wears the trousers magazine

voice on the verge #9: joni davis

listen to Joni on Myspace

Whatever our mums once told us, let’s face it, we all judge things by their cover. People in fur coats, for instance, and people who drive sports cars to take their kids to school. Personally I’m a sucker for album artwork; I’ve bought so many CDs without hearing a note just because of the sleeve. I didn’t buy A Bird’s Heart, the second album by California resident Joni Davis, she sent it to me. But I would have, honestly, just because of Chris Dennis’s amazing painting (small section shown above). That the album contains some of the most beautiful, unadorned piano-based songs I’ve heard in a long long time is really quite an added bonus. With her resonant, powerful voice, Joni weaves astonishingly direct and affecting tales full of melancholy, reparation and the transience of the human condition. The immaculate production, by Joni and her husband, at times gives the feeling of having her singing only for you in the very same room. A brilliant performance of unsettling, incredible, positively sepulchral songs, A Bird’s Heart simply begs for wider recognition. Get to know its author.

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What’s your earliest memory?
My earliest memory is of watching my older sister turn cartwheels across the floor of the condominium my family lived in when I was about three years old I think. I remember it as a big room with huge window that let a lot of light in. I can’t really remember it that well, and sometimes small memories turn into something completely different from what the reality was. The mind is a strange thing.

If you could star in any TV show, past or current, which would it be and what kind of character would you play?
‘The Wonder Years’; I would be Kevin Arnold’s other best friend.

What was the last good book you read and how did it affect you?
I read some short stories by Carson McCullers. She is one of my favorite writers, and I think if only I had a small amount of her ability to narrate I would be doing pretty well. Her stories can be comical and heart-wrenching at the same time. It’s a good combination. Like Bill Callahan songs. I learn a lot from reading her writing. Some of the stories in that book have stayed with me a long time. I read it about 3 months ago and it is still resonating. I remember her stories so well, they seem to really become imprinted into my memory.

Tell us about your favourite instrument…
My favourite instrument is my new piano. It is my first very own real piano. It is an old upright with some clicking keys and a pedal that only works sometimes. It is made out of old dark wood and has some stains and water marks on it, scratches, and some of the key tops have been shabbily replaced. It makes the keys look a little crooked. These things make me like it a lot. It used to belong to four lovely blonde-haired girls who gave it to me – I am ever so grateful to them. I did not name my piano because I guess I am not that way inclined.

Do you have an instrument you’d still like to learn? What’s stopping you?
I play guitar and I want to get better at it. I am not good enough to perform with it yet and I want to be. I have dreams where I am playing it really well, there is loud music and I am playing the guitar and my fingers are so nimble and I know exactly what I am doing. And then I wake up.

What’s been the best moment of your career so far?
I played a show at this really amazing church called the De Groene Zwaan (The Green Swan). It is a very old church in De Rijp in the Netherlands, about a half hour north of Amsterdam. Quinta, my bandmate and friend whom I love very much, and I had our own show there – we were invited by the programmer, Robert, who volunteers his time and energy to the lovely old place. In fact all of the people who make the shows possible there are volunteers – they all do it because they love the church, and they love music. Irene, who does the graphic design there, did the best flyer I have ever had for a show – it was based on a Nina Simone record cover. When we got to the town it was posted all over.

It was such an inspiring place to visit, and to play there was incredible. The church itself has this incredible wooden domed roof, like a half barrel, so the acoustics are like nothing else. The sound man, David, was a total pro and Quinta and I had the best sound we’ve ever had. The church filled with people and they all really liked what we were doing, so the energy that you hear people talk about in relation to performing was definitely there and it was GOOD. There was really beautiful video being projected behind us while we played and there were candles. It was the best show I have ever played.

All of the people in the town were really great. The piano was old and huge and black. Quinta and I got to play together for an hour and a half in that magic and I will never forget it. It was our last gig together before I moved back to California so it was hell of special. The whole thing was the greatest but would have been even better if my family were there, too. But hey, who knows what the future holds…

What would you be if you weren’t a musician?
A baker. When I am not playing music or writing, I bake or cook. I have loved doing it since I was a kid, and would be quite happy to bake bread for the rest of my life. I want to make someone’s wedding cake someday. Not to mention I don’t mind eating a baked good or two.

What’s your top household tip?
Baking soda is a miracle substance.

What’s your tipple?
Well, if I were at a bar I would ask for something like a gin and ginger or a Moscow mule. If I fancy a beer then I go for a wheat beer with lemon.

What are your pet hates?
I hate it when I have just been introduced to someone and they ask me what I ‘do’. I hate it when people clap at the end of a film in the cinema. I hate being tailgated. And I hate it when people tell me what to do.

What’s your favourite poem and how much of it can you recite from memory?
I have a few but I do like ‘January’ by Charles Bukowski and I can recite the whole thing. My lovely husband Greg, who introduced me to a lot of great writers, showed it to me and I memorised it so I could recite it at one of my gigs. It has a great last line. That is one of my favourite things. A good last line can make life worth living.

What are your views on feminism?
I am a believer in the ideals of feminism. There is an imbalance in the world and it needs to be recognised. In relation to music – I am a human, and I am a musician. But I am human first. I’d like to think that anyone could relate to what I sing about whether they are man or woman. So in that vein of thought, it shouldn’t matter what gender I am.

Which female musicians have most inspired you, if any…
PJ Harvey, Nina Simone, Emmylou Harris, Kate Bush, Diamanda Galás.

What’s your favourite song to cover and why?
It always changes but recently I have been playing PJ Harvey’s ‘Sweeter Than Anything’. It is a B-side from Is This Desire?, which is my one of my favourite albums of hers. It has great lyrics, and such beautiful melodies, and the end of the chorus when she says “so sad, I’m so sad” is heartbreaking and very good, and my favourite part to sing. I think it is one of her best songs and I can listen to it over and over and over.

Which artist would you most like to work with – your dream collaboration?
I’ve always dreamed of doing a duet with Stuart Staples from Tindersticks, his voice is something else…I really like to play with people so it would be great to work with any of the musicians I admire. But really, I mostly wish I could play again with Quinta because she is brilliant. We were only just beginning. If only there wasn’t that huge ocean between us…

What’s your biggest fear?
Death. What happens after we are dead. Not existing anymore. I used to be terrified of this idea when I was a kid. I would hyperventilate and go into my Mom’s room. Together we would say “Satan, I rebuke you!”. We were a religious family. Anyway, that became my mantra as a child. Ha ha ha.

Would you rather see a ghost or simply have a piece of toast and watch the evening news?
Well I love toast and I love ghosts, but I don’t want to see one. On my toast I like to have peanut butter and jam.

If you had to pick one song from your repertoire to represent your entire body of work, which one would you choose and why?
‘Silent At Sea’. It is simple and has good melody and lyrics, I am pretty proud of it. It sums up my main theme – struggling with my humanity. Yikes.

How would you describe your new album in 10 words or less?
Sad, hopeful music about coming to terms with being human.

What have you done today to make you feel proud?
I rode my bike to work in 95 degree Fahrenheit heat.

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Alan Pedder

Live performance of ‘A Tear For Maria’ with Quinta on musical saw