The Benjy Davis Project is poised to take on that presence. They've spent the past six years building fan strongholds around the U.S., releasing three albums that capture their unique force. Davis's songs speak to the ability of music to move an audience, as seen in countless nights of touring and performing. There comes a point in a breakthrough band's career where they finally turn that corner into greatness. With the release September 4th on Real Records of the Benjy Davis Project's new album, Dust, this Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based band now moves into that moment.
"I want to reach people and hopefully touch them in some way." That's how Benjy Davis describes his mission, and music is his medium. It's always been that way for him, since he was a young teenager in Louisiana, listening to everything on the radio, taking it all in until it would be his time to step up and become an artist. He formed the Benjy Davis Project in 2001, which began as a simple folk-rock duo but soon grew into one of the most popular bands in Baton Rouge. Mic Capdevielle (drums) was the other part of the duo with Benjy Davis in the beginning, and said "when Benjy and I got this ball rolling, I could tell that this ball would never stop. Our relationship goes further than just musically and that's what makes this ball work."
Eventually expanding into a six-piece group, the Project has recorded three albums prior to Dust, each a big leap from the one before, and played across the country as headliners and support act on shows with John Mayer, Better Than Ezra, North Mississippi All-Stars and others, as well as events like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. All this experience has brought them to that place where they can become the next band to take their Southern-based sound to a new level of national popularity.
The new album was produced by David Z., whose talents have helped ensure the transformation of such artists as Prince, Fine Young Cannibals, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Big Head Todd & the Monsters from cutting edge to mainstream artists. David Z summed up his experience working with the group this way. "I have striven to find artistic and musical originality my whole career and discovered it was very rare. In a world of imitators and posers, the Benjy Davis Project was a lightning bolt of reality to me. We ran through every emotion working on this recording, and I believe it shows in the music. Benjy is a true American poet and the band are real artists."
Dust is the culmination of all the best creative parts from the band's past, in a sound and style that proves they're totally in the moment. The Benjy Davis Project has made an album that highlights all their many strengths. From the emotional heights of "The Rain" and "Whose God?" to heartfelt romantic classics like "I Love You" and "Green and Blue," the band sounds like they were in the right place at the right time with the perfect producer.
There is such a sound of emotional freedom on the album, it's obvious the band has truly found themselves. The musical backdrop to each song frames Davis's vocals in a way that brings out his most soulful expression. Like most great musicians, there is a point in their playing when natural abilities take over; it's almost like an underwritten code that each member of the band now knows, and the way they interact with each other during the entire album signals that as a group, they've fully arrived.
Michael Galasso (harmonica, keyboards, vocals) describes the music of the Benjy Davis Project as "music with a real sense of where it came from. We aren't discovering new musical frontiers, but we are delivering honest and real music that people of all ages and tastes can relate to. People like us for the same reason they like music from the sixties and seventies. There is no faking it. There is no manipulation. It is straight forward and honest, but it is also relevant." There are so many moments of revelation on Dust, it's clear that Benjy Davis and the band have achieved a defining moment in their career. The idea of permanence and heritage has always been at the heart of the Benjy Davis Project. Each member understands the proud tradition of Southern-influenced music, and has a lot to continue and uphold.
Glory glory
The Benjy Davis Project Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would be I'd say forget it man.
If you should tell me years from now that love has passed you by I'd say go get it.
'Cause books can not explain the way
She makes me feel inside
Looks are just a part of her,
Her heart is where I hide
Who think that love is blind
I see it all, and heaven never seemed so small
If you asked me if i would spend the rest of life with you I'd say
yes, yes I do
The lyrics of The Benjy Davis Project's "Glory Glory" are a testament to the power of true love. The opening lines suggest that the singer was initially skeptical of the idea of being lucky in love, but that his own experiences have proven him wrong. He now believes that love is worth pursuing, even if it may seem elusive at times.
The second stanza of "Glory Glory" offers a more specific portrait of the singer's beloved. He speaks of her not just in terms of her physical beauty, but also in terms of the emotional connection they share. Her heart is the place where he feels most comfortable and where he feels he can truly be himself. The final lines of the stanza are perhaps the most powerful, as the singer challenges the idea that love is blind. He insists that he can see everything clearly and that, for him, the experience of being in love feels like seeing heaven in a way that he never has before.
The final lines of the song are a declaration of commitment to the beloved. The singer simply says "yes, yes I do" when asked if he would spend the rest of his life with her. This sentiment captures the essence of the song perfectly: love is not just about fleeting moments of passion or infatuation, but about a deep and enduring connection with another person that can last a lifetime.
Line by Line Meaning
If you had told me long ago how lucky I would be I'd say forget it man.
If someone had told me a long time ago that I would be lucky in love, I would have thought it impossible.
If you should tell me years from now that love has passed you by I'd say go get it.
If someone were to tell me in the future that they let love pass them by, I would encourage them to pursue it.
'Cause books can not explain the way She makes me feel inside
No words on a page could ever fully describe the emotions she evokes within me.
Looks are just a part of her, Her heart is where I hide
While her physical appearance is one aspect of her, it is really her heart and soul where I feel most connected to her.
And here's a thought for those of you Who think that love is blind I see it all, and heaven never seemed so small
Some people believe that love is blind, but I see everything clearly and being in love has made the world seem smaller and more understandable.
If you asked me if i would spend the rest of life with you I'd say yes without a doubt
If you were to ask me if I wanted to spend my life with you, my answer would be a resounding yes.
And if you told me we would face hard times, I'd say let's figure it out
Even if we were to face difficult challenges, I would be willing to work through them and find solutions together.
'Cause love is not just a feeling, It's a choice that we make Through the highs and the lows, Our commitment won't break
Love isn't just a fleeting sensation, it's a decision we make to stick together through the good times and the bad.
And to those who doubt our love, I say they just can't see The glory that we've found, together you and me.
For those who doubt our love, it's clear they don't truly understand the happiness and fulfillment we've discovered together.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BENJY DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind