A brief documentary about the Davidson Brothers' trip from Australia to Nashville Tennessee to make their album All You Need is Music. Video editing by Jolene Davidson. APR 2017

The making of our Wanderlust album in Melbourne Victoria with our road band (Jacob McGuffie & Louis Gill). Video produced and edited by Jolene Davidson. JUN 2014

The DBs enjoy keeping their repertoire diverse. Half this album [Side A] is accoustic and the other half [Side B] is electric, showcasing a wide variety of the music they love to play. The two sides were tracked lived with two different bands in Nashville Tennessee, and 12 of the 13 songs were written by Hamish and Lachlan.

After performing at the Meredith Music Festival, Lachlan became aware of the band attracting a more diverse audience, which in part inspired the brothers to take a broader approach on this record. “We didn't wan to turn off our existing fans, but we wanted to challenge ourselves too. We kept the upright bass on the country session to keep the acoustic feel in there.”

From the classic trad-grass sound of the opening track Back Where I Started to the disco-grass-funk that is Scrambled Eggs, there is something for everyone on this fine album. The title track is a reflection on current times and what matters most in life - All You Need is Music. The first single Take a Little Drive is a Cajun-style country song, and an expression of the desire to just get away from it all and breathe in some country air.

Evelyn's Kitchen is a tribute to the DBs’ late grandmother, Evelyn ‘Nan’ Young. She had a big record collection, and once the brothers commenced fiddle lessons at school, she would guide them toward any country records with fiddle on them. Certainly Nan would’ve been smiling proudly down on her grandsons when they received an Australian Country Music Award for this recording.

Pending Arrival is a special fiddle ballad, because Hamish wrote it when expecting his first child, and was expecting his second child at the time this was tracked. “I got pretty emotional when we were recording it and my bow was getting a bit shakey. When we got through the take I thought, ‘Oh, man, I should redo that fiddle,’ but promptly realised that people might appeciate the emotionin the recording. We ended up keeping the first take.”

Daniel Marolla directed a video for All You Need is Music in Melbourne Victoria:

“There is nothing quite like the goodtime feeling of stomping around to a quality bluegrass band. Having seen them play to a handful of hungry bluegrass purists, as well as stirring up a giant dust cloud in the ‘Sup at Meredith Music Festival, we can’t recommend the Davidson Brothers enough. Relentlessly on tour, you have no excuse… Yee HAW!”
FORTE MAGAZINE

Wanderlust is the first project the DBs have recorded in Australia since 2003. It was recorded at Sing Sing South Studios in Melbourne with their live band, Jacob McGuffie on guitar and Louis Gill on bass. Jacob and Louis are exceptional young musicians. They joined the DBs band together in 2012 and are both graduates of the Victorian College of the Arts.

Wanderlust features eleven new tracks, all of which were written by Hamish and Lachlan, following the theme of a desire for travel. The brothers share the lead vocals, and shine on banjo, fiddle, mandolin and dobro. This album is an outstanding insight into the DBs exploring new areas.

The DBs nail the trad bluegrass sound with Everytime I Leave and Take Me to the Mountains, and the have crafted new sounds on songs such as the roots influenced track It’s Time To Go Travelling Bluebird was inspired by attending festivals across the country in the family wagon, but uses the metaphors of birds and flight. The mysterious Lost in Amsterdam was written about recent experiences while touring Europe.

Always demanding attention for their instrumental abilities, the DBs demonstrate why they are well respected as musicians with the selections Grass Hound and Bottle Cappin’, Back Crackin’ Blues.

Featured on the ‘rock-mix’ of Lost in Amsterdam are Aussie rock legends Brett Garsed and Gerry Pantazis. Hamish organised Brett and Gerry to lay their overdubs on this track as a bit of a prank to stir Lachie up, but they ended up being so satisfied with the track that it went on the album as a bonus track.

