Fresh Find - Jacob Davich
- Freshly Brewed Country
- Feb 25, 2017
- 6 min read
We are happy to announce the talented Jacob Davich as our latest Fresh Find here at Freshly Brewed Country!
When a child stumbles upon fame early, sometimes he burns out, and many times he combusts sending sparks flying that forever tarnish his chances of achieving adulthood success. In the case of Jacob Davich, he submerged himself beneath the Hollywood lights, began crafting his skill, while growing as a person, and came roaring back in a brand new way.
After prominent roles in such films as The Aviator (2004), Mr. Woodcock (2007), and The Adventures Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005) around the age of 14, Davich decided it was time to do something different with his life. “I will never forget that phase, it was fantastic,” Davich says. “But I was over it. So I walked out, ready for something else.” As the son of composer Martin Davich, who scored television series such as Third Watch and E.R., Davich’s love of music began far before he crossed into the acting realm. “I would sit in the studio with my dad and watch all these amazing session musicians,” Davich says. “They shaped the way I saw and appreciated music from early on.”
The adolescent boy entrenched himself in normality. He went to a small high school in Southern California, and for a year attended San Diego State University, before realizing the only thing that he was meant to do: creating music. “It’s a long walk from 12 to 22. I went to college and left because music was the only thing I really wanted to do.”
By approaching his music from an impassioned point of view, Davich pours his crooning voice over what he calls a traditional arrangement of classic chords, progressions, and tunes that will transport you to the days of James Taylor, Jackson Brown, and Johnny Cash. He creates his arrangements by listening to artists from the 1970s such as Fleetwood Mac, and Paul Simon, and channeling their essence in his own form. His classic style, soulful resonance, and instrumentation are truly symbolic of what would be the transplant of a classic man in the modern day.
Davich’s first studio album, Between the Lines, displays just this. The 11 folk and Americana tracks possess a twinge of classic country, and weave the story of love, loss, and triumph as told through Davich’s voice, which serves as an eerily similar hybrid of James Taylor and Jackson Brown. Track’s such as “My Father’s Gun” and “Cold Heart” stand out, with tales of revenge, anger, and heartbreak, as Davich’s voice explodes and swoons over an orchestral arrangement.
Jacob recorded his debut album at the famed Oceanway Studios, the hallowed hall of recordings by James Taylor, Count Basie, and Frank Sinatra, among countless others. “At the studio, they had pictures of Sinatra recording there in the 1960s, and I could see that he stood on the very same floor I was standing on. It was amazing and humbling,” Jacob marvels. Jacob’s father, produced the album, and invited a cadre of iconic studio personnel to take part in the recording process, including Jesse Seibenberg of Supertramp fame, who co-produced and mixed the tracks, along with five-time Grammy-winner Brian Vibberts. “I’m still caught up in that land of “Ain’t No Sunshine” and the blues,” Davich said. “So, I’m ripping that page from that time, because that is who I am. My music is old, but to me and hopefully to my listeners, it’s new.”
When a star is born, its life span is impossible to predict. It will burn bright and explode, ultimately disappearing in thin air. Or, there are the slow burners, the ones that once seem like a dot in your farthest consciousness, until they turn, and grow until they are so bright they are etched in the skyline forever. Jacob Davich seems to be the latter.
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We know you want to know more about Jacob so be sure to check out our interview with him.
FBC: What made you want to get involved in the country music world from the acting world?
What made me transition from the acting world to the music world my friends was fate, fate left me no choice. As a teenage actor I soaked up guitar lessons as a means of escaping the ever so frustrating process of booking a lead role in a major motion picture (and I thought it was frustrating as a 13 year old). Like everything else in life the frustration level increases the older you get. So slowly over the course of ages 12 to 22 something became clear to me...I'm a better musician than I am an actor! Obviously it's a long walk from 12 to 22, and I felt that if I didn't follow my instincts and pursue what I was best at, I'd regret it for the rest of my life...I let you know how that decision worked out one day.
FBC: What do you use for inspiration to write your songs?
A great composer (possibly) once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs." Now while I find that to be a bit dramatic I do believe that if I'm going to consider myself a professional, I can't always rely on the luxury of inspiration, sometimes I have to force myself to write purely off of creativity and hard work and hope it doesn't suck. Typically though I'm inspired by music that effects me emotionally, like when I hear one of my favorite Jimmy Webb songs, like "Galveston," it makes me want to write something that descriptive. Or when I hear "The Highwayman," it makes me want to force myself to come up with something that original. Some days it's harder to do than others, but when I stumble upon something wonderful out of sheer trial and error it's all worth it.
FBC: What was the inspiration behind “My Father's Gun”?
When I wrote "My Fathers Gun" I was in a very particular state of mind. There was a period of time where I felt like I was writing the same song over and over again, and I didn't like anything I was writing at the time. So after that notion occurred to me I thought to myself okay, do exactly the opposite of when you've been doing. So I went from an uplifting/positive message mode of writing, to a dark cowboy style of writing. A story of a vulnerable young man with nothing to lose, with a slight Marty Robbins influence on the male backup vocals. Also giving the incredible musicians that I surrounded myself with the free reign to do their thing, allowed for a pretty gnarly piece of music that I'm damn proud of!
FBC: Who is your country music idol and why?
My country music idol has got to be either Lyle Lovett or Glen Campbell for very different reasons. I know I'm cheating by picking two, but let's be honest "country music" is a pretty big umbrella with a lot of sub-genres in it. First of all Lyle is hilarious... which is hard to pull off by itself in music. But his point of view combined with his big band arrangements make his records really entertaining to listen to. My favorite is Pontiac. I just really have a lot of respect for the high caliber of musicianship he incorporates in his records. Now Glen Campbell on the other hand, I respect simply because he was a session musician before being a star. Now that's hard to pull off. His collaboration's with Jimmy Webb like Galveston and Wichita Lineman made for some of the most tasteful country music of all time in my opinion.
FBC: If you could perform a duet with anyone who would it be and why?
If I could perform a duet with Willie Nelson... I'm certain I would die with a smile on my face. Most guys probably want to sing a love song with a woman but no, give me Willie any day. Not because he's the greatest singer of all time, or because our vocal blend is a match made in heaven, but because I can't think of anyone else who at least appears to be enjoying themselves more than him! The dude literally always looks like he's having the time of his life out there. If I had to pick someone purely on vocal performance, it'd be Don Henley. Henley's still got the coolest voice ever.
FBC: What are three fun facts about each of you that you want your fans to know?
Three fun facts about me let's see...Well, for one every time I cook whether it's for other people or for myself, I make the food spicy as all hell. I'm a very sick man when it comes to spicyness. Also before I got into classic rock I was heavily into hip hop in middle school so the first 2 songs I had on my iTunes playlist for a really long time were "Welcome to Atlanta" by Ludacris, and "American Pie" by Don McLean. That was an interesting transition. And finally... I once scored a home run off of a bunt in little league baseball, I knew right then and there that was as good as it was going to get for me in sports, and I've been right so far. Thanks guys!
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