Artist Feature: Wade Davis

I had the chance to interview local Nashville Guitarist, Wade Davis, on his experiences as a musician in the music industry.

Background

Wade Davis, a 22-year-old senior at Belmont University from Honea Path, South Carolina, started playing guitar at age 13. His dad introduced him to classic rock and 80s hair metal music, sparking his desire to become a guitarist. On his thirteenth birthday, his dad gifted him his first guitar, which created a passion for playing. Soon after, he began taking lessons and performing in local bars and cover gigs during middle school. In high school, he pursued his musical interests at the Fine Arts Center, focusing on jazz and recording arts. By his senior year, he began touring, and upon moving to Nashville to study at Belmont University, his touring truly took off.

Influences

I asked Wade who some of his biggest influences were musically and where he draws inspiration from. Wade grew up listening to Eddie Van Halen. He draws a lot of inspiration from Van Halen and implements that inspiration into forming his own sound by utilizing elements from Van Halen’s music.

He also finds inspiration in Brent Mason, a renowned country studio guitarist and songwriter. Wade has a passion for rock music, but due to its lower popularity in the town where he performed, he was forced to transition to country music, as it proved to be more financially rewarding and in demand for paid gigs. Wade also has a soft spot for old country music, and the fact that Brent Mason contributed to many iconic 80s and 90s country albums makes Brent a deep influence on Wade’s playing style as a guitarist. Another significant influence is Tyler Tomlinson, the guitarist for Morgan Wallen. Tyler’s distinctive stage presence in the country genre has always intrigued Wade, leading him to incorporate various elements of Tyler’s stage style into his own performances.

Creating His Sound

When asked to describe his approach to creating a unique style, Wade said, “In the country industry it is not about being unique; the key is to sound like the record.” He described how uniqueness is not always appreciated; however, it is still possible to add your own special flare. He stated, “in country, having a unique stage presence and look as a musician are two great ways to incorporate that flare when you can’t in your music.” “Finding your image and what makes you ‘you’ is important.” He described that, “in country there are definitely times where you are allowed to improvise and add your own style to whatever the song may be.” “When you get those opportunities, you have to take them and run and make the best of those opportunities and show them what you can do.” “That doesn’t mean play as many notes as you possibly can, it means play the most fitting part for the song that you can most possibly create in the moment.”

Depending on the artist Wade is working with, if the artist wants Wade to be himself onstage and add his “flare,” he will and he will incorporate more rock tones and essence, but if the artist has something in particular, they want him to play, it is important to remember that at the end of the day, the artist is the boss and the boss is the job. Wade plays regularly with emerging country artist Lauren Watkins. He mentioned that she appreciates his individuality and encourages him to infuse his unique style into her music. However, Wade also emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance by staying within the lines when it comes to personal style.

He elaborated on this by stating, “a big part of being a musician for artists is knowing your artist.” “Players always need to assume, unless told otherwise, that they should to play exactly like the record, and do not need to add anything new.” “If the artist asks you to be yourself, do it, if not play the set by the book like you are told and hold back you creativity.” “At the end of the day, it is a business just like any other job and the artist you play for is the boss.”

Experiences

Wade began playing with Lauren Watkins September of 2022, but started full time around January of 2023. Throughout that time, they have opened for Morgan Wallen numerous times. They are scheduled for the 2024, “One Night at A Time” tour which they are all very excited for. He is extremely excited about playing Nissan Stadium right here in Nashville, Tennessee the same night he graduates!

Collaboration

Next, I asked Wade How he handles collaboration with other musicians and if he is comfortable improvising. He stated, “collaborating with other people is 90% of what this industry is about. It is all about networking and only about 10% has to do with playing ability.” “Just about everybody that comes to Nashville can play their instrument, but less than half have the ability to not only play their instrument well, but also get along with other people on the road for an extended period of time.”

He stated, “I have seen people that can outplay many touring musicians, but their attitude is wrong, and they think they’re the boss and their not, therefore they do not get hired back.” “The key to being a touring musician or a session musician or even in this industry at all, is being friends with people.” “Friends hire friends, and the more friends you have the more likely you are to get a job offer or a gig.”

As far as improvising with shows and people, he said, “you are always improvising whether it be the situation at hand or the music, you are always improvising because even if you are playing the same exact notes every night there can always be a hiccup or issue you need to work and play the right parts for.” As far as improvising musically there is not as much opportunity for that in the touring country music scene than the cover band scene, but it all depends on your artist.

Overcoming Challenges

Next I asked Wade, what one of the biggest challenges he faces as a musician in the industry and how he handles it. For Wade, scheduling is his biggest issue. He described that touring and gigs at the level that pays well are great, but may not be consistent enough to allow him the income he needs. Therefore, he may fill in his calendar with other dates whether it be Broadway or another artist. He mentioned that if your number one artist comes back and schedules a date, the issue is taking that gig and cancelling the one you filled or vice versa. He stated that the biggest challenge is “balancing other artists and gigs and your number one employer and keeping everyone happy without causing any conflict.”

Final Comments

Lastly, I asked Wade, what is one piece of advice you would give a musician starting out in the industry? He stated, “Don’t be afraid to network, everyone wants to meet new people. Everyone is always looking for new connections to make.” “Be yourself when networking, and if they don’t like it then on to the next person.”