Kate Davis Asks Us How We Are With Daniel Johnston Reimagining, "Strange Boy"
Photo courtesy of Kate Davis
Kate Davis’ message in her recreation of Daniel Johnston’s 1984 album Retired Boxer is clear; “I don’t want to make this about me.” The project, scheduled for release on January 15th of next year, is entitled Strange Boy and will reimagine each song on Johnston’s famed cassette tape including “True Love Will Find You in the End” made popular through covers from Wilco and Beck. Davis shared, “Music as a resource and a healing power for people is something I often forget about until I look at how my favorite artists have kept me afloat emotionally and made me feel so much less alone.”
Davis, a former performer on the likes of Postmodern Jukebox’s virtual stage and Carnegie Hall’s very real one, has been establishing her place in the indie community since 2014 when she was named one of MTV’s “Fifteen Fresh Females to Rule Pop”. After breaking out of the realm of jazz and classical violin, she pursued a career as a singer-songwriter with her debut LP Trophy released in November of 2019. The work, featuring tracks such as “rbbts” and “Cloud”, landed her features on NPR’s Tiny Desk and Pitchfork.
Her latest venture, born from a place of personal interest, is unique in its origins. “I only became aware of his work about four years ago,” she reported. “I was a late-comer to a lot of important music, but Daniel’s resonated with me in a different way than any other iconic songwriter.”
The late Daniel Johnston, a Texas native and alternative singer-songwriter, exploded onto the music scene in the 1980’s with his personal push to find airtime on MTV and pedaling of homemade cassette tapes. While working at a local McDonald’s, the young art student shared his whimsical and surprisingly deep lyrics with anyone who would listen, often re-recording each tape individually with only a keyboard and an internal microphone.The innocence of his lyrics and purity in their presentation spilled into his artwork, which garnered fame in 1993 when worn on a t-shirt by Kurt Cobain. However, Johnston’s struggles with bipolar disorder and recession into hallucinations forced him into multiple psychiatric institutions, culminating in heavy prescriptions of antipsychotic medications and a difficult period in his career. His legacy has made a lasting impact on many songwriters, including Davis.
“I couldn’t help but want to get to the bottom of what made his messages so clear and gut-punching. There’s no hiding.”
Davis spearheaded the project with producer Tim Bright, whom she previously collaborated with on Trophy. “Tim and I made this record independently of anyone or anything,” she shared. “Purely for our own enjoyment and love of Daniel Johnston. I’m not sure we even were serious about putting it out at first.” Once the pair determined that Strange Boy may be of benefit to listeners during this frustrating period, they contacted Johnston’s foundation the Hi, How Are You Project, which works to provide mental health advocacy and education. “Their support has been so encouraging, and it gives this project more significance.”
“I’ll Do Anything But Breakdance For Ya, Darling” is the first single Davis has released off of Strange Boy, a fascinating take on the original. She provides clarity for Johnston’s production, breathing complexity into his simplistic chords and layering swoon-worthy verses with a breakdown of a punchy chorus, transforming the piece into something entirely new.
“It was important to maintain his original spirit,” she echoed. “I was feeling freer aesthetically and tried to run with his original moods. Just really take them a lot further in a way that reflected the evolution of my own creative voice.” The simplistic beauty of Johnston’s lyrics is not lost in Davis’ rendition of the track, but amplified. She reflected, “What he maintains is a childlike voice, not an immature attitude.” This provided a break from the “micromanaging” tendencies she often has when she records her own pieces.
Her live performance of the song at Oso Recording in Bearsville, NY was released in conjunction with the Hi, How Are You Project’s World Mental Health Day Event. The importance of the foundation and its call to ask those around you how they are (“and to really mean it!”), is not lost on Davis.
“We’ve all gone through a lot this year,” she shared. “I have had my own journey with my own emotional health this year and it feels good to not stifle the experience or stay stoic behind the veil of social media.”
With an abrupt cancellation of the remainder of a national tour for Trophy due to COVID-19, Davis was forced to reconcile that loss. Last month she released the music video for “Daisy”, filmed in the fall of 2019. It served as a finalization of the album’s era visually. Her creative growth has not been overlooked in this process. “I have a clearer vision of the artist I want to be - much more so than when Trophy came out. The silver lining for me is the focus and this time and knowing that the record I’m working on right now is truly the next chapter.”
Strange Boy is available for pre-order/pre-save on all streaming services
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