Dishwater Blonde

Some rock and a whole lot of funk. That’s Dishwater Blonde’s music. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, the band plays local venues on a regular basis. When you see them live, you will move. Just look around — heads are bobbing, feet are tapping, hands are clapping, and butts are swaying. And included with all the rock n’ funk are spiritually-conscious lyrics. It’s really quite uplifting, I say!

According to the band’s bios on their website, Davis Mitchell the funkmeister frontman, was living in New York, addicted to drugs and alcohol, and homeless. Best friend Robby Mathis, bass guitarist, bought him a bus ticket to Knoxville and asked that he enter a treatment program at Knox Area Rescue Ministries. Davis took the ticket and in his words “ever since then my life has been completely different for the better.” He became a Christian while there and it is clearly evident in his performances.

In 2007, Dishwater Blonde was voted Best of the Best, Best Band, and Best Rock Band by readers of Metro Pulse, Knoxville’s independent newspaper. According to Mike Gibson, writer for Metro Pulse, “Dishwater Blonde frontman Davis Mitchell is the flat-out funkiest white boy in the history of Knoxville’s music scene. Taking the stage in suits that would shame the most sartorially sensitive soulmeisters of any generation, Mitchell captivates an audience with sweet falsetto funk and neo-Hendrixian guitar like no one you’ve heard since the last time the Purple One himself took over Thompson-Boling Arena. But Mitchell isn’t the only reason why Dishwater Blonde is Knoxville’s best. There’s also co-vocalist Nakia, she of the herculean pipes, and freaky-fro’ed stunt guitarist Cozmo Hollaway… and oh, the songs. Unlike so many groove-oriented outfits, Dishwater Blonde put its own impeccable grooves in the service of great tunes, riffs and melodies that stick in your head long after the booty-shaking ends. In our hearts, at least, Dishwater Blonde is platinum.”

- http://www.rocklopedia.com/2008/06/07/dishwater-blonde/

By Kim Burdges

Taking their name from a lyric in one of Prince’s lesser known gems “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker,” Dishwater Blonde has developed a well tuned soulful funky sound that would make the Purple One proud. This Knoxville quintet is reviving the attitude and soul that many thought was lost in the 1970s, with a refreshing musical twist and innovative style all their own. While Dishwater Blonde’s established sound is the ultimate proof of tireless rehearsals and hard work, it also benefits from the strong group of spirits that make up this powerhouse. Throughout rock ‘n roll history, music fans have witnessed the destruction of some of the greatest bands due to drug use. However, the formation and foundation of Dishwater stems from lead singer Davis Mitchell’s triumph over addiction and a series of cinematic worthy events that brought this talented bunch together. As they prepare for their third album, the group members of Dishwater Blonde reflect on their amazing past and beaming future.

The journey to what is now known as Dishwater Blonde started with a chance meeting between lead singer/ guitarist Davis Micthell and bassist Robby Mathis, while camping out to buy Prince tickets. Davis and Robby’s shared admiration for Prince’s music and style lead to casual jams sessions between the two.

“We started writing music together, just for music sake,” says Robby.

As Davis and Robby’s personal and musical friendship continued, Davis battled severe drug addiction that would ultimately send him to rehab. While in a rehab facility another clandestine meeting would occur much like the one that originally brought Davis and Robby together.

“I met Nakia in a homeless shelter,” says Davis of his initial introduction to Nakia Davis, better known as Diva, who would become a singer with the group. “She shared a life changing message with me, and we shared a common love for music.”

“To see someone’s true inner being wanting something so bad really got me. You can tell those who are for real and sincere,” describes Nakia of what especially drew her to Davis, out of all those other lost souls she has worked with.

“She really helped me to grow sincerity of heart,” adds Davis about his relationship with Nakia.

“It’s all about faith and believing,” smiles Nakia.

It is that faith and belief in each other that continues to keep this close-knit group so tight.

“I first met Davis a long time ago when he was tweaked out,” describes Cozmo Holloway, Dishwater’s guitar player. “He just walked up to me in the middle of his set break and invited me to play that night. I waited just about his whole show, and then he invited me on stage in the middle of one of his songs. Then, I just started sitting-in and playing with them more often. I somehow joined the band with out knowing it.”

“Cozmo’s personality worked so well with the group,” says Robby. “It’s one of those things, when destiny kind of kicks you, you know.”

Destiny played another hand in the completion of the group, by placing Davis and Robby at a local music store one day while Gerald Ware, Dishwater’s soon to be drummer, happened to be playing around with some drum equipment.

“I heard this beat from another room, and I just knew,” describes Robby of his first encounter with Gerald. “Again destiny picks you and you don’t get to decide many times.”


“[Dishwater’s] sound was raw, but different,” says Gerald of his initial reaction to the group. “Robby and Davis were very honest about what they played and it appealed to me, there was no pretense.”

