flying solo

SINGER and songwriter Jo Davie brings her debut solo outing to The Citadel on May 16.

Davie is also the lead singer of jazz-folk ensemble Cigány Weaver, and the special Murwillumbah show features a double bill with both Davie’s solo band project and a Cigány finale.

A slight departure from the raucous Cigány Weaver, flying solo sees Davie in a combination of folk and alt-pop. The singer is both nervous and eager.

“I feel a little scared but very excited to get out on my own. I’ve played with the guys for six years, and we have so much fun together. I feel so safe in their musical embrace,” Davie said.

“But the songs I write in my own time don’t quite fit that particular band.

“We had a beautiful show at The Citadel a few years ago, so when it was time to tour this, I thought, why not a double-header?”

The 29-year-old artist comes from a music-loving family that encouraged her creative pursuits with music lessons and shared their favourites with the budding young musician. Her trajectory appeared to be a clear north-star path.

“My dad has always been a big folk head. That’s where my love of Joni Mitchell and 60s folk originated,” she said.

“I stumbled into it. I loved singing in choirs at school and taking piano, guitar, and violin lessons, and by the time I finished high school, I just didn’t want to stop.

“I did jazz voice at the Con and didn’t look back. It just kept tumbling. I decided I’m loving it, so I’ll keep going.”

The intrepid artist is also completing her PhD investigating the female singer-songwriter’s use of music technology and self-production.

The new EP Nothing Comes Free features guitar, drums, bass, and three-part harmonies and was curated from a back catalogue of music Davie has been working on for years. Winning the Carol Lloyd Award in 2024 allowed her to record and tour.

“I’ve wanted to release my solo stuff for ages, but it’s just always been on the back burner,” the singer said.

“The most recent single is Cemetery, and it’s about me going for walks in the cemetery near my house. It’s a good place for reflecting and processing, and helps me see the bigger picture.”

A sense of impermanence runs through Davie’s songs and their musical interactions with each other.

“Overall, there is a theme that nothing comes free, and while there’s this feeling there’s always an end to things, there’s also a start and a middle.

“I want not to be as worried about the end and appreciate the good times, which is the crux of it all,” she said.

For tickets, visit events.humanitix.com/jo-davie-and-cigany-weaver