Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist Davy Knowles Announces New Album What Happens Next
11th August 2021On his aptly-titled Provogue Recordsâ debut, âWhat Happens Next,â out October 22nd, roots singer-songwriter and guitarist Davy Knowles boldly steps forward with timeless and cohesive songwriting; sleek modern production; and a lyrical, play-for-the-song guitar approach informed from soul, folk, rock, and blues. The 12-song album is just as influenced by The Black Keys, Fantastic Negrito, Gary Clark Jr., as it is Muddy Waters, Junior Kimbrough, and R.L. Burnside. It is a cohesive body of work rather than a collection of disparate songs.Â
âWhen it came time to record this album, it was all about supporting the songs as opposed to âhow quickly I can get to the guitar soloâ,â the Isle of Man-born, Chicago-based artist says laughing. âIâm not a purist, and the way for roots music to stay relevant is to adapt and progress.â
Produced by Eric Corne (John Mayall, Joe Walsh, Joe Bonamassa), âWhat Happens Nextâ something of a departure from Knowlesâs fired-up and reverent take on blues and Americana, featuring poetic songwriting and soulfully emotive vocals that steal the show. The 12-song body of work offers forth a peaks-and-valleys album experience winding through brawny riffs, jazzy blues balladry, and vintage soul before concluding with one of Knowlesâs most personal songs released to date. Throughout it all, his guitar playing is brilliantly understated, his rhythm work is deft and dynamic. The album bursts open with, âLight Of The Moon,â a swaggering riff-rocker replete with vibey 1960s organ flourishes, hooky minor-tinged refrains, and impassioned soul-drenched vocals. Here, Davyâs lead breaks drip sustain, vibrato, and sublime bluesy melodicism.Â
Knowles first burst onto the scene at the age of 20 with his band Back Door Slam, garnering rave reviews, making national US television appearances (Jimmy Kimmel Live, Good Morning America), earning extensive triple-A radio airplay, and achieving two Top 5 Billboard Blues charting albums. Since then he has been solo, and he independently released two more studio albums, 2014âs The Outsider and 2016âs Three Miles From Avalon, which also hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Blues chart. Heâs earned plum endorsements from DâAddario strings, PRS guitars, Bludotone amps, and Celestion speakers, became the first musician in history to play live directly to the International Space Station from Mission Control in Houston, and held his own sharing the stage with such heavyweight artists as The Who, Jeff Beck, Govât Mule, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, Joe Bonamassa, Sonny Landreth, Peter Frampton, Joe Satriani, and Sammy Hagar, among many others.
Despite the songs on âWhat Happens Nextâ featuring concise lead guitar playing, fans of Knowlesâs fleet-fingered lead style fear not for the blues-rock fire still burns inside him. Knowles says: âThis album taught me about restraint in terms of guitar playing. I had to reign it in to let the songs breathe, but I am looking forward to reimagining them and stretching out when we play live.â
Track List
1. Light Of The Moon
2. Heartbreak Or Nothing
3. Roll Me
4. Get Lucky
5. Devil & The Deep Blue Sea
6. One & The Same
7. Solid Ground
8. River
9. Side Show
10. Hell To Pay
11. Wake Me Up When The Nightmare Is Over
12. If I Ever Meet My Maker
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