Andy J. Davies

Andrew James "Andy J." Davies (born 22 March 1966), is a musician, songwriter, audio engineer, and record producer. He was a member and main songwriter of late 1980s glam punk band Soho Roses and produced for many bands including SMASH. He is the co-founder and owner of Damajive Studios, co-owner of Earthworks Studios, and the founder and owner of the current studio and production companies The Analogue Room and Damage Recordings.

Andy J. Davies
Davies at Damage Recordings/The Analogue Room 2018
Background information
Birth nameAndrew James Davies
Born (1966-03-22) 22 March 1966
Islington, London, England
GenresPunk, Glam punk, metal, Hardcore punk, Post-hardcore, Hard rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, sound engineer, record producer, guitarist
Instrumentsguitar, bass, drums, vocals, keyboards
Years active1984–present
Associated actsSoho Roses, SMASH, Guns 'n' Wankers

Early years

Classically tutored from an early age, Davies formed his first band White Lie with school friends at age 12, and recorded for the first time at age 13 at The Crypt recording studio in Stevenage, UK. The band went on to enter and reach the regional finals of the TSB School Rock competition held at the Shaw Theatre Euston road in 1981. Later, the band morphed into The Gunrunners featuring guitarist (later of SMASH) Edward Borrie and Simon Coxhill, son of Jazz saxophonist Lol Coxhill.[1] After the breakup of the band in 1986, Davies replied to an advertisement in Melody Maker and completed the lineup of London band The V2's which in 1987 became The Soho Roses.[2]

Damajive Studios

After a short career with Soho Roses in the late 80s, Davies opened Damajive Studios in Hitchin, Hertfordshire in 1991.[3]

During this time, he recorded for numerous local bands, notably SMASH's Spring 1994 mini album, including the double A side "Lady, Love Your Cunt"/"Shame",[4][5][6] King Rizla's seminal 1994 album Time For A New Day[7] and the Guns n' Wankers LP For Dancing And Listening, released on Fat Wreck Chords.[8] In 1995, due to SMASH's notoriety as an independent band, Shame appeared on the EMI compilation Unlaced.[9][10] The studio remained open until 1996, when Davies semi-retired due to stress. While doing live sound at a local venue, he continued to record bands in his private analogue studio.

Earthworks Studios

In 2002, he was asked to become co-owner of the long-established London studio Earthworks. While there, Davies produced several notable and critically acclaimed records including The Freaks Union's 3rd Album Songs From Despair,[11][12] Deadline's 4th album Take A Good Look (2006)[13] and the studio tracks for their 5th album 'We're Taking Over',[14] and The Mercury League's album La Libertad No Es Un Show.[15] In 2006, Davies recorded UK black metal band Niroth's self titled album.[16]

Also in 2006, he recorded vocals for the Paul Di'Anno album The Beast Live.[17][18][19]

He also produced Gilla Bruja's first two albums Tooth and Nail (2002)[20] and Six Fingered Jesus (2003).[21] He played bass at a number of shows with the band when their bassist/singer The Wilda Beast (AKA Paul March) decided to sing vocals only following the release of 6 Finger Jesus. During this time, he also formed a post-punk hardcore band called Bad Head, singing and playing guitar.[22]

In 2007, Corpsing The Stench of Humanity was recorded, mixed and mastered in The Shed, which is where the analogue equipment was stored at Earthworks.[23][24] In 2008, the same system was used to produce Polish death metal band Diachronia's Chaos Eternal LP,[25] as well as work on CJ & The Satellites' album Thirteen,[26] The Metatrons' Patterns of Chaos album,[27] and James and Alex Bay's Roadrunner's independently released self titled album [28] among others.

