Davy Knowles (born 30 April 1987) is a
Manx blues guitarist and singer. Knowles currently tours as a solo artist, but is formerly of the
blues-rock band
Back Door Slam, as well as working under the name Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam for a short period of time.
With Back Door Slam, he played lead guitar and sang on their debut album, ''
Roll Away''. After a split-up with bassist Adam Jones and drummer Ross Doyle, Knowles released the first and only album under the name Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, ''
Coming Up for Air
''Coming Up for Air'' is the seventh book by English writer George Orwell, published in June 1939 by Victor Gollancz. It was written between 1938 and 1939 while Orwell spent time recuperating from illness in French Morocco, mainly in Marrakesh. ...
'', on 19 May 2009.
Knowles drew his musical influences from blues musicians that he grew up listening to such as
Dire Straits,
Peter Green, and
Eric Clapton's
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
.
Due to his home country's proximity to Ireland, Knowles has stated that his music also is influenced by the
Celtic genre, which is noted to be present in the song "Roll Away".
In April 2009, Knowles toured with British guitarist
Jeff Beck on his American tour, where he was the
opening act. He toured with
Joe Satriani
Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". '' AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and guitar teacher. Early in his ...
and
Chickenfoot in the United States through December 2009. Davy Knowles toured with The
Rhythm Devils
The Rhythm Devils is a band led by former Grateful Dead drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart.
Grateful Dead
The Rhythm Devils had their origins as an informal but frequent fixture in the Grateful Dead concert repertoire starting in the mid-t ...
in 2010.
Knowles released his first solo album, The Outsider, in 2014. He released his second solo album, Three Miles From Avalon, in 2016, while his third, What Happens Next, is currently scheduled for October 22, 2021. He is currently based out of Chicago, Illinois and continues to tour in the United States regularly.
Early life
Knowles was born in
Port St Mary,
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
. At age 11, Knowles first became interested in music when he heard
Dire Straits's "
Sultans of Swing" during a car ride with his father. Promptly, he took his father's guitar and learned how to play the song
by ear.
As Knowles grew older, he was influenced by other artists like Dire Straits that he found in his father's music collection such as
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...
,
Eric Clapton, and
Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...
.
As a child, Knowles briefly took guitar lessons, but did not prefer the traditional way of learning how to play.
After he stopped taking lessons he taught himself.
Knowles attended
Castle Rushen High School in
Castletown, Isle of Man
Castletown ( gv, Balley Chashtal, pronounced ) is a town in the Isle of Man, geographically within the historical parish of Malew but administered separately. Lying at the south of the island, it was the Manx capital until 1869. The centre of ...
, where he met future bandmates Brian Garvey, Ross Doyle, Adam Jones, and Jamie Armstrong.
Musical career
Back Door Slam
Back Door Slam is the name of the
blues rock band started by Davy Knowles on the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
in 2003/4. The band got its name from a
Robert Cray
Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards.
Early life
Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was statione ...
song of the same name. Originally a four piece, with
Castle Rushen High School friends Jamie Armstrong (bass guitar), Ross Doyle (drums) and Brian Garvey (rhythm guitar), the band was torn apart in 2004 when Brian was killed in a car accident along with their close friend Richie Brookes.
Deciding to carry on in Brian's memory, Davy, Jamie and Ross reformed the band, with Davy writing the emotional tribute to his friend & former bandmate, 'Stay', which was later to appear on a rare EP and on their debut album ''
Roll Away''. The band originally played only local shows around their hometown area of Port St. Mary.
Shortly after, Armstrong quit the band to attend college in England, so Knowles brought in bassist and high school friend Adam Jones to replace him. In 2006, the band began to write their first record, with Knowles writing every song on the album with the exception of their cover of
Blind Joe Reynolds' "
Outside Woman Blues
"Outside Woman Blues" is a blues song originally recorded by Blind Joe Reynolds in 1929. It is one of few known recordings made by Reynolds, who used "Woman Blues" in several song titles, including "Cold Woman Blues", "Goose Hill Woman Blues", and ...
". On 26 June 2007, Knowles and Back Door Slam released their debut album, ''
Roll Away''. Knowles played lead guitar (both electric and acoustic) and sang the lead throughout the whole album.
In 2008, after their first album released and was at number 7 on the Blues
Billboard Chart
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
, Knowles and Back Door Slam gained exposure at the
South by Southwest Festival,
Coachella Coachella may refer to:
* Coachella, California
* Coachella Canal, in California
* Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California
* "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey
See also
* Coachell ...
, and
Lollapalooza.
At the
Bonnaroo Music Festival in
Manchester, Tennessee
Manchester is a city in Coffee County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 12,213 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Coffee County. The city is located halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga on Interstate 24.
Manchester i ...
, Knowles and the band shot their first concert DVD, ''Back Door Slam: Live from Bonnaroo''.
