Dream Chase Or Bust - Toronto, Canada.

Hands down, one of the coolest moments ever was getting to watch my cousin Dave* open for one of his biggest musical idols Zel Bautista* of December Avenue*.

Going by David Ursolo now, I remember first meeting him as a kid in the Philippines — both energetic and full of life, it was literally like he was bred to sing. From singing at numerous family functions every time we visited, and getting tutelage from his father who had a strict ear for pitch and harmony, I’d always hear about the various accolades and milestones he’d achieve while I was back in Canada. From playing in different bands, to singing on Boracay* (a major tourist island in the Philippines), to going on mini-tours around the Philippines, he had an undeniable passion for singing.

Now in Canada, he spends most of his time working but has recently started pursuing his passion for singing once again; however, now with the flame of songwriting in his heart!

Tasked with writing his own original song in order to open up for Rico Blanco* on the Korics Tour, he wrote his first song “By My Side” and dropped it in our cousins chat — where it totally blew my mind!

Coming off of the Korics Tour, he was then offered to open for Zel during The Velvet Tour and I just had to get in on the action! Offering to take photos of the event in order to provide him with proper marketing material (while also helping to soothe my creative spirit and energy because ‘the Muse’ had once again kicked in), we showed up early to the event in order to not only take photos, but I also surprised him by asking to film a live acoustic video of his song (video below).

With hundreds of gigs under his belt since playing in the Philippines, you can definitely tell that stage fright and nerves are something that don’t even phase him; rather, it’s something that excites him to get on stage. Having now opened for two of the biggest Filipino Music names in 2025, I cannot wait to see where he takes his passion and art!

For now, check out his latest single: “By My Side” out now on Spotify!*

*Side note, in case you noticed it: yes — he plays his guitar upside down. Since he’s naturally left handed and left handed guitars are expensive in the Philippines, he learned how to play upside down from his brother. Chalk it up to good ol’ Filipino ingenuity. ☺

-stay tuned.