Although Robby and Davis may have been the initial ringleaders of the group, Robby, Davis, Nakia, Cozmo and Gerald have all worked closely together to better mold their unified sound and their electric live performances.

“I might be the spark, in terms of initial ideas, but we all mold it and shape it into what you hear live,” says Davis.

There is no doubting Dishwater’s superior musicianship and energy, because the proof lies in their engaging live shows. However, categorizing their sound is not a simple task considering all the different musical styles the group incorporates.

“We try to encapsulate as many genres as we can: rock, soul, funk, R&B, gospel, jazz,” explains Davis.

“We don’t do no country,” laughs Cozmo.

“Oh, his got some country funk in him,” jokes Robby.

“If it’s good music it touches you and moves you,” surmises Gerald.

As Dishwater strives to solidify and refine music boundaries and performances, music fans are sure to be in for a treat when this funky group completes their third album, which they are tirelessly working on at the moment.

“I think it is going to be our most cohesive record, and most like our live shows,” explains Davis.

“It’s going to be most representative of us,” adds Robby.

When asked where they see the group in 5 years, the group’s humbleness and playfulness shine.

“Really, wherever God wants us to be. Wherever he wants us to be we will be,” says Robby.

“There are no limits,” adds Davis.

“I’m just enjoying the heck out of this,” smiles Gerald. “I’m almost afraid to think of it.”

“We will be taking over the world in 5 years, maybe 3 years,” confidently jokes Cozmo.

“No, we’ll do it in 2 ½ [years],” chimes Nakia. “It’s a family affair. We love one another and we’re so passionate about this [group].”

“We really carry each others burdens,” adds Davis. “And, it encourages me in a way no one else can do.”

Dishwater Blonde is cementing its place in the hearts of fans and the growing southeast music scene. But, national and international music lovers watch out, they’ll be taking over your radios in less then 5 years. No doubt.

- Atlanta Music Guide

By Steve Wildsmith

of The Daily Times Staff

There's a song on the new Dishwater Blonde album, ''Spark,'' that's more fitting in its title than perhaps anything front man Davis Mitchell has ever written.

It's a simple acoustic track, gentle in tone and stripped of the bombast, the exuberance, the fast and furious R&B funk that's a common denominator in the rest of Dishwater Blonde's music. But it has more soul than just about anything else in the band's catalogue.

Mitchell wrote it, you see, sitting in the stairwell of the Knox Area Rescue Ministries. He wasn't slumming it, getting in touch with his gritty urban side to make some sort of statement. He wasn't visiting friends. He was a resident, and ''Spark'' was the first song he attempted to write after finding salvation and escaping a dark road of addiction that had led him toward death.

In the more than three years since then, Mitchell has gone on to leave the mission program, land a job, marry his wife, Angela, and start a band that has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the East Tennessee music scene that's unparalleled by all but a few other acts. The whole time, he's never lost sight of where he's been or who's responsible for the blessings he's received -- God.

''These songs, that's what they came out of,'' Mitchell told The Daily Times this week, discussing the band's new album, ''The Second Coming,'' that Dishwater Blonde will celebrate tonight at Blue Cat's. ''God reminded me of where I had been and made me see where he brought me to. Just like everybody else, I wake up some days kind of in a funk, and not in a good way.

And then, all of the sudden, God reminds me -- 'Hey, look, crybaby; remember this? Remember that? Remember not wanting to wake up? Remember not knowing where your next meal was going to come from?' It makes me grateful, and makes me realize every single day is a gift.

''I don't hide that in my music. Sometimes, it's hard to figure out what people dig about it so much, because we're very blunt about our message,'' Mitchell added. ''I'm not apologetic at all about that. My heart's desire is to share the music God has given me, because he changed my life and gave me this new tune. I've done the band scenario -- I've sung about women and bars and seemingly worldly things, and it all crashed to the ground. And I don't think it's a coincidence.''

Redemption songs

Mitchell's musical roots date back to his sophomore year of college at the University of Tennessee, when he became obsessed with learning the guitar. Instead of studying, he often wound up practicing up to 12 hours a day, and within a couple of years, he'd formed the band Mr. Skinny.

Touring with Gran Torino and the Derek Trucks Band, Mr. Skinny went as far as it could without being signed to a label. But at the same time, Mitchell started using drugs and alcohol -- recreationally, at first, but the situation quickly got out of control. Mitchell used drugs to escape his frustration with his music and his personal life, and eventually, the chemicals consumed those things instead of just blocking them out.

He left behind music altogether, save for the occasional grandiose plans cooked up while he was getting high. He bounced from detox center to rehab and back, eventually becoming homeless, sleeping with friends or at homeless shelters whenever he could. Eventually, old friend Robby Mathis took Mitchell to church, and it was there he heard a message of Christ and redemption. It changed his life from that point on.

