Today we’d like to introduce you to Cole Davidson.
Cole, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Music wasn’t something I took too seriously until college. Going off to school gave me a kind of independence I never had. I was far enough away from home to have the freedom to embarrass myself in front of strangers. You have to at first. It’s definitely worse to perform in front of people you know, or who know you, when you’re starting out. Strangers are more honest. Not to say I’m not still starting out, but I’m lucky enough to have music paying the bills at the moment.
So, I played a lot of open mics and small gigs and started releasing some music online. When I graduated, I was in a band and doing solo shows. I moved into an RV for a few months, put my head down and just worked. Eventually, things with the band didn’t work out and I decided to go off on my own. I kind of refused to get a real job because I liked the pressure. I made myself make the music thing work. When you keep at one thing and don’t stop, things seem to eventually fall into place and you dig a deeper and deeper groove – and you work your way out of an RV and into an apartment. That’s what I had to learn.
I didn’t study music in college so I do have some other skills to fall back on, but that’s a safety net I don’t plan on using right now. I just released an EP and I’m traveling quite a bit. I don’t know, I just turned 23. I consider that pretty young. I just look forward to keep on building.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I guess I fall into the singer/songwriter category – a little folky. It’s a lot of acoustic finger-picking and ambience. I’m not trying to be a hero with my vocals either. I just try to sound like I believe what I’m saying – which I do. A lot of what I write can be subjective. I struggle with the idea that you have to make songs that are relatable. I think if you try too hard to be relatable you actually end up doing the opposite. It’s almost like the less you try to relate the more you do. My themes can be a bit sprawling but you’ll catch on if you listen through a few times – I think. There’s just no way people can get an accurate look inside your head. I’ve found that music is a better translator than speaking. But I could just be making excuses for not being a big talker.
How can artists connect with other artists?
Just wade into your local music scene. Go to local musicians’ shows. They’ll come to yours in return. Don’t pressure people or place expectations on them. Just play music, bounce ideas and keep things light. And if people want it, let them move on. Everyone’s an individual and not everything is personal.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My website (www.coledavidsonmusic.com) has an events page where you can see where I’m playing live. I’m always adding new dates at a progressively quicker pace. All my music can be streamed on Apple Music and Spotify as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coledavidsonmusic.com
- Email: coledavidsonmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: cole_davidson
- Facebook: facebook.com/coledavidsonmusic
Image Credit:
– Luke Awtry Photography
– MTaylor Photography
