“I made Civilianaire for myself. Nobody was ever supposed to hear it. I hunched over the home studio I’d slowly built up over the pandemic and gradually compiled a collection of ideas, sketches and instrumentals that began to resemble full songs. It was the first time I wasn’t creating alongside an engineer or another producer, it was just me and it was so freeing.” says Dave Cavalier
For Dave Cavalier, the controlled chaos of his live shows and bleeding fingers after a raucous set seem to be essential ingredients of his art, his persona & his music. With the emotional capacity of a hurricane, Cavalier’s guitar playing is almost as if a tattooed James Dean howled like Hendrix, bending his memories into music at every turn, snapping strings most nights in the process. Unfazed, it’s clear that pushing these on-stage, musical exorcisms to the very edge is part of Cavalier’s process and that his relatable & genuine personal stories want to bring you along for the ride.
“I explored new sounds, searching for the right combination of that raw, blues soul from my past and the modern production elements the future of the sound requires. I took on new soundscapes I hadn’t experimented with before and repeatedly reminded myself, “No one will ever hear this. Do this for you.” After sitting down with my drummer, Shane Considine, one night over dinner, I offered to play him the new material and whichever songs he felt inspired by, I would finish.
We came out of that conversation with the nine songs that became Civilianaire, a snapshot of a profoundly transformative two years of my life. I overcame the obstacles of the pandemic by gaining my sobriety, becoming a father and creating a new chapter where I finally got out of my own way. Being a civilianaire is about feeling fulfilled with a life made up of that raw kind of joy you only get from spending time with incredible people doing things that make you happy and inspire a sense of gratitude. It’s true happiness rooted in the simple things. I hadn’t earned that perspective yet when I first started writing this record, but in creating it and giving way to the catharsis of the experience, I genuinely changed.
To me, Civilianaire is an album born out of a lot of tension, struggle, and frustration but it was a bridge to something so much better. I wanted the title to be optimistic because when I listen to the music, that’s how it makes me feel. The stories are tough things I had to overcome but the art became my trophy.”
Billboard has said Cavalier has some of “The greatest tracks you’ve never heard of,” while the The Huffington Post has called him, “Jack White merging his talents with those of Robert Palmer…his music defines what is known as the carnal arts – sexy, sensuous, gritty music.” After his 2015 debut release, “HOWL,” with Grammy nominated producer, Hal Winer, Cavalier evolved his sound to release “RUMORS” in 2019. He continued to chase the illusive “perfect” blend of analog soulfulness and contemporary production techniques with his 2022 album, “Civilianaire,” a pursuit that has come to define his distinctive sound.
He has shared billings with Buddy Guy, Eddie Vedder, Gary Clark Jr, Stevie Nicks, Aloe Blacc, Kendrick Lamar, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Amos Lee, Band of Horses & many more at festivals across the country, continuing to fine tune his sound in the process. Cavalier’s songs have been featured in numerous Netflix, AMC, MTV and Amazon television productions, he is an award winning film composer and has been the focus of both national and international marketing campaigns for brands such as Peugeot, Volvo, Best Buy, Harman Kardon, HTC Vive, Las Vegas & San Diego Tourism and more.
Stream “The Hold” and more on Spotify!
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