''Robby used to come see me in Mr. Skinny, and he told me after I got sober that he always thought there was just something about me, that he could tell if God ever got hold of me, he was going to use me to touch people's lives,'' Mitchell said. ''I still reflect on that, from time to time.''

Mitchell and Mathis had first met back in 1997, while standing in line for Prince tickets. Mitchell had brought along a guitar, and while they waited for six hours in line for tickets to go on sale, they traded the guitar back and forth, playing Prince licks for each other.

They shared that love of R&B and funk, through Mitchell's Mr. Skinny days and through his haze of drug addiction. Mitchell entered the Knox Area Rescue Ministry's rehabilitation program in November 2002, and over the past three years, he's seen his life improve beyond anything he could have hoped for. He's now married, living in his own place, driving a van and playing music.

He and Mathis put together Dishwater Blonde at the end of 2003, and the band's rise has been nothing short of electric. Since 2004, when Dishwater Blonde first debuted, the band has played venues and festivals normally reserved for acts that have years under their belts -- Sundown in the City (where DB opened for Victor Wooten), Rockin' the Docks in Lenoir City and Bonnaroo 2005, where Dishwater Blonde -- alongside scene veterans Todd Steed, Jodie Manross, Dixie Dirt and Mic Harrison -- was one of a few local acts chosen to represent Knoxville.

''We've been blessed with a lot of opportunities a band our age normally doesn't get,'' Mitchell said. ''Some of the things we've done, it's pretty unheard of for a band our age. We can't explain it on our own terms; it's just God opening doors for us.''

Dishwater Blonde's appeal is even more astounding given Mitchell's unabashed love for God. He doesn't hide his faith, but neither does he proselytize from the stage. However, in an age where stark lines divide Christian and secular music, it's amazing to see so many fans gravitate toward a band whose lyrics are so obviously God-centered.

''People come up and relate the songs to their lives all the time,'' Mitchell said. ''Like 'If I Don't Have U' (off ''The Second Coming'') -- that can be some guy singing to a girlfriend or a girl to her boyfriend, but if you listen close to the lyrics, I wrote it at a point in my life when I was about to get married, and I realized that on my own strength I could never maintain an earthly relationship. If you don't have God, you can't do anything, and that includes holding a marriage together.

''It's a relatability factor, but it's also the music. It's the R&B grooves that sound familiar and a catchy chorus, and it's not meant to be preachy at all. Whether you like a funk groove or R&B, you can still bob your head to the music, and what people grab from us is the energy of the live show. People look at the stage and see so many people up there, they can see themselves up there in some way.

''It's a multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-gender band with horns, rock guitar and funk drumming,'' he added. ''There are so many elements of different styles of music, but the overall end result is something it seems like the masses are digging.''

God-given talent

''The Second Coming'' is a bold message, Mitchell said. It wasn't intended to be, but like all of his songs, the tracks on the album came from a Higher Power.

''Honestly, God gave us these songs, and they're the best songs to date we've written,'' he said. ''That was the whole process of this album -- as I went through something, a song always came out of it. And the end result was letting everything go. I mean, how can any worry add minutes to your life?

''God is going to clothe me and feed me and make sure I have everything you need to make it through my day. I went through a tough period putting the band together and making sure people liked songs, and finally, God asked, what did I want. And my answer was to please him and be happy. And he told me to go ahead and be happy, because tomorrow may never get here.''

''I think 'Second Coming' is a bold message, but people seem to identify with it, because it's all about taking the struggles of our own lives and applying it to our songs,'' he added.

Already, Dishwater Blonde is looking ahead. A tentative live album is in the works, and band members have collaborated with members of the local group The Spades Band for an all-star project, Contagioso. Mitchell's peers in the East Tennessee rock scene are well aware of his commitment to God, but because he was in such bad shape several years ago, those who knew him then are just happy he's found some sort of salvation, regardless of their own beliefs.

''I was in such bad shape as an addict that even the worst addicts out there said, 'Davis needs help,''' he said. ''Now, they're like, 'You got that Jesus thing; whatever works for you, man, because you needed something.' It's almost a joke to some folks because it's such a drastic life change. I don't walk around saying, 'Hey, let me tell you about my story, but it does come up occasionally when people ask about the music.

''It's in the music, so I don't really have to say anything. It's all around me, and the attraction is that the music is in us. Most people aren't looking for it and don't realize it's in there anyway, and we don't force it on anyone. But I think that's also what draws people to us.''

That, and the music, the power of which is so undeniable that dancing is almost a requirement at a Dishwater Blonde show. And that's just fine with Mitchell.

