BEHIND THE MUSIC

Scottish born singer-songwriter Richard Davies has been crafting stories of the dispossessed and the have-nots since he first picked up the guitar. 

Played with wry humour and a compassionate heart, Ritchie’s tightly arranged tracks are underpinned by a driving steel hawser bass, melodic guitar and lyrics from a distinctive voice, sometimes tender and fragile, sometimes on the edge of a dark, raw howl.

Theatrical, occasionally cinematic, his sometimes painfully honest songs speak with a vulnerability and honesty necessary for our times and a sureness of touch both refreshing and unsettling in equal measure. There’s a sense of magic realism too, about being on the threshold of wisdom, about knowing and feeling in equal measure. Subjects range from political correctness to the madness of princes to the corrosive self-deceptions of everyday life.

‘I often write to find out what I really think - and often as not, I surprise myself. Also, there’s definitely a level of catharsis - exorcism, even. For live performance in particular, I’m aiming for a sense of release - of dark, unsettling passions, an internal struggle that I hope the audience picks up on - not just a quirky, surreal set of lyrics. As for subject matter, well, just read any headline and the song’s halfway written in my head right there!’

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With support from the Horizons mentoring project, his live performances at Lok’s Bar, The project Cafe and the CCA have gone down very well - future gigs will be announced on social media.