CLAIRE DAVIS "Get It Right" (LRK)
Add Date: 4/18/2023
Release Date: 4/21/2023
FCC: Clean
Focus Tracks: Get It Right, Long Gone, Times Have Changed
Formats: Soul/R&B, Non-Comm AAA, NACC Top 200, Submodern
RIYL: Sharon Jones, Tanika Charles, Lady Wray, Amy Winehouse
A jewel of Canada's Soul scene, Toronto-based retro-soul artist Claire Davis shares her debut full-length solo album Get It Right, out April 21, 2023, on vinyl and streaming services via LRK Records.
The LP consists of some of Claire's most personal writing to date- drawing from the reflective nature of the pandemic, her compositions and lyrics examine themes of self-worth, relationships, and even family dynamics. From the very personal cycle-breaking anthem "Times Have Change" to "Long Gone", a track about walking away from situations that don't serve you, Get It Right is as empowering as it is groovy: "The concept behind the album is about knowing your worth and putting the work in. I think this is a poignant message for many people as we emerge from a tumultuous time. We have had the opportunity to assess what we actually want to return to, what's truly for our benefit and for the greater good. Much of the lyrical content in the album is inspired by my own personal journey of struggling to break toxic cycles within my family and learning to forge my own path."
The first song written for the record was the title-track of the album which began as a jam between Davis on guitar, producer Scott McCannell on bass, and drummer Chino deVilla: "The lyrics were inspired by my relationship with my partner and the intention that we both have to work on healing ourselves in order to make our partnership work. I'd like to think that it's a love song with a strong sense of maturity and understanding to it. And the whole record was really shaped around that idea of my relationships and experiences stemming from my own sense of self-love and my desire to live and create from an authentic place."
The songs on the album feature co-writes from Scott McCannell, Kyla Charter, and Toronto production house Safe Spaceship Music, in addition to horn and background vocal arrangements by composer La-Nai Gabriel. Musicians include Heather Crawford on guitar, Scott McCannell on bass, Adrian Hogan on keys, Chino de Villa on drums, Juan Carlos Medrano on percussion, Aphrose, Tegan Michelle Gordon and Chynna Lewis on background vocals, and horn section The Northern Soul Horns.
The album was recorded to an 8-track tape machine by engineer Braden Sauder in a converted garage- studio in Toronto, owned by the renowned instrumental jazz/hip-hop group BADBADNOTGOOD. Featuring some of the city's top-flight musicians in the R&B/Soul scene, the album was laid down live-off-the-floor in one week during the winter of 2022.
Get It Right follows up Davis's 2021 EP Thrive - which Great Dark Wonder praised: "This sounds like someone who was born to do exactly what she's doing".