There’s the faint murmur of bird song and a slight crackle down the line, as Dave Manning picks up the call.
“I’m walking in the woods,” he says, and his voice gleams with enthusiasm.
As well it might, for there are worse places to spend lockdown than at Ben Newe in Aberdeenshire.
The summit offers stunning views across Strathdon, and Dave has enjoyed complete seclusion.
A local perhaps, who has committed the route to memory? Or a misplaced musician, who is a long way from home.
Dave grew up just outside Chicago, and his accent gives away his US roots.
“Holy cow, has it been a journey or what,” he says, before explaining why he can now be found playing frisbee golf in Scotland.
It’s not a straight-forward story, but Dave has never taken the traditional route.
You may have heard him play in Aberdeen or Inverness, his fingers moulded to the piano keys as he croons the blues.
Dave started touring in 2006, and wound up in the north-east after meeting his Aberdonian wife at Burning Man, held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.
Although the pair separated, Dave still holds Scotland in great affection.
Indeed, it was a return trip north just prior to lockdown that has seen Dave – for want of a better word – stuck on the slopes of Ben Newe.
Unable to tour, he has still made the most of the situation.
“I’ve been in the UK for close to 10 years, touring in the summer time,” he says.
“I can pinpoint my love of music to band in high school. I played the clarinet.
“There was this teacher, and he was one of the few who ever admitted vulnerability. He spoke to us honestly.
“I started to realise the magic things that can happen when you put work into making good music.”
Dave went on to study TV production at university, where he also got the opportunity to play the piano.
“I taught myself, but I actually went into TV production instead of music,” he says.
“I was working on this documentary show in Alaska, and that’s when my music started to bring in money.
“Then I had a nasty break-up. I was sitting there thinking to myself, well I have a lot more fun making music and being on tour.
“So I sold everything and went on the road.”
Dave jokes that he is in a “long-term relationship” with his trusty bus, which he bought when he was 17 years old.
And despite many breakdowns along the way, his bus, which he named Vincent, continues to chug along at 50mph.
“Vincent has become my house,” says Dave.
“I would say I’ve never got rid of Vincent because he has kept working, but that’s not true. He has always been so damn practical.”
Dave admits that the touring life is not for everyone, with cold nights and dusty roads.
“It’s this romantic thing to be on the road, you’re seeing new things every day. Different places and different experiences,” he says.
“There’s a realism about it though.
“There are friends I see once a year, when I’m passing through a particular town.
“I know when I leave, I really hug them goodbye. It will be a long time before I see them again.
“You can live a hand-to-mouth existence, although I try to keep money in the bank.”
Dave lived in Milltimber before moving to Somerset, but he has always had a soft spot for the north of Scotland. He returned recently to stay with fellow musician Jonny Hardie, of the Old Blind Dogs.
“I was going to help out with odd jobs, and do a three-week tour of Scotland,” says Dave.
“Then lockdown happened – I think I won the lottery.
“I’ve left my van on the drive so I can camp in the woods.
“It has made me look at the landscape in a different way, I am no longer looking for a place to park.”
Dave has even got to work on his next album, and has revelled in playing a rare Bluthner grand piano.
“The piano hasn’t moved from its spot in the room since the 1920s, when it was brought in through the window,” says Dave
“It’s mellow, the notes are really round. The sound is just amazing.”
He hopes the double album will be released thanks to crowd funding, with other musicians invited to put down tracks.
“I’ve swapped road trips for walking trips, and I know I’ll end up coming back here,” he admits.
“It would be a shame to squander the opportunity. I have more time now for song ideas
“I’ve called the album Lochdown.
“Some of the songs are inspired by my time here, when I’ve been out walking in the moonlight.
“Holy cow, it’s freedom.”
To find out more, visit davemanning.net
