How long have you had a love affair with the banjo?
I got pumped about learning the banjo the very first time I heard the instrument played live. I was a 12-year old boy, and the musician was playing all kinds of novelty stuff on the banjo, not just bluegrass.
You’ve written and recorded many songs, what’s been one of your favourite banjo licks and why?
I just like hearing a banjo player really ‘snap’ their accented melody notes. Where a note is intentionally popped to the point where it sounds like thing string might bust.
What drives you to challenge your playing style?
When you’re playing with other people, you should adjust you playing and let it be guided by the vocalist and/or the melody. I am definitely driven to develop crazy new ideas that make our band members look up from their instrument with an approving smirk.
Tell us about your involvement with the Guitar Festival, what are you doing exactly?
We’re performing one set on the Sunday and running a workshop on bluegrass music beforehand. These trade fair type of events are always fun for us because there are always interesting booths and gear to check out. It’s like Disneyland for musicians.
When is your next release?
Look, we’re always talking about what type of album we might like record next. There’s lots we haven’t done yet and we’re still finding ourselves to a degree. I reckon we’ll cut something within 12 months, but anything is possible.
DAVIDSON BROTHERS will host a bluegrass clinic at 11.45am before playing a full band set at 3.30pm on Sunday August 9 at Caulfield Racecourse for the Melbourne Guitar Show.