Early in 2009, Knowles unexpectedly released a statement from the band, stating that they had split up, and each of the band's members were going to begin to pursue their own separate careers in music.
"After much thought and soul searching, we have reached the painful decision that we should part ways at this time," said Knowles in a statement on the band's website. "The decision was the hardest of our lives, but it's one we believe had to be made for each of us to move forward creatively and musically," he added.
Solo career
After the breakup with Back Door Slam, Knowles quickly began his solo career under the name "Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam". His new backing band contained Fritz Lewak at drums, Kevin McCormick at bass, and
Benmont Tench
Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Early years
Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin ...
of the Heartbreakers at keyboards.
Knowles said in an interview that he had gotten much stronger and comfortable with singing and songwriting during the time that he began to write his first solo album.
On 16 June 2009, Knowles released his first solo album, entitled ''
Coming Up For Air
''Coming Up for Air'' is the seventh book by English writer George Orwell, published in June 1939 by Victor Gollancz. It was written between 1938 and 1939 while Orwell spent time recuperating from illness in French Morocco, mainly in Marrakesh. ...
''.
This new album became quite popular among blues listeners, as it rose to number 2 on the Billboard Blues Albums Charts on two separate occasions, on 11–25 July 2009.
After the release of his new album, Knowles went on tour, playing at several notable summer music festivals including the Mile High Festival,
Rothbury Festival,
Lollapalooza, and
Summerfest
Summerfest is an annual music festival held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First held in 1968, Summerfest is located at Henry Maier Festival Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's central business district. Summerfest attracts app ...
, where he opened for
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...
.
In December 2009 Davy Knowles performed the song Come Home, live at
BETA Records TV Studios in Hollywood, California. The acoustic song segment is taken from Season 3 of the BETA Records Music TV Series, directed by Eric MacIver and produced by Chris Honetschlaege. (Link to video) He is now on the road as Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, with PK (bass), Steven Barci (drums) and Ty Bailie (keys). They opened for Chickenfoot in August/Sept 2009. In June 2009, Chickenfoot guitarist Joe Satriani described Davy as his "new favourite modern-day bluesman" in a Playlist article in the Sunday Times. He was on tour with The
Rhythm Devils
The Rhythm Devils is a band led by former Grateful Dead drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart.
Grateful Dead
The Rhythm Devils had their origins as an informal but frequent fixture in the Grateful Dead concert repertoire starting in the mid-t ...
.
Knowles continued to tour in support of the new album before turning his attention to documenting his musical influences in the documentary ''Island Bound'',
which was released as part of the Isle of Man Film Festival in 2014.
Knowles also released his second solo album, ''The Outsider'' in 2014. The album featured two singles and lyric videos that Knowles released to his YouTube channel. One was the title track and the other was a cover of the gospel song
Ain't No Grave
Ain't No Grave (also known as Gonna Hold This Body Down) is a traditional American gospel song attributed to Claude Ely (19221978) of Virginia.
History
Claude Ely, a songwriter and preacher from Virginia, describes composing the song while sick w ...
. The album also features a cover of the
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...
song
Pastures of Plenty.
While touring in support of ''The Outsider'' in 2015 and early 2016, Knowles wrote and recorded his third solo album, ''Three Miles From Avalon''.
The album featured seven original songs as well as a reworking of the
Willie Dixon song "What in the World". The album was released in October 2016, and reached number 5 in the ''
Billboard''
Blues Albums Chart in its first week of release.
In 2017, Davy joined Band Of Friends, celebrating the music
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...
, with original Gallagher bandmates
Gerry McAvoy
John Gerard McAvoy (born 19 December 1951) is a Northern Irish blues rock bass guitarist. He played with blues rock musician Rory Gallagher between 1970 and 1991, and then with Nine Below Zero until 2011.
Biography
McAvoy was born in Belfas ...
(bass) and
Ted McKenna
Edward McKenna (10 March 1950 – 19 January 2019) was a Scottish drummer who played with The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rory Gallagher, The Greg Lake Band, and The Michael Schenker Group. He also toured with Ian Gillan for a short period ...
(drums). He toured with the group throughout 2017 and 2018.
On February 19, 2020, it was announced that Knowles had signed to Dutch-based record label
Provogue Records
Provogue Records is a European record label and part of the Mascot Label Group. Founded by Jan Van Der Linden in the early 1990s, the label specializes in rock and blues. Its catalog includes Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart, Eric Johnson ...
. His latest studio album, entitled ''What Happens Next,'' was announced alongside the lead single "Light Of The Moon" on July 29, 2021, with the full record released on October 22. The single "Roll Me" was chosen by
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
as one of the best blues songs of the year.
