Episode 215: Brittany Davis' Black Thunder

This episode of Across The Margin : The Podcast features an interview with Seattle-based multi-instrumentalist singer, songwriter, and soul innovator Brittany Davis. Originally from Kansas City, Brittany began playing piano and organ at a young age. After relocating to Seattle about a decade ago, their exceptional songwriting caught the attention of Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam, leading to a deal with his label, Loosegroove Records, and the birth of two outstanding albums. Blind since birth, Brittany describes themself as a “vessel of sound,” experiencing music in spirit and colors. To Brittany, everything is an instrument — every sound, object, and moment holds musical potential. Their work spans genres, blending elements of soul, R&B, rock, and hip-hop. Her latest album, a stunner entitled Black Thunder, is the focus of this episode. Black Thunder is a profound, fully improvised, fully realized collection that recalls artists like Nina Simone and Roberta Flack in its immersive, incantatory spirit. Produced by Josh Evans, it features Davis on keys and vocals, Evan Flory-Barnes on bass, and D’Vonne Lewis on drums. The trio — who barely knew each other prior to recording together — improvised Black Thunder in a surge of interactive creativity across two days in the studio. The short window in which to work did away with overthinking and brought each musician’s A-game. Steeped in Black and Afrocentric cultural influences, this is Davis’s most poignant and cathartic work to date.

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