ALMOST A Dirty Dozen with KYLE DAVIS – May 2019

According to a recent press release: “There are times when we are forced to figure things out, both for ourselves and for our children, while attempting to move on and get through the challenges that life often hands us. It’s no easy process and dealing with those difficulties involves a certain amount of emotional stamina. We tend to want to fix everything immediately and often we see things as broken when maybe something’s simply not working and simply in the process of repair.” That’s Kyle Davis talking about his impetus for writing the song “Not Broken,” the forthcoming single he’s readying for release on May 10. A song spurred by his own experience as a father, a son and a man coming to grips with what those roles entail, it offers the first preview of the tellingly titled Make It Count, Davis’ long awaited new album coming June 28th, 2019.” We get Kyle to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

I think it might be of interest to know, that just like everyone else after 20 some years, I decided, that maybe I needed to do something else.  Maybe this is as far as I can go.  I played some, but not seriously, and did not make a record for 10 or twelve years.  In the mean time I had kids, worked in real estate, lost parents, moved, dealt with changes that eventually hit us all, and at some point said I really miss the canvass that I used to paint on through writing and listening to music.  I came to know and appreciate that it is something my soul, and most of ours, desperately crave. These songs are about being a parent and missing the mark sometimes.  They are about people I have loved, that never could quite forgive themselves or find the peace that we all deserve.  They are about staying and being there for someone through everything, even though we don’t always take home 1st place. They are about missing some you will not see in this life again. They are about life.  Everyone’s life can relate at some point throughout their journey.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

You know, everyone in my family played music. My brother, my Dad, my aunts, and my grandmother. I was always listening to my brothers record’s .It was inspiring , all the pop music of the moment and it varied greatly from Cat Stevens to The Allman Bros and Earth Wind & Fire.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Maybe it was putting on my brother’s copy of The Pretender. When you take guitar in Jr High, you play every acoustic folkish artist but when I came across Jackson and no one quite said things in the same way he did. Really the way he put life, love and loss into words were profoundly amazing and had such an impact on me.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, U2, Marvin Gaye, Paul McCartney

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Probably Jackson, for one I would just like to spend one on one time writing and talking. The other thing is he doesn’t co-write a lot.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I think it has evolved through the years but I think this record is more in the vein of David Gray, Train. Once someone told me that a demo was really good and reminded him of Phil Collins. That was not really where I was going at all although Phil Collins is great but everyone hears thing differently.

7. When the band is all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Right now the band is in this stage of evolution. People are changing because of demands but back in the day our bass player was the Firestarter. He was the guy who could back a trailer up an alley moving at a pretty good clip and he was the one who pulled the guitar out and brought the energy.

8. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

I don’t know, I’ve played shows with a lot of people. Some were approachable some were distant. Maybe at an after concert radio event – Sting and myself walked up to the table at the same time and split the last little sandwich [it was perforated]. I was thinking you take it all!!!

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

I really enjoy looking at a house that is in total disrepair and taking out walls and remodeling. I have done a bit of this and I like the part that remakes this into something better that before.

10. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Well after a disastrous trip down to Atlanta to open for Bob Dylan and getting on stage in the nick of time, myself and the other guitar player started a song and we had our kapo’s on different frets [my fault] .That was a horrible sound in front of 10,000 people. I’d like to do that over!

11. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for anyone record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I talked about The Pretender I think it was a masterpiece. I have talked through the years to Fred Tackett who played on the record. He spoke of a point in which Jon Landau knew something really special was happening.  had a production deal and later a record deal with Phil Ramone and we talked quite a bit about 1971. He owned A&R studios and had Paul McCartney to come and do RAM. He had already worked with him but he said the creativity and the mystery following the Beatles breakup was enormous. The sessions were long and amazing. He thought Ram was a masterpiece also.

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Category: Interviews