West Virginia's own Davission Brothers Band to play Friday night at ORF

For genre blurring, mountain-rock band, the Davisson Brothers Band, “home” is more than the place they’re from. It’s a force that shapes everything they do. A band born of a truly unique American tradition, they are the physical and sonic embodiment of their home state, West Virginia, and their third album – Home Is Where the Heart Is – echoes with its sound.

Fiercely independent. Proudly self-sufficient. Non-conforming. Adventurous, open minded, and 100-percent original. Both the band and their album are a tribute to the culture that guides their lives.

“We like to think we’re still evolving and going new places, but most importantly, we represent our family, our home state,” says lead guitarist Chris Davisson. “We come from somewhere, and that means the most to us. Our heritage and our culture, our history, we like to represent that the best we can, and that’s on our mind at all times. We are loyal to where we come from, and I think that resonates in our music.”

Founded by Chris and his brother, lead singer Donnie, in Clarksburg, West Virginia, the band has been this way their whole career, built brick-by-brick into one of the most successful independent acts in the world. Also featuring nephew Gerrod Bee on bass and life-long family friend Aaron Regester on drums, they learned to play from the generation who came before, pulling in bits and pieces of the surrounding countryside – country, rock, traditional Appalachian music and American pop.

Now, with Donnie’s rough-hewn vocal – rocky and weathered as an ancient limestone outcrop – and Chris’ versatile acoustic-slide guitar, the Davisson’s sound is one-of-a-kind. Since 2006 they’ve recorded and released two homegrown albums, been celebrated as a Highway Find on Sirius XM, charted on country radio with “Foot Stompin’” and scored a hit song in Australia with rowdy roadhouse rock of “Po’ Boyz,” all without outside support. And maybe more impressive, they find themselves just at home on the Jam Band/Bluegrass circuit as alongside mainstream country’s biggest acts.

“There’s not a lot of country acts that can pull that off,” Chris says. “It’s just staying authentic to ourselves. It’s a fight sometimes, but we kinda just live and breathe our lyrics, our music and everything we do. It’s us in that moment.”

Home Is Where the Heart Is keeps that going, pulling 12 tracks straight from the Davisson Brothers Band world and wrapping them in authentic sounds. Produced by Brent Cobb and David “Ferg” Ferguson, the project was recorded at Nashville’s famous Cowboy Arms Hotel And Recording Spa, and along with the band themselves, features icons like Tim O’Brien, Rob McCoury, Stewart Duncan, Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman, Ronnie Bowman, Kyle Tuttle and more.

Distilling the Davisson Brothers Band sound down to its essential elements, something as pure and potent as mountain moonshine – and just as transparent – the brothers now say it is their definitive work.

“It was just real and raw,” Donnie explains. “I’m in love with this record. I feel like we finally captured what the Davisson Brothers Band are trying to do.”

Don't miss the Davisson Brothers Band Friday, August 4th, 8:00pm.