Joshua Davis

Folk musician Joshua Davis launched his professional path in the closing years of the 1990s when he joined the durable Lansing, Michigan-based roots ensemble Steppin' in It. Their first album appeared in 2000 and quickly positioned the group as leading figures within the Midwestern folk and roots community, where they explored an array of sounds ranging from Western swing and bluegrass to blues and Americana. Serving as the central figure, Davis guided the band across the United States, where they became regular fixtures on the folk festival circuit and issued two additional albums in 2002 and 2004.

In 2005 he collaborated with the Michigan-based label and collective Earthwork on his first solo project, the soulful folk-rock record Fool Rooster. The next year he teamed with fellow Michigan singer-songwriter Rachael Davis (unrelated) to create the 1940s-style jazz group Shout Sister Shout, which delivered a collection of standards in 2007. By then Davis had earned recognition as a versatile multi-instrumentalist capable of functioning equally well as sideman, frontman, and producer. He has also taught guitar and received instruction from such masters as Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Tim O'Brien, and Béla Fleck. Steppin' in It resurfaced in 2008 with their well-received fourth album Simple Tunes for Troubled Times, which drew from the country-tinged rock style associated with the Band.

Returning to solo work, Davis issued Magnolia Belles in 2011. In 2012 he journeyed to Palestine and Israel alongside the nonprofit organization On the Ground, serving in the role of cultural emissary. That same year he released the solo album A Miracle of Birds, which drew inspiration from the journey, and he directed half the proceeds to the farmers and families he met along the way. In 2014 he moved from Lansing to Traverse City, Michigan, and stepped down as Steppin' in It’s frontman.

Unexpectedly, NBC’s talent show The Voice reached out and invited him to audition in Hollywood for its 2015 season. He emerged as one of the competition’s stronger and more persistent participants, receiving guidance from coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton before reaching the final four contestants on the May 2015 finale. Though Sawyer Fredericks claimed the win, Davis attracted widespread national notice and performed his single “The Workingman’s Hymn” for millions of viewers. The increased visibility led him to spend much of 2016 on tour while developing songs for a forthcoming album. Partnering with producer Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, he released The Way Back Home in October 2017.