One of the more intriguing artists on the independent music landscape, Mikaela Davis is a classically trained harpist who makes compelling music that blurs genres and defies preconceptions.
A native of Rochester, New York, where she started playing harp at age 8, Davis, now 31, has been making a name for herself as an accomplished harpist, singer and songwriter who can add rich textures as a guest performer — with everyone from Bobby Weir, Phil Lesh and Circles Around the Sun to Christian McBride, Bon Iver and Lake Street Dive — in addition to carving out her own distinctive path as a solo artist.
Regarding the latter, Davis’s stock has risen considerably on the strength of her stirring live shows — including residency shows at select cities with full sets devoted to Grateful Dead songs — and especially her widely lauded sophomore album “And Southern Star,” released in August on the venerable indie-rock label Kill Rock Stars.
A follow-up to “Delivery,” her acclaimed 2018 debut album on Rounder Records, “And Southern Star” is Davis’ first to include her full band Southern Star, though the group has been playing together for over a decade now.
The title is a nod to the collaborative nature of the album which features significant songwriting and musical contributions by all five members: Davis on vocals and harp, childhood friend Alex Coté on drums, brothers Cian McCarthy on guitar and Shane McCarthy on bass, and pedal steel guitarist Kurt Johnson, a Rochester-based multi-instrumentalist who joined Southern Star five years ago.
When Rounder and Davis parted ways after the release of “Delivery,” Davis decided to record an album with her band and then seek out a prospective label.
“We got to take our time and do it the way we wanted without any label input or expectations,” she said this week.
“We wrote a bunch of the songs individually over the past few years, but we just instantly clicked when we were together recording them,” added Davis, calling the band’s bond “meditative and telepathic.”
A spellbinding nine-song set that seamlessly fuses twangy roots music, sunny pop melodies, psychedelic rock and Davis’s ethereal vocals and distinctive harp instrumentation, “And Southern Star” finds Davis and her tight-knit quintet hitting their collective stride as one of the most compelling groups around.
Pitchfork called it “her most stirring experiments yet in blending the soft tones of the harp into a fully realized rock sound,” adding: “The harp hasn’t found much mainstream success as a lead instrument, but these warm, inviting songs make it feel possible.”
‘Serving the song’
“And Southern Star” was recorded over the course of a year at both Old Soul Studios in Catskill — where Davis moved three years ago — with Kenny Siegal and at Cian McCarthy’s Horehound Mansion, producing a rich vintage vibe and deeply intimate moments.
Spellbinding opener “Cinderella” is downright magical, with a pretty melancholy and poignancy that soars on Davis’ harp flourishes. The sonic bliss continues on the breezy and pastoral country tune “Home in the Country” and wistful standout “One of These Days.”
The buoyant “Promise” is a catchy centerpiece song, and “The Pearl” is a glimmering, stripped-down gem that closes out the first half of the album.
Davis and Southern Star stretch out on the second half. The beautifully languid “Saturday Morning” is all dreamy and hopeful, while the elegant “Far From You” — written by the McCarthy brothers — gets deep and expansive, closing with a tasty instrumental section.
“Don’t Stop Now” is an anthemic rocker that finds the band firing on all cylinders, while dreamy ballad “Leaving It Alone” closes out the proceedings in style with soaring, exuberant jamming that hints at more sonic exploration to come.
In short, “And Southern Star” is a captivating, headphone-friendly recording that rewards repeat listens.
After falling for the harp during elementary school at Penfield School District in Rochester, which offered lessons, Davis took private lessons with Grace Wong, principal harpist in the Rochester Philharmonic.
“I wouldn’t be playing harp if it wasn’t for Rochester,” said Davis.
She toured Canada and Europe with the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra before heading to SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music with plans to join a symphony, earning top honors and a degree in harp performance.
She met the McCarthy brothers at Crane and started creating music with an indie-rock flair with them and other students. Instead of auditioning for an orchestra upon graduation, she decided to focus on performing live with her rock group.
“I decided to go the band route,” said Davis. “I definitely don’t regret it.”
From her perspective, the harp makes perfect sense in a rock context.
“It’s just another instrument and texture in the band,” she said. “It’s all about serving the song.”
Davis and Southern Star visit Vermont on Wednesday, performing an intimate show at Zenbarn in Waterbury Center.
With inspired new material in the works, according to Davis, and big plans for the coming year that include a coheadline tour with Circles Around the Sun and increasingly sizable headline shows, the promise of Davis and Southern Star is palpable.
Opening the show is Maybird, a Rochester, New York-based psych-pop quartet performing in support of its 2022 album, “Wonderland.”
