China Davis

Video review from ssgmusic.com: Watch: China Davis — “Anjilla” The new video “Anjilla” by China Davis is an intimate look into tempest-tossed nostalgia for a bygone era, when one could make an honest living from work that was inherently meaningful. It is the meaningful work of honest hearts who hail from Gig Harbor, the fishing town-cum-suburban bedroom community tucked away across the bay from Tacoma. Their humble roots and compassionate sense of injustice are projected through the body of their work in spirit and message. In addition to writing poetic, socially conscious lyrics, they organize and perform charitable concert fundraisers for Music Giving Back. Nice guys with a genuine sound who walk the walk and talk the talk with equal grace, their music is reminiscent of some ‘boss’ blue-collar bands that made it big in the 70s-80s, filtered down through 90s Seattle anomie and sweetened liberally with a live and let live attitude. Two of China Davis’ four members, Ben and Ted Fuller, are brothers, and there is clearly a lot of very personal sentiment ensconced in the fruit of their labor. Of the song’s title and video, frontman Ben Fuller explains, “Anjilla was the name of my Grandpa Smith’s fishing boat, named after my cousin Angela and my sister Jill. This video is mostly my parent’s home movies and I tried to make it flow as well as I could. I hope you all like it, it’s really something different.” My favorite lyric: “Hear the ghost’s voices echo on the wind/ All the singers you used to love, all dead men/ You look off to the starboard side and you realize you’ve never looked that way/ You still believe in Heaven’s gates but it’s not too late to change your mind” Watch the video and stay posted for the release of their upcoming album, Arctic Days. Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0tnkA2JgKw&feature=share If you are a fan of meaningful songwriting and artists like Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, U2, Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam, you will probably like the band China Davis. Formed by brothers Ben and Ted Fuller in the once thriving fishing town turned upper middle class sailboating community of Gig Harbor, WA, China Davis uses the experience of growing up in a socially and economically divided community to write songs steeped in conflict and common values. What separates China Davis from most bands writing personal conflict, political and socially based songs is that their songs empower the listener in knowing that there is a greater good to be had; through hardship we can still dream and dream big. China Davis may be an indie band but their music is not unfamiliar, it is rich in tradition and simplicity. Their songs range from simple folk to anthemic arena rock. It's really hard to put them in a specific genre without just saying "this is just a damn good band." They have a "song first" attitude that has been lost on many bands in recent times; they are a throwback to bands of old that defy definition and predictability and are critically acclaimed by Northwest regional press for their 2007 album Shadowdancing: "(Shadowdancing) sounds like The Joshua Tree, Damn the Torpedoes, Highway 61 Revisited, and Born in the USA shoved into Eddie Vedder's juicer." --Matt Driscoll, Weekly Volcano (Tacoma, WA). "Their style of rock is what is missing in popular music." --TargetAudienceMagazine.com "This group is nowhere near shallow, speaking with their heart and soul" --Alecia Gaussoin, Tacoma Weekly The band is made up of Ben Fuller on vocals and guitar, his brother Ted on lead guitar, longtime bassist Eric Balcom and Andy Stockton on drums. Ben writes all the lyrics but most of the music is written with his brother Ted and arranged by the whole band. The band has played all over the Northwest with many notable acts such as: Leon Russell, The Smithereens, The Supersuckers, Flock of Seagulls, Jerry Miller of Moby Grape and Randy Bachman of Bachman Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who, The Missionary Position, Daniel Blue of Motopony as well as Vicci Martinez. Ben has also teamed up with three other local Tacoma musicians to form a charity fundraising group named "Music Giving Back" which produces music based events for local and national charities. Some of the events that they have put together have been the 253Heart Music and Arts Festival, Benefit Concert for Slain Lakewood Police Officers, Breastfest, Songs of Hope --A fundraiser for Haitian Orphans and many more. Also, China Davis has played the Pierce County AIDS Walk, Susan G. Komen 3-day and Northwest Folklife. China Davis has an album in the works for release in 2011 and their song "Arctic Days" is featured in the trailer for the movie A Perfect Life by Chad Ruin, which is gearing up for a release in theaters sometime this year. Recently, both the filmmakers of A Perfect Life and singer Ben Fuller were interviewed for the arts magazine Eyes In for the film and song. Music available on iTunes! Working on our next album "Arctic Days"