Biography
Based in Los Angeles, Daniel Davies functions as a guitarist, composer, and vocalist whose output extends across hard rock and horror film scores. As the son of Kinks guitarist Dave Davies and the godson of director/composer John Carpenter, he grew up surrounded by music and cinema. Throughout the 2000s he served as singer and guitarist for Year Long Disaster, a group shaped by 1970s blues-rock and Southern rock, before a short stint with stoner rock outfit Karma to Burn in the early 2010s. He remained active scoring films and television programs during that decade while also recording and touring alongside Carpenter, who began issuing non-soundtrack albums and performing live in 2015. Davies issued his first solo album, the imaginary soundtrack Events Score, in 2018. In addition to further solo releases such as the 2021 Spies EP, he maintained his partnership with Carpenter on projects including the score for that year’s Halloween Kills. He returned to rock music with the 2024 solo album Ghost of the Heart.
Daniel Davies was born in London and spent much of his childhood traveling with his father’s band on worldwide tours. When he was 11 the family relocated to Los Angeles; after his parents separated, he lived for a time with Carpenter during his teenage years. As a high school student he took up guitar and drums, and he contributed to the soundtrack of Carpenter’s 1998 film Vampires. In 2003 Davies connected with Rich Mullins, bassist for desert rock band Karma to Burn. After a jam session with Third Eye Blind drummer Brad Hargreaves, the three musicians formed Year Long Disaster in 2004. Drawing from ZZ Top to Iron Maiden, the band cultivated a local audience and signed with Volcom Entertainment in 2007, releasing their self-titled debut that same year. They subsequently toured with Clutch, Turbonegro, and Motörhead, and issued their second album, Black Magic; All Mysteries Revealed, in 2010. Also in 2010, Karma to Burn reunited and shared bills with Year Long Disaster before the two groups eventually merged. Although Karma to Burn were typically an instrumental act, Davies provided vocals on the occasional vocal tracks found on Appalachian Incantation (2010) and V (2011).
Davies’ self-released solo EP Hidden Faces, consisting of moody, slightly proggy alternative rock songs, also surfaced in 2011. After its release he briefly replaced former frontman Deron Miller in CKY, touring with the group in 2012 and again for a 2015 show; he had started recording new material with them but could not continue because of other obligations. Together with Geno Lenardo he composed much of the soundtrack for the 2014 film I, Frankenstein and co-wrote the score for the 2015 horror-comedy Condemned with Sebastian Robertson. Additional scoring work for television series and films included a cover of Pixies’ “Wave of Mutilation” for Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Most prominently, Davies collaborated with John Carpenter and his son Cody. The three recorded Lost Themes, the director’s first collection of non-soundtrack material, released by Sacred Bones in 2015. The album earned strong critical praise and was followed by Lost Themes II in 2016. The trio toured in support of both releases, marking Carpenter’s first live performances, and revisited several of the director’s signature themes on 2017’s Anthology (Movie Themes 1974-1998). In 2018 Davies released his debut solo full-length, Events Score. Like the Lost Themes projects, the record is not tied to an actual film yet recalls the synth-driven scores of the 1970s and 1980s. His second solo album, Signals, drew inspiration from visual artist Jesse Draxler, who supplied the artwork for the cover and booklet; Sacred Bones issued Signals in 2020.
Davies recorded the Spies EP entirely on his own during COVID-19 lockdown, and it appeared in 2021. That year he also joined John and Cody Carpenter on the score for Halloween Kills, which refreshed the horror franchise’s signature music with a broader sonic range. The same trio handled the soundtrack for the 2022 Firestarter remake and for Halloween Ends. Davies and Robertson likewise scored Let There Be Drums!, a documentary about rock drummers. With John and Cody Carpenter, Anthology II (Movie Themes 1976-1988) and Lost Themes IV: Noir both arrived in 2023. Ghost of the Heart, Davies’ first solo full-length of rock songs for Sacred Bones, was released in 2024 and blends alternative rock with cinematic elements.
Daniel Davies was born in London and spent much of his childhood traveling with his father’s band on worldwide tours. When he was 11 the family relocated to Los Angeles; after his parents separated, he lived for a time with Carpenter during his teenage years. As a high school student he took up guitar and drums, and he contributed to the soundtrack of Carpenter’s 1998 film Vampires. In 2003 Davies connected with Rich Mullins, bassist for desert rock band Karma to Burn. After a jam session with Third Eye Blind drummer Brad Hargreaves, the three musicians formed Year Long Disaster in 2004. Drawing from ZZ Top to Iron Maiden, the band cultivated a local audience and signed with Volcom Entertainment in 2007, releasing their self-titled debut that same year. They subsequently toured with Clutch, Turbonegro, and Motörhead, and issued their second album, Black Magic; All Mysteries Revealed, in 2010. Also in 2010, Karma to Burn reunited and shared bills with Year Long Disaster before the two groups eventually merged. Although Karma to Burn were typically an instrumental act, Davies provided vocals on the occasional vocal tracks found on Appalachian Incantation (2010) and V (2011).
Davies’ self-released solo EP Hidden Faces, consisting of moody, slightly proggy alternative rock songs, also surfaced in 2011. After its release he briefly replaced former frontman Deron Miller in CKY, touring with the group in 2012 and again for a 2015 show; he had started recording new material with them but could not continue because of other obligations. Together with Geno Lenardo he composed much of the soundtrack for the 2014 film I, Frankenstein and co-wrote the score for the 2015 horror-comedy Condemned with Sebastian Robertson. Additional scoring work for television series and films included a cover of Pixies’ “Wave of Mutilation” for Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Most prominently, Davies collaborated with John Carpenter and his son Cody. The three recorded Lost Themes, the director’s first collection of non-soundtrack material, released by Sacred Bones in 2015. The album earned strong critical praise and was followed by Lost Themes II in 2016. The trio toured in support of both releases, marking Carpenter’s first live performances, and revisited several of the director’s signature themes on 2017’s Anthology (Movie Themes 1974-1998). In 2018 Davies released his debut solo full-length, Events Score. Like the Lost Themes projects, the record is not tied to an actual film yet recalls the synth-driven scores of the 1970s and 1980s. His second solo album, Signals, drew inspiration from visual artist Jesse Draxler, who supplied the artwork for the cover and booklet; Sacred Bones issued Signals in 2020.
Davies recorded the Spies EP entirely on his own during COVID-19 lockdown, and it appeared in 2021. That year he also joined John and Cody Carpenter on the score for Halloween Kills, which refreshed the horror franchise’s signature music with a broader sonic range. The same trio handled the soundtrack for the 2022 Firestarter remake and for Halloween Ends. Davies and Robertson likewise scored Let There Be Drums!, a documentary about rock drummers. With John and Cody Carpenter, Anthology II (Movie Themes 1976-1988) and Lost Themes IV: Noir both arrived in 2023. Ghost of the Heart, Davies’ first solo full-length of rock songs for Sacred Bones, was released in 2024 and blends alternative rock with cinematic elements.
Albums
Ghost of the Heart
2024
Let There Be Drums! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2022
Spies
2021
Soeurs De Glisse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2021
Signals
2020
Events Score
2018
Condemned (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2015
Singles
