Today jack of all music trades Presley Davis Jr releases three new albums simultaneously, Roadside Magnolia, Torana Americana and Birdlife, with these albums forming into the amalgamated Eclecta Trifecta collective, now available. Catch Presley Davis Jr live at a launch party at the Lomond Hotel, Brunswick East, on July 28th!
To celebrate the release, Presley Davis Jr took some time to ponder Six Quix for us.
ABOUT THE THREE PREVIOUSLY RELEASED SINGLES
Heart Of My Heart’, ‘Showdown’ & ‘Convincing Me’ (Singles)
A sentimental jazz song, a country ode to heartache and a sultry soul gem collide in another trifecta single release from singer-songwriter, actor and creative cauldron Presley Davis Jr. Balancing various genres across his brand new tracks, Heart of My Heart, Showdown and Convincing Me, all out today, Presley’s eclectic prowess grows to new heights as he steps ever-closer to the upcoming release of three simultaneous albums; Roadside Magnolia, Torana Americana and Birdlife, with these albums forming into the amalgamated Eclecta Trifecta collective, out now.
Kicking off in swoon city, Presley’s first new single, Heart of My Heart, doles out the charm with ambling brass and tinkling keys as Presley effortlessly channels classic jazz with hints of barbershop charm throughout. A time-travelling delight that hastens you back to the golden age of Bing Crosby and poetic lyricism, Heart of My Heart also beckons another snapshot into Presley’s upcoming full length album Roadside Magnolia dropping this July as part of the Eclecta Trifecta project. “Heart of My Heart is a classic old jazz number,” shares Presley. “I love this song because of the beautiful sentiment in it. Modern pop music lyrics don’t have phrases like “I know a tear would glisten, if once more I could listen”. This was a pop song back in the day, just think about that for a moment. It’s definitely influenced by classic singers like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Dean Martin. I used to sing a lot of barbershop music when I was young and if you’re at my favourite pizza bar on a Tuesday you might hear the local barbershop group rehearsing at the next table.”
Next up, throwback country meets modern bliss via Showdown; the latest single from Presley’s forthcoming Torana Americana album as part of Eclecta Trifecta. With its crooning lyrics and sunny twang, Showdown bustles with warm instrumentals and poignant vocals, tapping into the past and the future simultaneously, as Presley explains, “I really love older country music like Willie Nelson and Hank Williams. I also like alternative country and roots artists like Gillian Welch and Anders Osborne. In this song you can hear the old with a bit of the new mixed in. This song was inspired by some of my past relationships. Sometimes you break up because it isn’t working, but then you get lonely, so you go back. Wash, rinse, repeat. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?”
And completing the single releases from Presley Davis Jr. is Convincing Me; a sumptuous and sleek concoction of funk and soul that could easily find itself at home soundtracking a salacious piece of cinema with its swaggering bassline and lush sonic backdrop. “I often write songs by playing a different instrument for a while,” shares Presley of conjuring Convincing Me. “Toying around with bass guitar often results in a song for me and that is what happened here. The original “scratch” lyrics for this were about going outside of your normal parameters for who you would sleep with – “you’re not my type, but…you’re convincing me.” When I revisited it, I thought that was a tad offensive so I rephrased it as “we shouldn’t go there, but you’re convincing me”. I can see this being included on a soundtrack because there is so much cheating and shagging going on in TV and movies these days. I love listening to Prince, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and I think you can definitely hear some of those influences on this track.”
The task of simultaneously creating three full-bodied and stylistically diverse albums saw Presley dive into a horde of personally meaningful genres, with the Eclecta Trifecta project also evolving from his experience during the pandemic years. Evaluating himself both personally and professionally at the time, Presley’s soul searching ultimately led to him settling on the idea to release a three-album project, with all three albums in three different styles set to release on the same day. A jack of all musical trades and adopting his stage name to honour Elvis Presley and Sammy Davis Jr., it seemed predestined that Presley Davis Jr would find himself immersed in the arts.
The albums, Roadside Magnolia, Torana Americana and Birdlife, aka the Eclecta Trifecta, are out now
Listen to the singles here:
Listen: HEART OF MY HEART
Listen: SHOWDOWN
Listen: CONVINCING ME
