-field fence in Angel Stadium.
He attended Arkansas State University where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha.

Singles

A"Turning Home" did not enter the Hot 100, but peaked at number 17 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.
B"Kiss You Tonight×Kiss You TonightMarch 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Kiss You Tonight" did not enter the Hot 100, but peaked at number 3 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.