Photo: Davy Knowles by Timothy Schmidt
By Martine Ehrenclou
Manx guitarist, singer, songwriter, Davy Knowles first burst onto the scene in 2007 with his band, Back Door Slam, earning rave reviews and TV appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Good Morning America. Performing with The Who, Jeff Beck, Gov’t Mule, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Joe Bonamassa, Sonny Landreth, Peter Frampton, Joe Satriani, and more, Joe Satriani said Knowles is “My Favorite Bluesman.” In 2017, the Isle of Man-born musician joined Band of Friends, celebrating the music of his hero Rory Gallagher, recording and touring with Gallagher’s original band members. Knowles’ solo career produced lauded studio albums, The Outsider, Three Miles From Avalon, EP 1932 and various live albums and DVDs.
A revered guitarist, and acclaimed vocalist, songwriter, Chicago-based Davy Knowles released his new album, What Happens Next out October 22 on Provogue, produced by Eric Corne. The 12-song set features roots guitarist, singer, songwriter Davy Knowles’ take on vintage soul, folk, rock and blues. With poetic songwriting, soulful, emotive vocals, and brawny guitar riffs, What Happens Next features Knowles’ understated guitar playing with an emphasis on quality and meaningful songwriting. Davy Knowles is truly a multi-faceted artist.
Martine Ehrenclou
Congratulations on your new album, What Happens Next. It’s wonderful to hear your soulful voice and moving songs. The album is a departure in some ways for you. Tell me what you were going for with it.
Davy Knowles
I think a part of me felt like I’d spent my career trying to make myself sound older than my years. I wanted to make a record maybe more in keeping with what someone in their 30s may make, without shunning any influences.
Martine
You’re known as a superb guitar player. How did it feel creating songs and recording them with less of a focus on your guitar playing and more focus on your vocals and songwriting?
Davy
That’s kind of you to say. It was a challenge to practice more restraint, and I’m lucky in having Eric Corne in the producer chair. He really understood the mission objective, and helped rein me in. I’ve always been more interested in songs than I have been guitar pyrotechnics. I think I just reached a bit of a breaking point of “If I don’t put this into practice now, then when?”
Martine
Tell me about your song “Heartbreak or Nothing” and the inspiration for it.
Davy
I remember having the idea for the music and melody while we were up playing in Canada, and I remember showing it to the lads in the band. They told me it was a good one – to work on it. It felt like an angry, chugging sort of song musically, and I wanted the lyrics to reflect that. Initially I thought it was about someone else, but the more I think about it, I think it’s probably more autobiographical than anything.
Photo: Davy Knowles by Timothy Schmidt
Martine
“Devil And The Deep Blue Sea” is beautiful. What inspired you to write it?
Davy
Thank you! I wanted to write a ‘blues-but-not’ kinda song about the blues! I feel like I, and the folks I have worked with, have always presented my music as blues, when really I wouldn’t call myself a blues artist. It’s a huge influence of mine, and I adore the genre, I’ve worked hard to study it and to respectfully reference it, but it’s not really what I do exclusively. There are so many who do that better than I could. I wrote “Devil and The Deep Blue Sea” about kinda boxing myself into a corner – I want to record a folk album, a songwriter record, a kids album… there’s so much I’d like the freedom to explore without the added pressure of “oh he’s forgotten his roots” or “this isn’t blues, where’s the guitar?” You know? All of this has been a part of me since day one, it’s just maybe not what is the most obvious thing that floated to the surface.
Martine
What Happens Next reveals a very soulful side to your music, from heartbreak to love and loss. Can you elaborate on your songs “Hell To Pay” and “Wake Me Up When The Nightmare ‘s Over.”
Davy
“Hell to Pay” was written with folks like the Fantastic Negrito and Sly Stone in mind. I am such a big fan of those styles, but have never attempted to write like that. It was fun to try and dip my toes in that water. “Wake Me Up” was originally an acoustic song I’d written, but the band and Eric Corne (producer) whipped it up into this really fun Leon Russel feeling thing. It’s a song about my tendency to stumble from crisis to crisis!
Martine
“If I Ever Meet My Maker” is very moving. I lost my father at an early age and understand what it feels like to have a child and not have him there. Please tell me about this song.
Davy
I’m so sorry to hear. This song means the world to me. Within the space of 3 years I lost my Dad, got married and had our first little girl (I now have two! Emmy who is 3 and Josie who is 7 months). There was so much emotion in that short space of time, and so much I wish I was able to ask my Dad. There are lots of parallels in the life I lead, and the one he led and I see so much of him in me now. There was a lot of advice he had left to give, and a lot of joy I wish he were around for. This was my song to him.
Martine
That’s a beautiful thing. It’s common knowledge that you’re a big fan of Rory Gallagher and joined Band of Friends in 2017. Tell me what drew you to Gallagher.
Davy
It was his Celtic influence I think. I grew up in a Celtic nation (the Isle Of Man), and heard traditional music from day one, but had always (wrongly) dismissed it. Then when I heard Rory it blew the door wide open. Here was this fiery rock/blues guitarist who almost sounded like he was playing a fiddle tune! It was an epiphany moment – I had no idea these two different worlds could marry so beautifully!
Martine
Please describe your songwriting process. Do you write music on the road?
Davy
My songwriting process is haphazard… I write whenever I can, however I can. Generally, I have a few on the stovetop at any one time, just collecting them. Then I try and make sense of them as a cohesive project later. There’s no real method to it!
Martine
Tell me about your guitars. Do you have a #1?
Davy
I have a few that I switch around. I have a 1966 Telecaster which is just one of the best guitars I’ve ever picked up. There’s something special about it, although it’s beat up and certainly not ‘perfect’. I adore what Paul Reed Smith builds. There’s a company whose heart is in the right spot, and that means more to me than anything. I have a custom build from them that was a gift from Paul, and a couple of Vela’s. They are such underrated instruments.
Martine
What’s next for you? I see you’re on tour in the U.S.
Davy
Yes – quite a bit of touring on the horizon, which is bittersweet. Lovely to be playing live music again, but I had really gotten used to being home with the girls. That certainly makes it much tougher than it used to be. I’d really like to make an album for them – some fun songs that we make up and sing around the house. Ukulele, dulcimer, fiddle. Those kinds of instruments. Aside from that, it’s write, record, tour and thank my lucky stars I’m still here and doing it!
For more information on Davy Knowles see his website here.
Watch “Hell To Pay” (Thanks to Natasha at 1AnitrasDance for the video)
Superior guitarist, songwriter, and singer. Enjoyed the interview! Happy to see that he enjoys branching in different directions and genres. Keeps it fresh!