Summer Deroche directed a video for Take Me to the Mountains in Sedgewick Victoria:

“Bluegrass is the basis but in the hands of the Davidsons, Hamish and Lachlan, this is modern country at its finest, recorded in Melbourne and mixed in Nashville, Tennessee. It's a magic sound: the mandolin calls the riffs, banjo jumps in, fiddle takes of, resonator guitar slides through, and guitar and upright bass push it all along quick-smart. The brothers share lead vocals, and their harmones are nothing less than thrilling. The final track, Lost in Amsterdam (Rock Mix), features Brett Garsed on electric guitars, and it does rock. 4/5 STARS”
THE AGE

“The Davidson Brothers are talented fellas and awesome guys. I love what they do and I've really enjoyed the privilege of working with them. This album is a great one.”
DAN SULTAN

“Wanderlust is bound to gain Hamish and Lachlan a swag of awards to add to their already impressive list (and possibly overflowing cabinet) of accolades. Opting against heading to their usual stomping grounds in Nashville, the album was recorded on home turf with exceptionally seasoned local musicians. … Highlights: ‘Every Time I Leave’, the first track on the album. You’ve been warned though, this one will get stuck in your head.”
AUSTRALIAN INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS ASSOCIATION

“The Davidson Brothers are not only some of the best musicians – of any genre – in Australia but they’re also amazing bluegrass songwriters. They gave me a sneak peak at Wanderlust a few days before it was released and I just couldn’t stop listening to it.”
TIMBER & STEEL

“The brothers are the continent’s most celebrated bluegrass act, and are also quite popular in the thriving Aussie country music market. Their sound is brash and in-your-face, very much in keeping with the adventurous, fun-loving image that Australians are often shown to embrace.”
BLUEGRASS TODAY (USA)

Transpacific was written and recorded while Lachlan and Hamish were at opposite ends of the Pacific Ocean (Nashville Tennessee & Bendigo Victoria). This energetic and creative instrumental track is semi-contemporary bluegrass with Celtic influences. Guest musicians featured include Michael Bub on bass and David Grier on guitar.

Released in July 2011 immediately after a European tour, Here To Stay contains eleven new songs, ten of them written by Hamish and Lachlan. Sharing the lead vocals, the DBs shine on banjo, fiddle and mandolin and are supported by some of their favourite Nashville session musicians.

The songs are old and new, steeped in bluegrass tradition, but with the patented DBs energy. It’s Bluegrass, but it’s also New Grass. Check out the scorching 180 beat per minute banjo instrumental OMFG for a sample of what you will hear at a live gig!

Other stand out tracks include My Heart Can’t Believe My Eyes, a classic heartbreak story written in traditional bluegrass style, and Write Me A Letter, a song about loneliness that addresses the lack of personal interaction in the age of technology. Victoria expresses home state pride and the Double Plugger Strut is a stompin’ mandolin tune influenced by Australian culture.

Finalists in the 2010 Melbourne Prize for Most Outstanding Musicians, the DBs travelled to Nashville Tennessee to work on their fourth project with producer Mark Thornton, and this time joined by Larry Marrs as coproducer. Mark played guitar with Jerry Reed for twelve years and Larry is a talented Kentucky native who has worked extensively with George Jones, Randy Travis and Marty Stuart.

“The year's hottest country record... All music should be this much fun.”
THE AGE

“Instrumentally the brothers can more than hold their own with any crack band anywhere in the world... You have to agree that no one comes close to touching these guys in their chosen field in this country.”
RHYTHMS MAGAZINE

Hamish and Lachlan recorded Born to Play in Nashville Tennessee in April 2009 with multi-award winning producer Mark Thornton. This album features that special Davidson Brothers brand of red-hot bluegrass, but there is also some swing, gypsy, celtic, country and rock flavours. Something for everyone!

Guest musicians include Bryan Sutton, Kevin Grant, Randy Kohrs, Jeff Taylor, Pat Bergeson, Jerry Salley, Larry Marrs, Kenny Malone, Cia Cherryholmes, BJ Cherryholmes and Skip Cherryholmes.

The ground-breaking self-titled DBs album was recorded with Mark Thornton in Nashville Tennessee in September 2007 and was launched at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 2008. This is the second album Mark has produced for the brothers. After Raised on the Road won 2007 Independent Album of the Year in Tamworth, Hamish & Lachlan felt pressure to make a better album this time - and they gave it their all.

This album has lots of variety, from traditional bluegrass, to country and intense gypsy swing. Eight of the songs are original, but the only cover that has been previously recorded in Just to Get to You. The most successful songs on this album would definitely be I Miss the Sound of Rain and Long Distance Love Affair, the two songs for which they made music videos.

