Long one of my favourite songwriters Derek Davis has an extraordinary talent to turning his hand to different styles of music from the Hard Rockers he wrote as part of Babylon A.D. to the ballads they excelled at. Over the years his solo work has stretched his boundaries and taken in Soul and no Blues. Man this guy just instinctively knows what makes a great song, and not only that, he can seemingly turn his hand to any instrument. His latest release ‘Resonator Blues’ could even be his finest work to date, taking in not just the sounds of the Delta Blues where it all began, but all colours of that most enduring style of music. We caught up to check in and see what’s been happening since ‘Resonator Blues’ hit in June this year.
Mark: Last time we spoke earlier in the year it was prior to the release of ‘Resonator Blues’ when we caught up about the 30th Anniversary of Babylon A.D.’s debut album. First of all I have to say what an album! And it’s great to read things like ‘Number one on the I-tunes Blues chart.’ What were your expectations before you released the album?
Derek: I didn’t expect that, I’ll tell you that much! I honestly thought that some people might like it and others who know my other work might think: ”What you thinking doing a blues record” but for the most part I think people have excepted it, you know, the last album ‘Revolutionary Soul’ was a Soul/Funk album so that took me out of the box a little bit of Hard Rock. But, yeah, I’m very, very happy and satisfied with the response so far.
Mark: I’m just so pleased for you because it’s often so hard for people associated with a certain type of music to explore another genre. It’s difficult to make that crossover, but I think you’ve probably gained a lot of new fans as well with this album?
Derek: Yeah I think so, it might be hard for some people to get their head around it at first, but the album does still have its Rock elements to it so even if you’re a Babylon A.D. fan, I’ve had lots of them come up to me and e-mail me and Facebook me and telling me the same thing you’re saying – they’re blown away how good it is.
Mark: I know when we spoke in person a few years ago on the Monsters of Rock Cruise we were talking about other kinds of music and then you hit me with ‘Revolutionary Soul’ and now this album, I’m just wondering what’s coming next? It’s a wonderful journey to be on?
Derek: (laughs) Yeah I like to experiment, I like to get out of the box, I get bored doing the same thing all day long, or writing the same type of material, you know – all heavy guitars and singing about fast cars and hot looking chicks, you know. But right now I’ve got about fifteen new songs and its feeling like an acoustic kind of thing, a bit Cat Stevens, or something like that. So that’s just what I’ve been writing for about that last year and a half besides the Blues stuff. So I’ve kinda figured that’s gonna be the next thing. And if that catches on I don’t know, if that’s accepted I don’t know but that’s just what I’ve been doing – that’s where my writing and creativity’s been going with just my acoustic guitar.
Mark: Now that sounds great, heading down a singer-songwriter, maybe, and correct me if I’m wrong, a little Americana in there too?
Derek: Exactly, you hit it right on the head, that’s exactly what I’ve been writing! A lot of that kinda stuff.
Mark: Fantastic, I’m gonna love it, I know. There’s also a little Babylon A.D. news too, a change in the line-up?
Derek: Oh yeah, Ron just decided he didn’t want to be part of the band anymore. We’ve played together for years and I guess if you do the same thing enough, and you know we’re all getting a little bit older, so he decided he wanted to go, but the band wanted to keep moving forward so we got a friend of ours, his name is Mark Webb, we call him ‘Spider’, and man this guy shreds, he really is a great guitar player he’s won all kind of awards. He really smokes on guitar, he’s a great addition, he’s a great song-writer, a great singer and a really great performer on stage. And the few gigs that we’ve done so far – he learnt twelve songs in one week to play our first gig. He’s a total pro and a great addition to the band.
Mark: So before we get into some of the tracks from the album, what’s the rest of the year hold for you?
Derek: Well I’m still really concentrating on this album for a few more months, I’ve got a t least one more video to come out and another single coming out. The last single ‘Death Letter’ that just went to number one – my publicist just sent me a note showing me that I’d hit number one on the I-tunes Blues chart for that song so I’ve now had two songs do that! They might not stay there very long, but it’s pretty fun to see them climb the charts and I’m rooting “Keep it hanging there!” (laughs) It felt good man, you know! 
Mark: It’s great as well that that song the Son House classic is a real traditional Delta Blues, I mean I love The Blues, but I must admit that it’s the Delta where my heart really lies.
Derek: Me too man, that’s exactly where it’s at. I found Son House about 15-20 years ago when I first started playing slide guitar, I had his whole anthology and Robert Johnson of course, and then I started to get into all the other cats, you name it and I listened. Then I started getting into Elmore James, the first slide guitar electric guitar player. I don’t like what they call ‘White Man Poor Tale’ Blues, they just don’t get it right. But anything from Stevie Ray Vaughan to the Delta is good for me.
Mark: I was looking at your website the other day and was intrigued by the Halloween Show, tell us about that?
Derek: A friend of ours does a ‘fund raiser’ every single year for children and I played last year – an acoustic show and this year he wanted a band to play and we of course said yes. It’s a great benefit and we have a good time so that’s the next show we’re gonna do.
Mark: And for a great cause too! How’s the new Babylon material coming along, last time we spoke you mentioned that there were already a few songs?
Derek: We have about ten songs demoed but to be honest with you I think there are really four or five real strong ones. But I’ve got some other songs that I’ve written that the guys are like “Wow, this is a hit” and I’ve heard that before (laughs) but you know what I mean! So we’re gonna release a single first and then we’re gonna write a few more songs and see where that goes, but I can’t see us putting out anything for about a year.
Mark: Wait man, get it right! It’ll be killer.
Derek: I know, we’ve got enough songs to release but I don’t want to put out anything inferior you know.
Mark: And that just gives us more time to enjoy your solo stuff too, so we win.
Derek: Yeah, sometimes it get a little hard to wear two hats all the time. And if anyone is wondering where my loyalties lie I’ve been in Babylon A.D. for thirty three years and that’s not gonna stop. But at the same time it’s great to get to do my own stuff too.
Mark: So how does the process of writing work for you Derek? Do you sit down to intentionally write for Babylon or yourself or does it just come out, and when you hear it you just know where it sits?
Derek: Usually how it works I’m in the recording studio, or half the time I wake up, I’ve been sleeping and I get up and I record ideas on y phone about whatever I was thinking about or dreaming about. Ten I go to the recording studio and kinda fool around with the guitar. And it’s just what they come out sounding like, if it sounds like it’s gonna be a rocker then that’s what I write, if it sounds like a Blues song or needs a slide guitar then I write that. It might sound like it’s gonna be an acoustic thing, I’ve even got some keyboard things that are almost Journey sounding. But I just go where the song takes me. I never sit down and say I’m gonna write this kind of song, that never happens. Something pops, I write a riff on the guitar and think “I like that” and in about five minutes I kinda have a grasp on the direction its gonna go.
Mark: Thank you so much for your time Derek, it’s always great to speak to you, and all the best with everything. As far as I’m concerned this is the best stuff you’ve ever written and I can’t wait for the next.
Derek: Thanks mark I really appreciate it. Talk soon.
https://www.derekdavismusic.com/