In 2009, Davies produced Aghast!'s well-reviewed first EP Afterlife Crisis (which also appeared on a metal hammer CD).[29][30] In 2009, Bad Head independently released a self-titled album.[31] They subsequently played at the BBC Rhythms of The World festival in 2010.[32] Davies parted company with Earthworks in 2011, due to personal problems after the death of his father in 2010.[33]

The Analogue Room

In 2013, Davies restored his classic recording equipment and set up an entirely analogue studio. Over the next couple of years, the infrastructure and equipment in the studio were expanded and improved, including the acquisition of several vintage tape recorders. During this time, Andy produced several notable recordings, including The Zipheads Prehistoric Beat (2013) album,[34] Nick And The Sun Machine's album Wide Lying Smiles (2014) and The Metatrons "Please Mister / Not Today" (2014) single.[35] In 2013, Davies produced the new SMASH mini album Spring '13,[36] a reworking of material from their earlier collaborations, including an updated version of their hit single "(I Want To) Kill Somebody 2014"[37] at the same time as recording the Without Regret mini album[38] which he also produced and engineered.[39]

Damage Recordings

In 2016, Davies decided to expand from the analogue purist approach and return to a more modern recording ethos, while keeping the analogue facility intact and using hardware and software together in the form of Damage Recordings. The facility is complete and Davies is working on several projects.[33] In this facility, he recently produced early demos for Dark Asphyxia's 2016 EP Executioner.[40][41] In 2018, Davies produced BrainPain, an EP by punk metal band HeadAche.[42]

Controversies

Davies' band Soho Roses was known as a rebellious glam punk act. After a gig supporting Teenage Idols at the Marquee Club in 1988, Steevi Jaimz of Tigertailz allegedly attempted to punch a member of the Soho Roses' entourage, triggering a notorious fight that resulted in Jaimz being ejected from the club.[43][44] In a photograph taken by Ray Palmer used in an interview in "Metal Hammer" in November 1988,[45] there is a copy of Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction LP featuring a prominent plastic dog turd, sparking a heated readers vs band debate in the next few issues of the magazine.[46][47]

Davies worked closely with the band Guns n' Wankers, featuring ex-members of Soho Roses. The band's name was a blatant reference to their dislike of the LA glam metal scene demonstrated in the classic "Metal Hammer" interview.[45]

Although correctly credited on the independent pressings,[48][49] Davies' work on SMASH's Spring 1994 mini album and "Lady Love Your Cunt" /"Shame 7" single was misquoted on the UK pressing on Virgin's Hi-Rise Recordings label due to a clerical error. After a good deal of legal wrangling the issue was resolved, Davies being correctly credited on the U.S. Hut Recordings release and all subsequent reissues of the material.[50]

gollark: ++remind 3ks observe.
gollark: It would be LIES otherwise.
gollark: Ah, but my CPU has dynamic frequency scaling.
gollark: Explain thyself.
gollark: They actually left according to the apiaristic scanner algorithm.

