Juggling a busy schedule between work, volunteering at his church and dual enrollment, this young indie artist still finds time to build his impressive catalog of self-produced songs. From a studio he built in his home, Malachi Davis has already released twenty-five songs. Spread throughout three albums and five singles, his musical catalog is available on most major music platforms. He is currently working on his next project set to be released this month.
He had learned to play his first full song side by side with his mother, “Heart and Soul,” by the age of six, an experience that Davis says made him feel “infatuated with music at the time. I just wanted to play more, and my mom said she had to cook dinner, and I was sad.”
Citing a chord shaping assignment from ninth grade to improve his guitar playing as the spark for his infatuation with the art of composition and songwriting, Davis says he amassed primarily self-taught skills with upwards of twenty-five instruments. He regularly plays seven or eight of them, however, including piano, acoustic and electric, bass, harmonica, ocarina, and general percussion like drums and symbols. The skills not taught through self-instruction Davis gained through his mentor or his years in band as a percussionist.
Davis started his musical journey in 3rd and 4th grade, when he participated in choir. From fourth through ninth grade, he played percussion in band. His ninth-grade year band experience marching the symbol was an award winning one when he placed first for solo and ensemble with superior distinction and superior for district, qualifying for states, for his percussive performance of the song “Maple Leaf Rag.”
He classifies himself as a singer/songwriter, bouncing around in his art, ranging from pop to heavy metal and screamo. The influence of his parents’ music taste can be seen in Davis’s craft, though the emphasis of his talent can be felt in his lyrical abilities and his focus on flow of sound.
“My first live performance was a performance of out of my mind, one of my most popular released songs, at a church camp,” Davis said. “This was the moment I fell in love with performing.”
Davis feels that he possesses talent in performing and composition to be able to make it as an award-winning artist. However, his true desired career path is music composition. He is less interested in being super famous and more interested in being a part of the hidden creatives behind a bigger project.
The highest level of intrigue is making music for video games and movies, primarily in the fantasy and science fiction category. A major source of inspiration for this field are creatives such as John Williams and Alan Silvestri.
“I want to be associated with something epic, be it fantasy or sci-fi,” Davis said. “I want someone to hear my work and go ‘Oh! That is from this “insert epic fantasy franchise of the Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones caliber.”’”
During a photoshoot for this article, I had the pleasure of hearing Davis perform three songs,“I’ve Tried,” “Fleeting Love,” and “Aurora pt. 2.”It was an honor I’d wish upon every music enthusiast, to be able to witness the enchanting beauty of him losing himself in the performance of a song. He does not simply sing. He becomes a vessel for the melodies and lyrics. His energy is a symphony for any willing to take the time to listen.
