Bluegrass Artist Chris Davis Talks New Music, Billy Blue Records, and his Family Legacy
Getting the chance to play with The Grascals and Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers is enough to make any picker happy—but if you ask guitarist and vocalist Chris Davis, going out on his own has brought newfound freedom.
With the urging of his record label, Billy Blue Records, Davis, who spent years as a sideman, feels it was time for him to step into the spotlight. “For a long time, Billy Blue kept telling me, ‘Man, you need to do your own band.’ But my confidence level just wasn't there yet,” Davis shares.
“I was enjoying what I was doing. Looking back, maybe I should have done it sooner, but when you're going through life, you're just doing the best you can.”
The former Radio Rambler gained insight over the years.
"I learned a lot from those bands,” Davis shares. “Every band I've worked with has been professional and had great harmonies. If there's one thing I took away from those experiences, it's that to entertain people at a high level, you have to have a great band behind you. You're only as good as your weakest link, and I always wanted to make sure I wasn't the weakest link."
“I have complete creative control at this point,” says Davis, calling the shots. “And the label has been really good about that. I can record wherever I want, choose the songs, and shape the project the way I hear it. I love being able to say, ‘This is how I want to do it,’ while still making sure everyone in the band has a voice.”
Davis feels working with Billy Blue Records is a solid choice.
“I was with Joe Mullins for the last three and a half years prior … and he was signed with Billy Blue. So we did a lot of work for them. It's a really professional place—working with those cats has been really cool.”
“A few labels were interested,” shares Davis. “To be in a position where you can choose a label that truly wants to work with you—that’s a blessing in itself! I knew Billy Blue Records had a solid reputation and was well established in what they do.
"This is a whole new deal,” Davis explains. “There's a whole new catalog of music coming. We've got a duet in the works with a surprise female vocalist, and it could potentially be our next single. I'm excited about what we're creating and can't wait for people to hear it."
His new single, “Jenna Lea” is already being well-received.
"That song is a great little tune! It's one of those songs that makes you want to dance. It makes you want to bounce your shoulders up and down.”
Davis explains the song’s lyrics, "It's about a young man who's in love with a girl and doesn't realize she's doing him wrong until the very end. That's really what the song is about, but it's a happy song with a twist."
Davis assures his fans that there will be a mix of styles.
"There are going to be some spiritual numbers on the album, and it's going to be the kind of bluegrass I love—songs that really speak to me."
For those who might not be familiar, Davis is a third-generation bluegrass musician. Born and reared in Dayton, Ohio, Davis’s father, Danny Davis, and grandfather, Elzie Davis, were both part of the regional Ohio bluegrass circuit. “My grandpa was a fiddle player, and Dad was a multi-instrumentalist. Growing up around that music as a kid, it just hit a chord with me. Something about it stuck, and it's been driving me ever since."
Davis’s experience playing in a band started early.
"Playing in the family band taught me how to play dynamically and how to support whoever was taking a break. You didn't want to be fooling around on the microphone—you wanted to be the rhythm section and do your job. Learning how to keep time and support the music was one of the biggest lessons I ever learned."
On carrying the family legacy forward
"It absolutely carries weight. I know the passion my papa had and the passion my dad still has for this music. If it weren't for those guys, I wouldn't be doing this. They exposed me to it, and now it's been passed down to me, to my son Gibson, and to my youngest son Rylan."
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