Already a heavily touring/recording artist with his previous band Steppin’ In It (who have released five albums) and as a solo act with five albums under his name, getting a call from “The Voice” was completely out of the blue for Davis. Unfamiliar with the show, he initially rejected the inquiry but the producers were persistent. After being convinced by his wife and allowed to skip the auditions, Davis signed up for an incredible six months in the national TV spotlight. He went on to sing high profile duets with Sheryl Crow (Live Finale: “Give It To Me”) and Adam Levine (Live Finale: “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shows”), and he helped break the mold of original material being showcased on “The Voice.” Davis was the first artist to sing an original on the show, which spawned the later segment, “This Week of Original Songs.”
During Davis’ tenure on “The Voice,” the production team produced a new version of his single, “The Workingman’s Hymn” (Magnolia Belles) and a companion music video. The newly recorded single landed in a Nissan car commercial, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush co-opted the song without permission during his bid for the U.S. presidency. Davis’ team quickly terminated the use of the song that’s well known for its hooky chorus, “I know that we can turn it around.” His work with renowned vocal coach Trelawny Rose also proved to be a remarkable opportunity while on “The Voice.”
Davis entered the recording sessions for The Way Back Home with a well-oiled machine of a voice primed for the collaboration with Steve Berlin. His rough-n-tumble grit mixes with an undeniable Midwesterner’s charm for a soaring vocal performance on The Way Back Home. With his voice taking center stage, Davis’ signature lyricism and deft acoustic guitar work is backed by a trio of Michigan’s finest musicians.
“The Way Back Home” is a very personal look at where I’ve been and who I’ve become,” says Davis. “In my 20’s, I felt like a disconnected ghost going town to town performing every night, and it just wasn’t a healthy life. I’ve learned many valuable lessons in how to be a better person, husband and father. Home grows and changes with or without you. If you don’t pull it together, it’ll leave you behind. I feel very reassured to have found stable ground in life and in a career that isn’t necessarily filled with security. The album takes listeners through my own trials and tribulations.”
THE BAND
Zak Bunce, bass
Mike Lynch, keyboards
Brad Phillips, violin
Michael Shimmin, drums
Original Compositions Featured on The Way Back Home
Destined for topping the AAA radio charts, “Just Getting By” opens up The Way Back Home with a contextual table of contents for the entire album. Davis reminisces about the nostalgia of summertime fun as a kid and the early honeymoon period of a romantic relationship with its extreme highs and lows. The piece evolves into cherishing stability in love and life; that even though you can’t return to your past, you can create amazing new memories.
The standout single “Let Me In” traces broken promises, missed chances and longing for the one you love; themes that are all too common in life on the road as a touring musician. Davis belts “honey won’t you let me in, I swear that I’ve been true. Maybe I’ve seen it all, but there’s nothing at all like you.”
Set in his 20’s, “Nowhere Without You” mulls over the moments being without the one you love most and needing them close now more than ever. Alone and looking back, Davis walks in circles remembering all the things he misses about his companion. “Good Love Last” turns the page in seeking the advice of your elders; specifically family members who’ve had hard times, but endure and keep love alive in their marriage. The song serves as an homage to those who stick it out and stand side-by-side with the one they love.
While on a writing retreat on Mackinac Island (Michigan), Davis found himself in his hotel room when the movie Titanic came on TV. While not his favorite movie, it served as a reminder that films can spark the writing muse and he went on to pen “Change The Game.” Based off of three movies Casablanca, Harold & Maude, and The Princess Bride, Davis sings of lovers stuck in the past who must keep it fresh and change it up. Each verse is a subtle reference to these films he loves.
“Shine A Light” and “Always Gonna Be Here” carries the album’s narrative to his two kids with the sentiment of no matter what happens, they can always depend on him. As kids take chances and risks, knowing they have a lighthouse keeper at all times allows for them to grow and be unconditionally loved and supported by Davis and his wife. And for his wife, he wrote “The Little Things,” a song about truly appreciating the nuances of marriage. Savoring the sweetness of time spent together as it’s referenced in the final lyric of the song, “It’s in that easy silence when there’s nothing (that’s all) we need to say, just a beautiful transcendental ending to a perfectly ordinary day.”
The final three compositions on The Way Back Home complete the life cycle through hard times, dealings with death, and seeing people for who they really are. “Trouble” finds its way with those who seem to only walk on air; behind the veil of superiority lays difficulties that everyone faces. If challenges are not confronted, “Trouble” asserts it can ruin the soul. Penned by childhood friend Aaron Allan, the lyrics of “Rosarita” show the paradox between faith and death as the narrator struggles with the loss of his son. “The Ballad Of Lawrence Wotkyns King” is a classic folk ballad co-written by Tom Bourguignon about a couple in love, and upon the death of the woman, the man takes his own life. The heartbreaking tale exhibits the openness of joy and the inherent pain in the loss of a partner.
Ralston Bowles
Widely revered as “the ambassador of West Michigan music,” award-winning folk and Americana artist Ralston Bowles is a uniquely compelling troubadour whose influence and songs reach across the United States and the globe. The musician and singer-songwriter has released several critically acclaimed albums – including “Carwreck Conversations” and “Rally at the Texas Hotel” – containing songs that have been covered and reinterpreted by a host of indie-folk artists, from Peter Mulvey to Caroline Aiken. He’s frequently toured the United States and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of Bob Dylan, Shawn Colvin, Arlo Guthrie, Hothouse Flowers and many more.
Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bowles founded the Tuesday Evening Music Club series more than a decade ago at the world-renowned Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a series that continues to draw thousands of concertgoers every summer. His compelling and insightful songs have inspired a generation of musicians, evidenced by a recent double-album (“Michigan Music”) compiled as a tribute to Bowles, a project featuring 33 Michigan bands and solo artists.
Photo Credit: Dianne Caroll Burdick
