‘Times Have Changed’ came together collaboratively with some of Canada’s best in the Soul and R&B game. Toronto production house Safe Spaceship (Scott McCannell, Chino de Villa, and Ben MacDonald) composed the music who then brought the track to Davis to compose the melody and lyrics with the help of Kyla Charter. La-Nai Gabriel completed the track with a powerful horn arrangement – performed by Northern Soul Horns (Arkells). Staying true to a retro sound, the bedtracks of ‘Times Have Changed’ were laid down to a 1- inch 8-track tape machine, using Davis’s first vocal take in the final mix.

Davis shares the meaning behind the track: “The lyrics are a very real account of me trying to figure out my path in life- realizing that I am the one who needs to break toxic cycles in my family and be in charge of my own healing for myself and future generations. There’s a lot of pain in that newfound awareness as it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lonely in the process; but the more I’ve invested in myself, the more hopeful I’ve become. The idea that we don’t have to be tied to anyone else’s journey or choices is a very freeing thing and something I am avidly chasing. I imagine there are many people who would resonate with this message and I hope it inspires them to doubt themselves a little less and love themselves a little more.”

The post Claire Davis breaks toxic cycles with uplifting new single ‘Times Have Changed’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Drawing from her influences of the likes of Etta James and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, the unrelenting rhythm and sassy background vocals of this track complement the “take-no-mess” message of Davis’ lyrics and vocal delivery. A song about knowing your worth and walking away from those who don’t!

Davis explains: “My songwriting in the past year has been reflective of how I’ve been releasing things that are no longer serving me. Through the process of grief, I feel that the pandemic has shown me how important and limited our time is, and if we are in situations where we are not being valued, we need to walk away. ‘Long Gone’ is about knowing we deserve better than any situation or relationship that’s diminishing our joy. I really wanted this track to reflect the “take-no-mess” attitude that I think we should all have when it comes to protecting our worth and loving ourselves. Having my three best friends singing the call- and-response background vocals on this tune is very representative for me of how my chosen family always has my back.”

Claire Davis is an analog enthusiast, opting to record to tape whenever possible to best capture the feel and energy of a live performance and this single does not disappoint. The track was co-written by Toronto based artist Kyla Charter and producer Scott McCannell whom Davis has excitedly collaborated with for years on various other projects in Toronto’s R&B/Soul scene. The saucy background vocal arrangement from composer/arranger La-Nai Gabriel provided the icing on the cake for this record which features dynamic background vocals from Aphrose, Tegan Michelle Gordon, and Chynna Lewis.

The post Claire Davis shares empowering new single ‘Long Gone’ appeared first on She Makes Music.