In this day and age where most people overshare their thoughts without actually saying much at all, there is an absolute shortage of interesting personalities in music. Don’t get me wrong, there have been plenty of great albums released in 2015, but how many of them came from performers that are intriguing both on and off the stage? A rhetorical question, yes, but very few performers I can think of.
Davina Sowers, leader of Davina and The Vagabonds, is a recent discovery of mine that is inspiring, entertaining and independent. Hailing from Minneapolis, Davina and her Vagabonds – upright bassist Matt Blake, drummer Connor McRae Hammergren, trumpeter Zack Lozier and trombonist Ben Link – have been performing around 200 shows annually for the past few years. Somewhere between The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tom Waits, Amy Winehouse and Fats Domino, the group’s sound may be rooted in the classics, but the charisma and presentation are a sign of these times…even though there is no guitar in the mix. Word of mouth about their internationally-acclaimed live show led them to appear on the BBC’s Later With Jools Holland alongside The Vaccines and Blur earlier this year.
Per my Q&A with Davina, a follow-up album to 2014’s Sunshine is currently in the works in addition to a live release. But in the meantime, Davina and The Vagabonds will be in town for a 7:30 p.m. show at Lucille’s inside B.B. King’s (237 West 42nd St.) on Nov. 5. As Davina noted within her “last words,” the risk is worth it.
© Grinkie Girl Photography
How would you describe your band to someone who hasn’t heard it before?
Davina Sowers: Adele meets Preservation Hall Band. High energy, level-A musicians bringing you 100 years of Americana music and originals that lend to that history. Some people say I’m sassy, too. Not sure.
Before getting into a blues-oriented band, were you involved with a more pop-oriented group?
D: Nope, this is my first group. Our blues/jazz/songwriter sound came from growing up with a musical family. My adopted father was born in 1902 with a love for his 78s and our Edison. My mom was a folk singer filling my ears with her era staples from Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Melaine, Simon & Garfunkel to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and The Stones. I grew up singing songs like “I am a rock, I am island” and “Black Dog.”
Minneapolis’ music scene is famous for its funk. Was there a local blues or jazz artist that inspired the sound or direction of your band?
D: I didn’t grow up in Minneapolis. I moved there, formed this band right away and never really networked. I just hustled to start my own thing full of passion and my records that inspired me.
What is it that keeps you in the Minneapolis area after having seen and toured the world extensively?
D: A mortgage. Just joking…sort of. I love the Twin Cities. I would never have the career I have if it wasn’t for these cities. I love the extreme seasons. Winter gives me a time to sit and write. The lack of sun enables me to be even more imbalanced to get some good songs going.
Was it a conscious decision not to have a guitarist in your band?
D: Yes, I guess. I never wrote with a guitar in mind. I am a HUGE lover of brass. If I had another mouth to feed, I would hire a clarinetist or accordion player just to come up and play a few songs here and there with us. Maybe a sousaphone, but guitars just aren’t going to cut it with our sound. There are plenty of guitar-driven bands out there. We make enough noise.
What is the criteria of being a Vagabond?
D: Hard-working, hard-playing, well-versed in music and feel, humble… oh, and capable of taking directions from a woman.
What do you remember about your first-ever gig in New York City?
D: We played Terra Blues on Bleecker Street. I remember trying to park a 15-passenger van in New York City and buying $400 dollars in vintage dresses at a shop across the street. I wish I could remember the name…I remember setting up, throwing down on stage without monitors, packing up, and then grabbing Indian food. That was about seven years ago.
For someone who’s heard your music but hasn’t seen you live before, what should they expect from your upcoming show at Lucille’s?
D: A band loving what they do and giving you our everything. We are known for our high-energy, fun, honest, storytelling-through-music shows. Be prepared to smile. I may make you cry a little, too. Sorry.
Your first album, Black Cloud, had a dark title to it, whereas your second album, Sunshine had a lighter title to it. Was that something you’d planned out?
D: Weirdly, no. It just happened that way. I had a hell of a year when I wrote Black Cloud. It’s full of heartache and you can sense a gradual relief that even bleeds over to Sunshine. “Sunshine” was the last song I finished writing for the album, but the first song I started writing for the album. It was kinda like a release for me. A sort of “fake it till you make it” song.
Do you have another album in the works?
D: I do. I am working on mixing a live album right now called Nicollet And 10th. I am also writing for another studio album in-between tours and even a little on tour when I can get time to myself.
When you’re not busy with your career, how do you like to spend your free time?
D: I spend A TON of time on my career, but when I do allow myself downtime, I listen to records all the time and spend time at home. I’m never there so I love to cocoon myself in my stuff. I just like to chill, cook, go out and throw down a good surf & turf. I sound so square, huh?
All good. So what is your favorite album of 2015?
D: New stuff? I am listening to Wilco’s Star Wars right now. I’ve been stuck on Jeff Tweedy’s project and album with his son, Tweedy. I think it came out in 2014 but I love it. I also am listening to Father John Misty’s new one, I Love You, Honeybear. Obviously I’m a sucker for a singer/songwriter. I am ALWAYS listening to Fats Waller, Sydney Bechet, Professor Longhair…my mainstays.
Finally, Davina, any last words for the kids?
D: Nah, just take that risk and come and see us. I swear you’ll fall in love.
-by Darren Paltrowitz
