Silhouettes

Often times, nostalgia evokes a sense of regretful longing for the past tinged with shades of grey melancholy. The yearning can become overwhelmingly debilitating and inhibit forward progress. For Davis Jones, glimpsing back in time is a reverent acknowledgment of his roots harkening back to his days growing up in Akron, Ohio. Though it has been almost a decade since Jones moved from the Midwest to San Francisco, his emotional connection to his beloved hometown is frequently a starting place for his songwriting. As a solo artist, Jones quietly built up an impressive album catalog frequently entering the studio to record and preserve these sonic snapshots in time. When Jones began working with Tim Mooney at Closer Recording in 2009, he met sound engineer and musician Mike Carnahan during his studio sessions for Shadows & Gardens. Two years later, Jones recruited Carnahan to play bass for the recording of what would become Jones' sixth studio album titled Royal Jelly. Prior to the album's release, Jones participated in Kate Burkart's music showcase Under the Covers in Berkeley where he paid tribute to Neil Young, one of his musical influences. Pedal steel guitar player Sean Caffey happened to attend the showcase that evening and contacted Jones a few days later. As the release of Royal Jelly approached in May 2011, Jones naturally looked to Carnahan and Caffey for live support for the forthcoming album release show. The trio continued to play several shows together throughout the summer of 2011 until drummer Arron Creechly joined the band for their first gig as a foursome on November 18th, 2011 at Amnesia in San Francisco. These fortuitous encounters created the foundation for Akron Engine as Jones, Carnahan, Caffey, and Creechly are each skilled musicians in their own right with drastically different musical backgrounds. Their distinctly diverse individual sound became the catalyst for Akron Engine's evolution as a band and growth into it's name. Earlier in 2012, during the development of the band's debut album Silhouettes, Jones approached his band mates with the basic framework for 14 songs written and recorded on his acoustic guitar. In a natural and uncalculated manner, Carnahan, Caffey, and Creechly began developing rhythms, basslines, and warm tones organically elaborating on Jones' original concept by rounding out the depth of sound. The result is a rootsy aesthetic collectively achieved by four individuals looking fondly and sincerely upon their past experiences through a glimpse in time.