Ned Collette & Ryan Davis

RYAN DAVIS

Sophomore Lounge & Tough Love records present:

NED COLLETTE & RYAN DAVIS – EUROPE SPRING 2024

Labelmates, conspirators, pals dancing in the dawn of a hundred small towns… Ned Collette & Ryan Davis hit the road together in Europe this Spring.

“This is the sound of someone bearing a torch.” – Bill Callahan

After more than fifteen years of releasing music on labels like Feeding Tube, Load Records, Astral Spirits, Bruit Direct Disques, Petty Bunco, All Gone, and others (including, if not primarily, his very own Sophomore Lounge imprint) as/alongside such outfits as State Champion, Tropical Trash, Equipment Pointed Ankh, Roadhouse, and others, “Dancing On The Edge” – a seven song, 53 minute basement folk opus – is the first collection of material released under Kentuckiana-based visual artist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ryan Davis’ birth name. The tunes on the album range from bare-boned, achingly crooned avant-folk tales to jovial, full-band excursions into long-form experimental country-tinged rock modes. Continuing in the tradition of the TVZs, Terry Allens, Souled Americans, and DC Bermans before him, this 2xLP reimagines the exceedingly dated archetype of modern day “indie troubadour” music and the inherent trappings therein.

Davis’ solo debut is a dense collection of Americana-Noir that navigates a familiar yet alternate reality, one of enchanted mundanity and uniquely mid-southern introspection. Simultaneously anti-social and outwardly inviting, free of cynicism yet slightly steeped in paranoia, “Dancing On The Edge” is as delicately choreographed and emotionally connective as it is, at times, absurd. Featuring performances from friends like Joan Shelley, Catherine Irwin (Freakwater), Will Lawrence (Felice Brothers, John Early, Gun Outfit), Jenny Rose (Giving Up), Elisabeth Fuchsia (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Footings, Ned Collette), all fellow members of Kentucky-based ensemble Equipment Pointed Ankh, & more.

“Australia doesn’t have many better songwriters, neither past nor present” – Mess & Noise NED COLLETTE

Australian born, Berlin based, Ned Collette has long established himself as a songwriter whose literate, evocative songs are paired with music that’s both adventurous and eclectic. His songs, combined with his early background in improvised and experimental music has resulted in six albums of uncompromising vision, released on a variety of international labels. 2018’s double LP “Old Chestnut” (Feeding Tube) is a deep and complex folk song-cycle featuring musicians such as The Necks’ Chris Abrahams amongst Ned’s regular collaborators. In addition to his song work, he has released works such as 2019’s “Afternoon— Dusk”, a trio record of long-form instrumental music with James Rushford and Joe Talia. 2022 saw a vinyl reissue of his 2006 debut, “Jokes & Trials”, the liner notes for which describe “a rich velvet voice somewhere between fragile youth and aged sage”.

Collette’s live performances drift between delicate, intimate folk and explorative jam-outs, both when performing solo or with his band. His new album, titled “Our Other History”, will be released in 2024 on the Sophomore Lounge label, who have had a watershed year with releases by Coffin Prick and Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band. The album features contributions from Abrahams and Dirty Three’s Mick Turner & Jim White among many others. Over the years Collette has performed and toured with such artists as Joanna Newsom, Cat Power, Bill Callahan, St Vincent, Kurt Vile and Deerhoof, amongst many others.

May 30 – Halle DE May 31 – Blankenburg DE June 1 – Weikersheim DE June 2 – Freiburg DE June 5 – Rome IT

TOUR DATES:

June 6 Bologna IT June 7 – Milan IT June 8 – Guastalla IT June 9 – Zagreb HR June 10 – Klagenfurt AT

June 11 – Prague CZ June 12 – Jena DE June 13 – Leipzig DE June 14 – Berlin DE