20 years in the making: Hawaiian ukulele meets deep electronica on Dave Polo’s deeply personal track and video
What happens when a song you wrote more than 20 years ago finally catches up with the musician you’ve become? For Hawaiian musician and producer Dave Polo, the answer is “Semi Precious” – a warm, hypnotic fusion of koa ukulele, deep bass and driving electronica that began with a single spontaneous strum. Dave bought the custom koa ukulele after returning to Kauai following college and a spell as a firefighter, and almost immediately the song’s chorus emerged. It was later recorded with his first band, but it took two decades of developing his craft as a musician and producer for him to finally create the version he had always imagined. Now featured on Dave Polo’s album Unbound, “Semi Precious” is ultimately about the quiet power of having someone believe in you, and the importance of recognising those connections while you have them.
Accompanied by an official video, “Semi Precious” offers a distinctive meeting point between Dave’s Hawaiian musical roots and contemporary electronic production. His live history includes appearances at Surfestival, Chile’s flagship surf-and-music festival, where he is confirmed to perform at the 2027 edition alongside headliner Jack Johnson.
Dave’s music carries the spirit of Hawaii and the ukulele, whilst pushing firmly into contemporary electronic territory. With “Semi Precious” and its video available now, Dave Polo is bringing a song with an unusually long history to a wider audience, one that has taken more than 20 years to become the record he always heard in his head.