''God created booties to shake,'' he said with a chuckle. '' - The Daily Times

In a relatively short time, Knoxville funk ensemble Dishwater Blonde has become one of the most celebrated and promising bands in the area. The past few months have been a watershed for the band, with performances at Sundown in the City, Saturday Night on the Town and Bonnaroo. In addition to fueling the word-of-mouth fire that started with the band's debut, these gigs have caught the eye of commercial sponsors and other promoters looking to bring the band's music to a national stage.
Three separate shows at this year's Bonnaroo had Dishwater Blonde frontman Davis Mitchell in an excitable state of disbelief. The experience is one only a few local bands know firsthand. Often competing for attendance with national favorites such as Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson, the band was thrilled with the turnout at its stage.


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"It was amazing, especially for a band of our age," says Mitchell. "We're just now getting our feet wet gigging regionally, so getting picked for Bonnaroo was pretty cool. It was an amazing energy, not only getting to perform but getting to see how all that works. We had these all-access passes, so we got to see all these shows from backstage and got to sit down and eat with Herbie Hancock, and see all these intimate interviews with John Mayer, Robert Randolph and Jack Johnson."

Dishwater Blonde's recent shows have showcased the band to promoters eager to have the group play in their areas, though DWB's next big gig will be in Knoxville, headlining Metrofest Sept. 10, before heading to Cincinnati for the Midpoint Music Festival.

"We're talking with Jones Soda about putting together this mini-tour where we go to New York and get ourselves in front of some labels," says Mitchell. "We're going to do stuff like that and keep writing and recording music, and hopefully it will begin to snowball and be out of control, and we'll be living next door to Puff Daddy before you know it."

Before leaving town, however (except for a gig in Tuscaloosa), Dishwater Blonde will release its second album, "The Second Coming," with a Blue Cats show slated for Aug. 26. The new album will unveil a slight shift in the band's direction, drawing more on rock influences than in previous work.

"It's a new spin on how we sound," says Mitchell. "It's more progressive and has more of a rock edge. It has more developed songwriting and better recording quality."

With its recent boost toward stardom, a new album on the way and last week's Prince tribute at Blue Cats, Mitchell says the band's ratio of original and cover tunes will continue to weigh on the side of original songs. While the Prince tribute was appropriate after so many comparisons (not to mention DWB's founding members first met while in line for Prince tickets), Mitchell says that covers are far less gratifying now that fans have become familiar with his own work.

"The comparison (to Prince) is always there. Anytime someone pops in our CD and hears a guy singing in a falsetto, they think Prince," Mitchell says.

Saturday, July 23, Contagioso - an impromptu, experimental conglomerate of Dishwater Blonde and the Spades Band, will play Preservation Pub at 10 p.m.

By JER COLE
July 22, 2005 - News Sentinel

Stylistically and physically, Dishwater Blonde is a model of musical diversity. Ranging from funk to R&B to disco to rock opera, the group has a vast arsenal for getting its messages across, and with up to 10 rotating band members on stage at once, the party begins before the fans are even allowed in.

Dishwater Blonde was formed when founding members Robby Mathis and Davis Mitchell (formerly of Mr. Skinny) met in line for Prince tickets in 1997. The two musicians began exchanging influences and recording demos, ultimately building up the necessary steam to recruit a lengthy roster of players and release the band's self-titled debut in 2004.

Combining band members "from all walks of life," from ornithologists to architects, the band names its chief influences as Sly & The Family Stone, the Gap Band and Prince. Dishwater Blonde's wide array of characters and influences produces an understandably motley set list.

"Our name itself, Dishwater Blonde, means different things to different people, and that's sort of how our music tends to be, too," says bassist Mathis. "Different people pick up on different aspects of it and might describe it one way while another person may hear something totally different."

"Gerald (Ware), our drummer, stylistically comes from the same background as us, but he likes to branch off from that," adds vocalist/guitarist Mitchell. "What he says he likes about playing with Dishwater Blonde is that from one minute we'll be funk and pop, the next minute we'll be rock opera, and the next minute we'll be straight-up rock."

With vocals compared to the likes of Stevie Wonder delivered in a Jamiroquai-like format, the band is known for its energetic live act and never playing its songs the same way twice. Through the duration of the band's three-plus hour shows, fans quickly become performers as the group heavily promotes audience participation in a multitude of forms.

After overcoming some personal strife in recent years, the group members are like family to each other, and they devote themselves to spreading a positive message.

"Through overcoming some obstacles in my life over the past couple of years, with Robby being a really positive influence, we've been able to take some of our influences and lay out a real positive, openly spiritual message over a bed of nasty funk and R&B that gets people moving and hopefully asking questions," explains Mitchell. "We practice something I like to call the 'medicine in the dog food' philosophy, where we put a message of hope and love into music you can dance to as well as anything out there."

On Wednesday Dishwater Blonde will excite the Downtown Grill and Brewery, and the band anticipates a nine-piece ensemble for the performance.

By JER COLE
August 20, 2004 - News Sentinel