Stacie Hestand Raised Rowdy Contributor
After the release of the rocking, bluesy “It All Comes Back Around” in August (check out our previous feature), Missouri singer-songwriter Alec Davis hasn’t slowed down at all for the release of his new single “Never Heard of You”. With a nod to Eric Church, Davis’s newest track sets one thing straight – there’s one way to make it in music, and that’s through paying your dues and cutting your teeth just like all the greats had to do at some point.
In a way that couldn’t be more fitting of that theme, Davis finished up writing “Never Heard of You” on the patio at the Tin Roof in Nashville during Revival (their songwriters’ round), three days before he recorded it. Like many of the best country songs, the track is rooted in the writer’s personal experience. Davis explains, “This song is all I know about grinding it out on the road, begging radio to add my tracks and for people to give me a chance.”
Coming hot out of the gate with electric guitar, “Never Heard of You” is ready to light up a jukebox in a haze of pool tables, neon lights and boot-scuffed wood floors. This classic honkytonk sound lines up with the realities of Davis’s work out on the road: “Most of the time I’m rolling into a new town, playing for a handful of people that have no idea who I am and I have four hours to prove myself to them. That’s how it works when you don’t have a record label, you kinda just rough it out in little honky tonks and earn your fans through hugs and handshakes – I don’t know that I’d rather have it any other way.” Images of dive bars, radio stations and “five year plans, broken down vans, holding off on a wedding ring” also flash by as the catchy tune paints a picture of the persistence it takes to get to the top.
The song’s advertisement of a sound where “Guns n’ Roses meets Chris LeDoux” is self-fulfilling. Davis sings with an infectious gusto, delivering lines with electrified twang and a hint of rasp. Highlighted by steel guitar flourishes, the solid production on the track is the result of a collaboration between Davis and Kenny Royston (who has previously worked with Luke Combs) and allows the genuine essence of each backing instrument to shine through.
All in all, the rollicking and down-to-earth feel of “Never Heard of You” packs an energy that’s sure to keep listeners hitting that repeat button. Give it a listen (or ten) below on Spotify and follow along with him on Instagram to keep up with current happenings. Davis also has shows in Missouri and Texas in the coming months, so if you’re local be sure to check him out.