The most ferocious roots guitarist from the UK since The Yardbirds, 22-year-old Isle of Man born Davy Knowles returns to the UK with his band Back Door Slam and a brand new album “Coming Up For Air” produced by Grammy Award-winning guitarist Peter Frampton and mixed by Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, The Who and Paul McCartney). Davy Knowles has spent the last two years on a US blues pilgrimage wowing audiences in every state, even giving guitar legend Jeff Beck a run for his money, having just finished a support tour with him. He has rubbed shoulders with many other guitar greats, opening for the likes of The Who, Kid Rock, Chickenfoot, Joe Bonamassa, Lynyrd Skynrd, Buddy Guy, Eric Burdon and George Thorogood.

Davy perfectly captures the spirit of those he admires in “Coming Up For Air”. The album has the force of Stevie Ray Vaughan, while vocally resembling the late, great Jeff Healey, evoking the guitar expertise of Peter Green and rhythmically embracing the style of Robert Cray. Davy’s respect for Robert inspired him to name his band Back Door Slam, after one of Cray’s song titles. But while it may contain elements of guitar greats, there’s a uniqueness to the album which can only be described as the style of Davy Knowles.

Davy goes beyond the blues in his second studio album “Coming Up For Air”, which marks his introduction into the UK. He describes the new album as “the next step musically” for him. It features 11 brand new studio recordings, comprising nine Davy Knowles compositions, a compelling cover of George Harrison’s “Hear Me Lord” and the special bonus track, “Taste of Danger,” a duet with respected New York singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke. The new album was recorded in Los Angeles at Sage and Sound studios, with the crème de la crème of musicians featuring on the album such as, Fritz Lewak (drums) and Kevin McCormick on bass (Jackson Browne’s rhythm section), respected British singer and Richard Thompson band member Christine Collister on backing vocals, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench on keyboards. “All the tracks were recorded in the same room, at the same time,” Davy explains, “so you get that real live feeling.”

The album kicks off with “Coming Up For Air”, inspired by an interview Davy read with guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan about “Picking yourself up from the bootstraps, but the bootstraps are broken.” The George Orwell novel “Coming Up For Air” also enthused Davy to use that as the album title and opening track, as “a story about slugging away,” which Davy greatly relates to.

While the bulk of “Coming Up For Air” was written by Davy, he also finds himself teaming up with a few new co-writing partners, which is how he was originally introduced to Frampton. “We ended up writing “Keep On Searching”, and found a real musical chemistry together,” says Davy. “Then before he knew it, I roped him into producing the whole album. “

“The beauty of writing with someone like Frampton,” he goes on, “is that you get all their influences and all their past experiences, which has taken me in a direction that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve by myself.” This is the first album Frampton has ever produced outside his own; he also serves as a musician on a number of tracks such as “Keep On Searching”, “You Can’t Take This Back” and “Hear Me Lord”, where Peter joins Davy on guitar and backing vocals.

Having only initially been booked in for one SXSW performance in 2007, the overwhelming response to Davy means he’s been touring the US ever since with the first window to leave and play the UK not presenting itself until now. The current live line-up consists of Davy Knowles on lead vocals, guitar and mandolin, Paul Kemmish on bass, Steve Barci on drums and Terrill Bailie on keys, who also plays with Pearl Jam. Together the band have been playing in front of sell-out audiences at prestigious festivals such as Bonnaroo, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Austin City Limits, SXSW and Ottowa Blues Festival.

New Album ‘Coming Up For Air’ will be released this Autumn on Blix Street Records

Quotes

“Davy is my new favourite modern-day bluesman”- Joe Satriani

“He shreds like a young Robert Cray and wails like the love of his life was just hit by a truck”- Village Voice (USA)

“I heard the spirit of Jimi Hendrix coming from the open, streetside windows of a joint called B.D Riley’s”- Seattle Times at SXSW

“The kid can sing… As greybeards in the audience nodded to each other in approval, a teenage girl exclaimed “oh my god I love him!” You can’t ask for better demographics than that.” – Austin Chronicle.