Dave Davison may hail from Schererville, but his voice and guitar playing are becoming known all over the world. Through his nationally known indie-rock band, Maps & Atlases, and his solo project, Cast Spells, Davison found an outlet for his greatest passion: rock music delivered with unconventional musicianship.
Davison's career started in his early childhood by picking up a guitar when he was just seven years old.
"My sister had been taking lessons for a little while and she taught me some chords. I think in the beginning I was mostly just imitating my sister, but I soon started thinking of guitar playing as a part of my identity," Davison said.
Davison fueled the fire his sister instilled in him by taking things to the next level. Once in grade school, he started experimenting with the idea of group arrangements and before long, he was performing in his first band.
During his junior year, a local group of high school seniors recruited him to play guitar for a series of shows in Chicago. Their first show was at a small bar where they played a set of alternative-rock covers.
"The performance was pretty unremarkable, but I think that it made it actually seem possible to be a musician who performed for other people, it seemed like a transitional moment at the time," Davison said.
Following high school, Davison attended Columbia College, where he met his future band mates for Maps & Atlases.
"The decision to go to Columbia College really set me on the path that I have continued on to this day. I met many other like-minded people, was exposed to endless amounts of new music and developed a language for my own artistic ideas," Davison said.
During this time, Davison molded himself into the musician he is today. When he was 20 years old, he was granted with the opportunity to visit Spain, where he gained new insight on his instrument of choice.
"Visiting Spain was significant in affecting my playing. I would go see flamenco guitar players perform at this tiny café on the edge of town, and it really changed my whole way of thinking about the guitar," Davison said.
Maps & Atlases soon became known for their unique musicianship and started gaining new recognition. Davison and his band mate Erin Elders were featured in "Guitar Player Magazine" where they were interviewed about their extraordinary playing style.
"Dave brought a knowledge of music that far surpasses my own, that and some amazing pipes. He can get pretty deep into the theory of any part and why notes and chords might sound better or worse together," Maps & Atlases bass player Shiraz Dada explained.
In late 2006, Maps & Atlases started working with Sargent House Records and Management. The new team worked hard to push their music into a worldwide spotlight, a task charged by a strong harmony.
"My first impression of Dave was that he is a deeply creative, sensitive and humble person. He's brought on more talent and an incredible uniqueness in both his music and his friendship," Cathy Pellow, the owner of Sargent House, said.
The relationship soon produced a new album, titled "You, Me and the Mountain" as well as a reissue of the band's previous effort "Trees, Swallows, Houses." As both of the releases began gathering success, the band started setting out on national tours taking them from coast to coast on several occasions.
In 2009, Davison began performing and releasing music through a solo project, named Cast Spells. Since its emergence, Davison has been touring the US and Europe in support of his first album "Bright Works and Baton." For national dates, Davison brings along a varied group of friends to play in his backing band, providing crowds with a different arrangement every night.
"I was blown away by how humble of a guy he is about his art and how genuinely excited he was to share it with every new city or venue," live cello player Rashaad Jonez said.
Besides music, Davison has a thirst for art and would like to continue his academic career, eventually earning his Master's degree. If the music industry were to collapse, Davison would not panic but would rather take time to pursue a new happiness.
"If the industry disappeared I would probably go get a coffee and go for a walk. I might take a week off and then figure out what to do next," Davison said.
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