Discover ‘Sepricon’ singer Brittany Davis

Brittany Davis has been making a name for themselves in the Seattle music scene the past several years as the keyboardist for Stone Gossard’s (Pearl Jam) side project Painted Shield.

And now Davis is making even more of a name for themselves for their own music.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Davis’s debut full-length album Image Issues comes out March 1 on Gossard’s label Loosegroove Records. It’s a concept album dealing with the struggles of growing up black, blind, and nonbinary, as well as family trauma such as gun violence and the US prison system. The 26 tracks on Image Issues are blended with spoken word vignettes from Davis.

“I started playing piano at church as kid with a love of gospel and jazz,” Davis says. “As I grew older I found my love of hip hop and R&B songs. I like to describe myself as a vessel of sound and experience music in spirit and colors. Everything is an instrument to me.”

Davis recently released their song “Sepricon,” which is as funky a song as you’re going to hear in 2024. Groovy guitar riffs, thick basslines, keyboards, and horns are all blended behind a powerful voice delivering some not-so-subtle lyrics. It feels like a throwback to James Brown or Brothers Johnson, but as fresh as ever, if that makes sense.

The sound is something you immediately recognize…but at the same time, have never heard of. So much attitude, as any good funk song should have, with a mixture of hip-hop and R&B.

“‘Sepricon’ was definitely born to funk…to soul funk!,” Davis says. “The record is an ode to James Brown and filled with thoughtless greatness…there really is no rhyme or reason to it…all primal instinct.” 

Davis’s mother was sentenced to ten years in prison for murder when they were 3 years old, leaving them in their grandmother’s care. Fast forward to age 12, and more tragedy occurs as their father is murdered. Music has been their way of dealing with these life-changing events.

“My mother was still incarcerated at the time, so imagine the impact of what that meant for 12-year-old me,” they say. “My father was my lucky star. I believed he was really God’s conduit for my gift – I’m the vessel, but he was the conduit to show me what was possible.”

Knowing all this about Davis, it’s amazing they’re able to not only strive, but thrive in the world of music. With the backing of someone like Stone Gossard, and the name they have made for themselves in the Seattle music scene, the sky is the limit. “Sepricon” is just a taste of what’s to come from this virtuoso.

“I’m just a vessel of sound. I’m not the music; I’m the delivery system, the boombox,” Davis explains. “The boombox just plays the music. Everyone has their own beliefs, but I believe it’s coming directly from the divine. I’m just the projector. It’s like, the TV screen doesn’t say ‘I made the movie.’ It just shows you what’s made.”