Ashley Davies

Ashley Davies is regarded as one of Australia’s most innovative and finest drummer/songwritersThroughout a career spanning 2 decades, Davies has covered many miles of rich musical terrain and clocked up a dazzling score of credits to his name.As one half of Matt Walker and Ashley Davies, he won an ARIA award and opened for the likes of bob Dylan and Patti Smith, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Cruel Sea, Gomez, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The Cowboy Junkies, ZZ Top, Cold Chisel and Junior Brown.As a drummer who is able to adapt to many styles of drumming Davies has recorded, toured, and played live with some of Australia’s great and well-known artists: Jeff Lang, Chris Whitley, The Waifs, Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil), Lisa Miller, Dave Larkins (Dallas Crane), Chris Wilson and The Crown of Thorns, The Backsliders. As a passionate believer in nurturing fresh talent he’s also recorded with artists just starting to make an impact on the industry: Jordie Lane, Luluc, Abbie Cardwell, Rory Ellis.As a composer, his music has featured in major Australian films such as Somersault, Australian Rules and the television series The Silence. He has written soundtracks for films by Melbourne filmmaker Bayden Findlay. Mia Dyson and Matt Walker have also performed and recorded songs written by him.In 2001 Davies launched his CD and live road show of Ned Kelly, which he produced with noted historian Ian Jones. This project tells the story of the legendary Australian outlaw and bushranger. The album won the 2001 Best Australian Debut CD in Rhythms Magazine Reader’s Poll. When it premiered at the Apollo Bay Music Festival it played to packed houses and was voted the highlight of the festival by the Melbourne Age newspaper. It has since toured to several Australian festivals including the prestigious Perth International Arts Festival. PRODUCED BY ASHLEY DAVIES MUSCLE DRUM MUSIC VOLUME TWO sees Ash stretch out on the same rhythm and musical themes he first hit on with MDM Vol 1.Ash is still playing the drums, guitars, harps and doing the vocals but for this recording he called on some friends to add their musical expertise to the muscle drum music sound.Ross Irwin - Cat Empire – (trumpet) Jake Mason - Cookin on Three Burners – (Hammond, piano) Craig Woodward – Headbelly Buzzard - (banjo, fiddle).Shane O’Mara, who’s played and produced with the best of them (Tim Rogers, The Audreys, Lisa Miller), recorded and mixed the album and plays bass on one of the tracks.Like Volume One, Muscle Drum Music Volume Two is an album to play loud and get physical with the music.