Davina and the Vagabonds have released SUGAR DROPS, their debut release for Red House Records. SUGAR DROPS marks the first time singer/songwriter/pianist Davina Sowers entered a proper studio to record an album. The Minneapolis-based artist holed up in Nashville’s Compass Sound Studio with producer (and Compass Records co-founder) Garry West, along with her trumpeter, string arranger and husband, Zack Lozier, and a rotating cast of powerhouse players including Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Robbie Fulks) on bass, Doug Lancio (Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Tom Jones) on guitar and Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa) on Hammond B3.
Leading up to the release of SUGAR DROPS, Davina has received praise from Rolling Stonewhich featured her second single, “I Can’t Believe I Let You Go,” on Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now.”
SUGAR DROPS is a distillation of bluesy barroom baritone and bravado, graveyard jazz grooves, and noir-ish confessional lyricism backed by boisterous piano, guitar, and strings. Eclectic, engaging and instilled with a deep respect and knowledge for the Great American Songbook, SUGAR DROPS is the actualization of longstanding intent for Davina.
“It represents about 100 years of Americana; I did exactly what I wanted to do,” she says.
Davina grew up in Altoona, PA, which she now describes as “awesome in the industrial era, but horrible for high school.” She developed a heavy drug habit in high school, which morphed into heroin dependency, left her homeless, sent her in and out of jail, and brought on all manner of trouble. Kicking dope on the streets, she “got clean, started the band, and worked [her] ass off every day since.” Davina and the band are constantly on the road, touring throughout the world they’ve earned feverish acclaim from the Chicago Tribune, NPR, and more in addition to performing on BBC’s international favorite late-night program Later…with Jools Holland and appearing on PBS’s Bluegrass Underground.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
Aug 2 -- Johnstown, PA -- Flood City Music Festival
Aug 5 -- Minneapolis, MN -- Guthrie Theatre - ALBUM RELEASE SHOW
Aug 8 -- Santa Fe, NM -- Santa Fe Bandstand
Aug 10 -- Colorado Springs, CO -- Music on The Mesa
Aug 16-17 -- Gainesville, GA -- The Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center
Sep 7 -- Jerusalem, Israel -- Ganei Tikva Cultural Center
Sep 9 -- Herzliya, Israel -- Jerusalem Theater
Sep 10 -- Modiin, Israel -- Zappa Club
Sep 11 -- Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel -- Azrieli Mall
Sep 12 -- Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel -- Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Sep 13 -- Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel -- Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Sep 16 -- Budapest, Hungary -- MomKult
Sep 18-19 -- Paris, France -- Duc des Lombards
Sep 20 -- Czech Republic -- Jazz Dock
Sep 21 -- Vienna, Austria -- Porgy & Bess
Oct 7-- Evanston, IL -- SPACE
Oct 12 -- Red Wing, MN -- Sheldon Theatre
Oct 19-20 -- Minneapolis, MN -- Dakota
Nov 9 -- Porto Alegre -- Barra Shopping Sul
Nov 12 -- São Paulo, Brazil -- Teatro Opus
2020
Feb 19 --Tucson, AZ -- University of Arizona, Centennial Hall
Mar 3 -- Palm Desert, CA -- McCallum Theater for the Performing Arts
Mar 4 -- Irvine, CA -- Irvine Barclay Theatre
Mar 6 -- Mesa, AZ -- Mesa Arts Center - Ikeda Theater
Mar 7 -- Auburn, NE -- Auburn State Theatre
Mar 9-- Santa Cruz, CA -- Kuumbwa Jazz
May 9 -- Elgin, IL -- Elgin Community College Arts Center
May 13 -- East Lansing, MI -- Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
May 16 -- Midland, MI -- Midland Center for the Arts
Jun 5 -- Madison, WI -- Capitol Theater, Overture Center for the Arts
Nov 20 -- Stony Brook, NY -- Staller Center, Stony Brook University
