Davy Knowles & BDS: Breathing Deep

The sound of the band and on the album hasn't changed too much, and no disrespect to Adam and Ross, but this has really opened a lot of doors. I think you just have to crack on, keep your head down and don't look back too much.

-Davy Knowles on his new band

Photo of Davy Knowles by Rod Snyder

"We all need someone to lean on" (From "Keep On Searching")

Davy Knowles with Chickenfoot

Over the course of Back Door Slam's short career and rapid ascent, Knowles has not only garnered the attention of some longtime linchpin musicians and wise elders of the music business, but these stalwarts seem genuinely drawn to him. Having supported a veritable who's who of classic rock, hard rock and blues celebrities including Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, The Who, Kid Rock, George Thorogood, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even a couple jam vets like Gov't Mule and the Greyboy Allstars, Knowles has come up through the ranks with a lot of advice from sages who have been around the block.

You really get the feeling that Knowles has not only learned a lot musically from such monumental mentors but also a great deal about the way the game is played and what to avoid. Behind the scenes, it is immediately clear that Knowles and Co. are surrounded by good, professional people who understand all the facets to taking Knowles to the next level. Being just 21-years-old and on the road nonstop in a foreign country, it would be easy for a young musician to get sidetracked with partying and letting early success go to his dome, but this is a well-oiled team who keep the focus on the music. In fact, so much so that he even likes reading criticism. "If you stop listening to criticism, then you might as well just give up," he says.

"So far away from the green you came from" (from "Country Girls")

Despite his small town Isle of Man heritage, Knowles' career remains steeped in the U.S. For the foreseeable future, the tour dates are pretty much all located in the States. Sooner or later, one can only assume that Europe will latch onto the sound of Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam, but for now the focus remains on the home of the blues. "It's where the music came from," Knowles says, "and it's so big! You can never exhaust it. Plus audiences seem really into it."

Davy Knowles

In terms of the sound, both on the new album and on stage, Knowles continues to trailblaze. For starters, he switched up his guitar. We joked about a video in which Frampton and Knowles are riding in the car together and Frampton laughs about finally getting Knowles to try out a Les Paul after years as a Fender devotee. Turns out, he's moved on yet again. "I've grown to be pretty picky about guitars," Knowles says. "Right now, I'm playing a Paul Reed Smith, and I absolutely love it. I'm a bit of a gearhead. It definitely takes the pressure off when you have good sound."

Furthermore, the songwriting is growing more diverse and exploratory as well. Interestingly, the songs co-written by Frampton actually sound the most like existing Back Door Slam material, but the album takes on a decidedly fresher, more diverse approach with some slower, almost bluegrass material on "Amber's Song," a George Harrison homage in the vein of "Hear Me Lord" complete with Frampton and Knowles blitzing one another on dueling guitar solos, and a standout duet with Jonatha Brooke on her tune "Taste of Danger." Believe it or not, the best songs on the album are not even blues. However, Knowles is quick to retort, "Rock & roll, classic rock, country - it's all built out of the blues."

The lyrics since Back Door Slam's debut, Roll Away (2007), have improved markedly as well. Opting more for storytelling and reflection on tough experiences as opposed to simply filling in space between guitar solos, the new songs take on noticeably more life than on Roll Away. After all, this is blues music, which require some hard times for authenticity. "This stuff, lyrically, I thought about it way more," says Knowles. "I tried to approach it more methodically and concentrated harder. Roll Away was the first thing I ever wrote, so I am very new to it."

"Coming up for air, only God knows where" (from "Coming Up for Air")

Following a solo acoustic tour as the opener for Jeff Beck, as well as recent band dates at Rothbury and the Mile High Festival, Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam are currently on the road with maybe the most random super-group in rock history, Chickenfoot (comprised of Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith). Chickenfoot's self-titled debut reached number four on the Billboard charts, so clearly randomness sells.

Given the obvious signs that Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam have no intention of slowing down, is it perhaps ironic that the new album is titled Coming Up for Air?

"Even though there is a brand new album out, I don't stop," replies Knowles. "I love doing it. And the more you do it, the better you get."