"The impact of music, no matter what, will always be stronger than the impact of anything else. Music breaks down walls. The same two groups hating each other today, will be singing in unison and laughing together at some concert somewhere tomorrow."

Dyer Davis: Dog Bites Back

Dyer Davis is an American singer / guitarist, who is currently working on his debut album for WildRoots Records. He's spent the 8 years of his young life as a rock artist, recently departing from the band Rubber Soul Child. Now, at 23 he has returned to the music that first inspired him to become a musician. As a child Dyers’ father, also a musician, turned him on to the music of the 60’s and 70’s. The artists that spoke to him the most were the blues-based rockers, especially the early Jeff Beck records featuring Rod Stewart. This instilled in him the importance of the blues as the key foundation of the music he was drawn to. What surely separates Dyer from other blues rockers is his exceptional soulful voice, tasteful guitar playing, and strong writing ability. Davis is a natural performer with the charisma and chops to entertain any audience, either solo or with his high energy trio.                                                             (Photo: Dyer Davis)

In late 2021, Dyers long-time supporter, producer/engineer, Billy Chapin, reached out to award-winning producer, WildRoots Records Stephen Dees to consider co-producing and co-writing with them. After a couple of sessions Dees was completely won over by Dyers’ talent and engaging personality. So much so that Stephen invited Dyer to perform on the WildRoots latest release “WildRoots Sessions Volume 2”. Now a part of the WildRoots Records team, Dyers’ debut recording “Dog Bites Back” (Release Day: February 17th, 2023) features guests; Grammy nominated Victor Wainwright (keys), Billy Dean (drums), Stephen Dees (bass), and Patricia Ann Dees (saxophone), with Billy Chapin (guitar) and Dyers’ trio David Weatherspoon (drums) & Jacob Barone (bass) and special guests Stan Lynch (The Heartbreakers - drums), Doug Woolverton (trumpet), & Mark Earley (bari sax).

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Blues and Rock Counterculture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Well, I think that there is something very authentic in blues and rock. It's sort of the difference between brutal, raw honesty, and smoke and mirrors. If I am to be honest in a song or performance, that encourages me to be as honest as possible in conversation with a person. I guess it’s encouraged me to be more intuitive to when I feel like I’m being lied to or sold something that can’t be delivered. 

That “counterculture” definitely comes with some ups and downs though. It’s brought me my highest highs, and at times I’ve let it contribute to my lowest lows. That being said, I’ve never been one to care much of what people think, which I think is a great step in being happy and content.

How do you describe your sound and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

I would say that my sound and songbook are totally derivative of where I come from. I grew up on southern rock, and British rock and blues with a bunch of soul music in between. I like to think that my sound reflects that, but definitely, no matter the style of the track, has a British and southern blues rock twist.

As far as my creative drive, I love music, and I am a slave to my imagination. Sometimes I’m trying to go to bed at 3-4am and a song idea hits my head. You never know. That idea might be the best one I think I’ve written. So, you best believe I’m grabbing a guitar at 4am and staying up until its done! My brain constantly throws ideas at me. The day I stop entertaining them, will be the day that hell freezes over.

"Well, conveying emotion is the difference between them. It’s the difference between listening to a politician, and a preacher. Politicians can be great talkers, but they’ll never move people the way a preacher can. There’s a level of conviction and passion that has to come with how you do it. Soul is what you’re feeling and putting in as well as putting out, and the technique is the knowledge of where to put it." (Photo: Dyer Davis)

What moment changed your music life the most? What’s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

I can’t think of any particular moment. The whole thing has been a constant process of learning from successes and failures. All for the better obviously.

But I’ve gotten to jam with guys and meet/hangout with guys that I would’ve never thought possible starting when I was pretty young, like 14 or so. Robben Ford, Elliott Easton, Leslie West, Johnny Winter, and quite a few others. I will ALWAYS be grateful for those times in my career so far. 

Currently you’ve one release with Victor Wainwright and WildRoots. How did that relationship come about?

 I do! I always heard Victor’s name growing up in Daytona, but never had the pleasure of meeting him until I started working with Stephen Dees. It started with a track that I sang on for the WildRoots Vol. 2 record called “The Bad Seed”. As I recall, Stephen heard a cover version of the Beatles “Oh! Darling” that I had recorded, and he really dug my voice. So, he invited me to sing and play on the WildRoots song, and then the rest was history as they say.  Shortly after, I got a slot opening for Victor at a show he had at The Bank and Blues Club. We hit it off like we had known each other for years, and now I’m grateful to call him a friend of mine. 

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album Dog Bites Back? 

Making this record was extremely cathartic to me after being in the rock world for so long. There were no rules for this from my perspective. Everything came from the heart. The one thing that strikes me as interesting, is when Stephen came into the studio one day with the song “Lifting Up My Soul”, and he was stoked. He played it on an acoustic guitar and sang it some, and I realized that I had a song I had started writing and never finished, that was almost exactly like it! Wild how that worked. It was pretty crazy how in tune with each other we all were. 

"I want people to turn on my music and slip into it. For that 3-5 minute at a time, I want people to be able to mourn, fall in love, make love, break up, or whatever it is they want, or need to do, to my music. It’s the ultimate drug." (Photo: Dyer Davis)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

There was a great deal of different sounds, styles and arrangements in older music. It didn’t have to be a “verse- chorus” type thing all the time. A lot of older popular music pushed itself in different directions, and the listeners were stoked to be along for the ride. I miss the freedom in that, and people’s enthusiasm for it on a large scale.

My hopes are that guys like Marcus King continue to thrive and become more mainstream, and I like to think that that will happen. Sometimes “progression” isn’t particularly progressive. We can’t move through the future successfully without going back and revisiting where we came from sometimes. I can’t say that I have any fears as of yet… But that may change.

What's the balance in music between technique and soul?

Well, conveying emotion is the difference between them. It’s the difference between listening to a politician, and a preacher. Politicians can be great talkers, but they’ll never move people the way a preacher can. There’s a level of conviction and passion that has to come with how you do it. Soul is what you’re feeling and putting in as well as putting out, and the technique is the knowledge of where to put it.

If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

Stop making stupid people famous. For everyone manufactured artist who made $1,000,000 last year, there’s 100 real artists who are making great discographies for themselves that you have to search for to find under mounds of shit. Paraphrasing Zappa, “get rid of the ‘hip young guys’ and bring back the ‘cigar chomping old guys’”. Let the people decide instead of the “hip young guy” at the record label, what works and what doesn’t.                                          (Photo: Dyer Davis)

"Well, I think that there is something very authentic in blues and rock. It's sort of the difference between brutal, raw honesty, and smoke and mirrors. If I am to be honest in a song or performance, that encourages me to be as honest as possible in conversation with a person. I guess it’s encouraged me to be more intuitive to when I feel like I’m being lied to or sold something that can’t be delivered."

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

The impact of music, no matter what, will always be stronger than the impact of anything else. Music breaks down walls. The same two groups hating each other today, will be singing in unison and laughing together at some concert somewhere tomorrow. 

I want people to turn on my music and slip into it. For that 3-5 minute at a time, I want people to be able to mourn, fall in love, make love, break up, or whatever it is they want, or need to do, to my music. It’s the ultimate drug. 

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Keep it between the lines, don’t be motivated by money, and read the contract before you sign.

John Coltrane said, "My music is the spiritual expression of what I am...". How do you understand the spirit, music, and the meaning of life?

We will never know the meaning of life. We just try to live it individually to the best of our abilities. The spirit and music help us to do that, and to guide us to our best outcome. It’s up to us to listen.

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(Photo: Dyer Davis)