Influences
According to Knowles, the first band that influenced him was
Dire Straits, whose song "
Sultans of Swing" inspired him to begin playing the guitar after hearing it played in his father's
car stereo
Vehicle audio is equipment installed in a car or other vehicle to provide in-car entertainment and information for the vehicle occupants. Until the 1950s it consisted of a simple AM radio. Additions since then have included FM radio (1952), ...
.
Because he was brought up in the Isle of Man, Knowles has publicly stated that, he draws a great deal of influence from the
Celtic genre of music, particularly from the Irish guitarist
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...
.
"Rory Gallagher understood Celtic influences, being an Irishman, and I saw that where I was growing up, too. We were only 50 or 60 miles off the coast of Ireland. So I had this big Celtic influence growing up. And when I heard him incorporating that into his music, that's when I really got into it," said Knowles in an interview with the
Seattle P.I.
Equipment
Knowles uses a number of different guitars while on stage. His primary electric guitar until mid-2009 was the
1962 Fender Stratocaster Reissue, which he uses with Fender's SCN Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Stratocaster
pickups.
Knowles's other electric guitars are the
Stevie Ray Vaughan Model
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuousl ...
and Rio Grande brand pickups.
Knowles uses the reissued
Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang is a solid body electric guitar produced by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. It was introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's student models, the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced unti ...
, which is only currently available in Japan.
Knowles has one acoustic guitar that is used when he performs, a
Gibson J-45
The Gibson J-45 is a dreadnought style acoustic guitar manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. It is generally regarded as Gibson's most famous and widely used acoustic guitar model.
The J-45 is part of Gibson's round-shoulder "jumbo" ...
Acoustic. Along with these guitars, Knowles also uses
Dean Markley guitar string
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments such as the guitar, harp, piano (piano wire), and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material that a musical instrument holds under tensi ...
s, ranging from 0.10 to 0.52 gauge.
In mid-2009, Knowles began primarily using Paul Reed Smith guitars and Budda Amps while onstage. Knowles now uses
PRS guitars
Paul Reed Smith Guitars, also known as PRS Guitars, is an American guitar and amplifier manufacturer located in Stevensville, Maryland. The company was founded in 1985 in Annapolis, Maryland by Paul Reed Smith.
Products manufactured by PRS inc ...
, particularly the PRS 305.
Knowles has two
amplifiers for use with his guitars. The first is the
Vox AC30
The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox. It was introduced in 1958 to meet the growing demand for louder amplifiers. Characterised by its "jangly" high-end sound it has become widely recognized by British musicians and others, su ...
Heritage Collection Amp, and the other is the 1965
Fender Twin Reverb
The Fender Twin and Twin Reverb are guitar amplifiers made by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Twin was introduced in 1952, two years before Fender began selling Stratocaster electric guitars. The amps are known for their characterist ...
.
For his effects, Knowles uses the
Dunlop Cry Baby for his
Wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal, or simply wah pedal, is a type of electric guitar effects pedal that alters the tone and frequencies of the guitar signal to create a distinctive sound, mimicking the human voice saying the onomatopoeic name "wah-wah". The ped ...
, and the Fulltone Distortion Pro for his
distortion
In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signa ...
and a
Behringer
Behringer is an audio equipment company founded by the Swiss engineer Uli Behringer on 25 January 1989, in Willich, Germany. Behringer was the 14th largest manufacturer of music products in 2007. Behringer is a worldwide, multinational group ...
kazoo.
Davy Knowles now uses the Freekish Blues Freek Out! (a Highly Modified Joyo Voodoo Octave) for fuzz. In addition to this, Knowles occasionally plays a 1944
Martin Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austr ...
brand
mandolin and a Dallas Arbiter electric
trampoline
A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched between a steel frame using many coiled springs. Not all trampolines have springs, as the Springfree Trampoline uses glass-reinforced plastic rods. People bounce o ...
in some of his songs.
Discography
With
Back Door Slam
* ''
Back Door Slam Live 2006 - DVD'' (2006)
* ''
Roll Away'' (2007)
* ''
Back Door Slam - EP'' (2008)
* ''Back Door Slam: Live from Bonnaroo'' (2008)
As Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam
* ''
Coming Up For Air
''Coming Up for Air'' is the seventh book by English writer George Orwell, published in June 1939 by Victor Gollancz. It was written between 1938 and 1939 while Orwell spent time recuperating from illness in French Morocco, mainly in Marrakesh. ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam Live 2009 - DVD'' (2009)
* ''Live from Melbourne'' (2011)
As Davy Knowles
* ''The Outsider'' (2014)
* ''Three Miles From Avalon'' (2016)
* ''1932'' - EP (2017)
* ''What Happens Next'' (2021)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knowles, Davy
1987 births
Living people
British blues singers
Manx musicians
English blues guitarists
English male guitarists
21st-century Manx musicians
21st-century British guitarists
21st-century British male musicians