Interview: Nik Davies

Nik Davies: I first picked up the guitar when I was around 7, then became hooked from the age of about 12 onwards. I used to wake up in the middle of the night to play as I was just so excited by it! I had a few lessons, including some classical lessons, then moved more into the realm of acoustic fingerstyle playing.

Nik Davies: My album is self-released. However, if I came across a good label I would be up for hooking up!

Nik Davies: My style has been described as atmospheric and gentle. I think this is because I pay a lot of attention to resonance, and try to let the guitar sing out for itself as much as possible. I like open, almost magical, sounding chord voicings; I have always been enchanted by the ethereal side of music.

Nik Davies: All the pieces were written by me alone. I had a sudden burst of creativity that lasted a month or so, and that is when most of the tracks were written. Having said that, a lot of the chord progressions and fingerpicking styles were developed by me since I stared to find my own style. I guess a number of phrases and progressions built up over a few years, and then I made coherent songs out of them by piecing the bits together.

Nik Davies: Yes I do play live. I recently featured on the Sky Arts programme Guitar Star, in front of judges Helen Sanderson, Huey Morgan and Nitin Sawhney. I play gigs mostly around my city Bristol, as well as at weddings, parties and restaurants.

Nik Davies: Yes I use Youtube, Soundcloud, and Twitter.

I email out free tabs for my arrangements via these platforms, as well as showcase
some of my original work.

Nik Davies: Youtube and Soundcloud are both very useful platforms for me. I reach people all around the world, and gain followers and requests for tabs on a daily basis.

Nik Davies: Being independent allows you to have free reigns over creativity and I think it makes music making a far more personal experience. However, nothing beats playing with other musicians as well, and feeding off each other's vibe. In all honesty, I like working both independently and with other musicians, and that is what I do. I have my own solo project, but I also love to play in my swing band.

Nik Davies: I actually like a lot of electronic and ambient music, as well as post rock, jazz and folk. One of my favourite acts at the moment is Portico. I appreciate good musicianship and production wherever that crops up.

Nik Davies: I'm going to continue recording and writing and giving away tabs. I'm hoping to get more into working with film makers, as I’d love to work on more soundtracks for moving picture. I'm also going to continue gigging both as a solo musician and with my swing blues band, and hopefully play at a few festivals in the coming summer.