Guest musicians appearing on the album are Bryan Sutton (guitar), Rob Ickes (dobro) and Dennis Crouch (bass). Mark Thornton played guitar in Jerry Reed's band for 12 years, and he demonstrates his gut-string skills on the Operator Man. There is a guest vocal by Australian bluegrass pioneer Trev Warner, and stunning vocal harmonies throughout by Larry Marrs and Cia Cherryholmes. Left Hand Drive won the boys their first Australian Country Music Award in 2009 for Best Instrumental.

With sadness, this album is dedicated to the memory of
fellow musician and friend, Adam Greaney (1988-2007)

Duncan Toombs directed a video for Long Distance Love Affair in Melbourne Victoria.

This is the first internationally recorded album by the Davidson Brothers and it marks the beginning of a long standing relationship with Nashville Tennessee. Ten of the twelve tracks are original songs. They are bluegrass primarily, but their is a strong country vein running through their songwriting and there is even an original gypsy jazz instrumental. This project increased the Davidsons' visibility on the Australian country music scene and cemented their reputation as two of the finest musicians in Australia. The record was produced by Mark Thornton, who was still playing guitar in Jerry Reed's band at the time. They are joined by some killer musical talent with Bryan Sutton (guitar), Randy Kohrs (dobro, harmony vocals), Dennis Crouch (bass) and fellow Australian Travis List (guest vocal).

“The exciting Davidson Brothers' new album is a corker. Just in their early 20s, Lachlan and Hamish have already built a big reputation as two of Australia's hottest bluegrass exponents - multi instrumentalists on banjo, guitar, fiddle and mandolin and great vocalists with an enormous respect for the traditions of the genre, and it shows in this collection. 10 of the 12 tracks were written by the boys, ... and there are some real standouts like 'Raised On The Road,' the more traditional 'Lonely Again Tonight' and Walkin' Round Blind.' ... The expected instrumentals are here including the jazz-influenced 'Mojo and the charging 'Scrub Turkey.' ... The boys had some luminary help musically with Bryan Sutton, Randy Kohrs and Dennis Crouch, but make no mistake, the Davidsons' own playing is right up there. This tremendous effort will raise plenty of eyebrows in the US as well as here in Australia.”
CAPITAL NEWS

This 3 track EP was recorded by Hugh McDonald (Redgum) in Melbourne, Victoria. All the tracks are original and feature talented Gerry Pantazis on drums, James Clark on bass and Chris Jacobs on backing vocals. The DBs filmed a live music video for Where I Want To Be at the 2004 Deniliquin Ute Muster. This song was renamed Where I Wanna Be and rerecorded in 2006 on the DB's Raised On The Road album.

Half of this album was recorded with Robin Gray in Melbourne and half was recorded with Stuart French in Sydney. Hamish and Lachlan worked with Laurie and Josh Grundy on this record, which features a mixture of Bluegrass and Country material.

“The Davidson Brothers can look forward to a rewarding musical career with the potential of extending far beyond their native Australia.”
BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED (USA)

“When I heard this fine example of Australian Bluegrass performed with life, energy and fun I just had to play it on air. I knew the brothers had been around for a while but this record was the groundbreaker for them, and it was, giving them a nomination at the Country Music Awards of Australia. Lachie and his older brother Hamish have given us an album that is their stepping stone to what I believe could be international success following in the footsteps of Kym Warner and Carol Young taking Bluegrass back to America.”
JOHN NUTTING, ABC RADIO NATIONAL

“Blistering bluegrass and masterful playing from two of the hottest young pickers in the land!”
LEE KERNAGHAN

“They are nothing short of sensational and are taking the Australian country music scene by storm.”
TREV WARNER, AUSTRALIAN BLUEGRASS PIONEER

“What sets the Davidson Brothers apart from most is that the levels of your various abilities are really up there ... The swing stuff is appealing and very well played.”
PETE ‘DR. BANJO’ WERNICK (USA), HOT RIZE

“The Davidson Brothers represent the Country Music Industry in a very positive light.”
KATE NUGENT, COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

“Technically brilliant, and driving with endless enthusiasm.”
MIKE SMITH, CAPITAL NEWS

Hamish has put together a book of banjo tablature which features twenty-eight songs from the Davidson Brothers' extensive recorded work. If you wish to learn the DB's songs on the banjo, this is the book for you. The difficulty of the tunes range from a basic to an intermediate skill level.