Darnell Davis is a musical genius. If you go back and listen to his catalog of music with his group The Remnant, the music speaks for itself. He combines every genre of music into pure praise and worship.
Rolling out recently sat down with Darnell at his CD release concert to discuss his new solo project.
You are not a typical artist. How would you define your sound?
My music is like gumbo; it’s infused with all styles of music from jazz [to] hip-hop, funk, R&B and classical. I combine influences from each genre, but the lyrics are gospel and inspirational.
In general, what led you to music?
Music has always been a part of my family. Both my mother and grandfather sang. My grandfather and his brothers were a quartet group and my mother sang in the church choir, so it was inevitable for me to fall in love with music.
Do you actively seek inspiration, or does it find you?
I seek inspiration by listening to other artists and other styles of music. … I could be walking, watching TV, in the middle of a conversation and then all of a sudden something inspires me to write or create. Personal experiences or experiences of others also inspire me to create.
What is the greatest or proudest moment in your career?
Being nominated for a Grammy with the group called Excelsior, based out of Minneapolis. For our first project titled “God at Work” we won a Stellar Award for Best New Artist, and [with] our second album we were nominated for a Stellar and Grammy. Most recently, I was nominated for another Grammy for my work on the legendary Shirley Caesar’s, Fill This House album.
How has music changed since you started your career?
The music has changed drastically since I first started my career. We’ve gone from buying full albums to downloading and now mostly streaming. People have gone from creating complete bodies of work to EPs and, now just singles. I’m the type of artist that believes in presenting a complete thought.
What is next for you?
I may release a live version of “Another Part of Me” later this year. For now, we’re pushing the current album, while building and expanding the DDavis Entertainment brand. In 2014, I released my first artist, FM2 & Intentional, an extremely talented choir from Los Angeles. I plan on introducing more promising talent through my entertainment company, and of course, stay on the lookout for a new album from The Remnant.