References
  1. Foley, Adam. Flawed Is Beautiful (Interview with Edward Borrie) (DVD). Flawed is Beautiful Productions. Event occurs at Event occurs at time 6min.
  2. Stu Gibson (2007). Whatever Happened to... The Soho Roses (CD Liner).
  3. "Damajive Studios". Discogs. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  4. Spring 1994 (CD Liner). 1994.
  5. "S*M*A*S*H - "Lady Love Your Cunt" / "Shame"". Discogs. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  6. Cook, James (28 July 2015). "Cult heroes: SMASH and These Animal Men should have changed people's lives". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  7. "TimeForANewDay - YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  8. "GunsNWankers - For Dancing And Listening - Discography - FatWreckWiki". Fatwreckwiki.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  9. "Release group "Unlaced" by Various Artists - MusicBrainz". Musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  10. "Various - Unlaced". Discogs. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  11. "Songs From Despair" by The Freaks Union (CD Liner). Deck Cheese Records. 2005. Recorded and produced by Andy J Davies at Earthworks Studios
  12. "The Freaks Union – Songs From Despair". Punktastic.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  13. "Take a Good Look" by Deadline (CD Liner). People Like You (Spv). 2006. ASIN B000JBXO5S. Recorded and produced by Andy J Davies at Earthworks Studios
  14. "We're Taking Over" by Deadline (CD Liner). People Like You (Spv). 2006. ASIN B00158UU8I. Recorded and produced by Andy J Davies at Earthworks Studios
  15. "La Libertad No Es Un Show" by The Mercury League (CD Liner). Greystone Records – GREYCD 011. 2006. ASIN B000F5GJYQ. Recorded and produced by Andy J Davies at Earthworks Studios
  16. "Niroth" by Niroth (CD Liner). Bad Head – BHR0002. 2006. Produced by Andy J Davies
  17. The Beast Live by Paul Di'Anno (CD Liner). Spitfire Records. 2000. Post production vocals recorded by Andy J Davies at Earthworks Studios
  18. "Paul Dianno* - The Beast Live". Discogs.com. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  19. results, search (2010). The Beast. John Blake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 9781844548842.
  20. "Tooth and Nail" by Gilla Bruja (CD Liner). Magick Records. 2002. Recorded and produced by Andy J Davies at Earthworks Studios
  21. "Six Fingered Jesus" by Gilla Bruja (CD Liner). Retribute Records – RET014. 2003. Recorded and produced by Andy J Davies at Earthworks Studios
  22. "BAD HEAD - 'Inner Daze' Live at Rhythms of the World 2010". Youtube.com. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  23. "Corpsing - The Stench of Humanity - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Metal-archives.com. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  24. "Corpsing - The Stench Of Humanity". Discogs. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  25. "Diachronia - Chaos Eternal - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Metal-archives.com. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  26. "Patterns of Chaos" by The Metatrons (CD Liner). Livewire – LW019-2, Cargo Records – LW019-2. 2016. Guitars recorded by Andy at Earthworks
  27. "Patterns of Chaos" by The Metatrons (CD Liner). Esprit de Corps. 2016. Recorded by Andy J Davies at Earthworks Studios
  28. "Wash away the blues with Roadrunner". Whtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  29. "Aghast! - Afterlife Crisis EP". Discogs. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  30. "Aghast - Afterlife Crisis". Metalreviews.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  31. "Bad Head RARE Not On Label CD UK 2009 14 TRK ALT PUNK | eBay". eBay. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  32. "ROTW 2010 - Sunday". 28 July 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  33. Foley, Adam. Flawed Is Beautiful (interview) (DVD). Flawed is Beautiful Productions. Event occurs at Event occurs at time 51min.
  34. "The Zipheads - Prehistoric Beat". Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  35. "The Metatrons - Please Mister / Not Today". Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  36. "S*M*A*S*H - Spring '13". Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  37. "Adam Foley Interviews Andy J. Davies for 'Flawed Is Beautiful". Youtube.com. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  38. "S*M*A*S*H - (Without Regret.)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  39. "Andy J Davies chats about stuff with James Tripp Part 1". Youtube.com. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  40. "Dark Asphyxia - 'Executioner' EP Review SonicAbuse". Sonicabuse.com. 28 February 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  41. "Dark Asphyxia - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". Metal-archives.com. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  42. "UK punk /metal act HeadAche to release upcoming EP 'BrainPain' – The Rockpit". Therockpit.net. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  43. "The Last Of The Teenage Idols - Satellite Head Gone Soft". Glamrock-aftershock.blogspot.bg. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  44. "Melody Maker". No. 18. February 1988. p. 21. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  45. "Metal Hammer UK". Vol. 3 no. 21. November 1988. p. 28. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  46. "Metal Hammer UK". Vol. 3 no. 22. December 1988. p. 11. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  47. "Metal Hammer UK". Vol. 3 no. 23. January 1989. p. 10. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  48. S*M*A*S*H – Spring 1994 (popcore 001) (LP Liner). 1994.
  49. S*M*A*S*H – Lady Love Your Cunt / Shame (popcore 003) (7inch Liner). 1994.
  50. S*M*A*S*H – Spring 1994 (Hi-Rise Recordings – FLAT MCD2/ Hi-Rise Recordings – 0170 4 65027 2 6) (LP Liner). 21 March 1994. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
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