By Mike Farragher

If you weren’t among the diverse crowd for Ashley Davis’s Manhattan showcase gig at Joe’s Pub last Tuesday, you missed a captivating performance. Davis was showing off the engaging songs on Closer to You, her excellent new CD.

The Kansas native has traveled all over the world, working on a master’s degree at the University of Limerick and a coveted slot as a soloist with the Michael Flatley Lord of the Dance road show. She now resides in New York. During one of her many entertaining stories of the evening, Davis lamented that “some of the dogs in this town have better designer clothes than I do.”

Kilkenny native John Walsh (guitar), Johnny Cuomo (guitar), K. Ishibashi (fiddle), Shane Shanahan (drums), Dan Lowrey (Flute), Ben Yonas (keyboards) and Sean Spada (keyboards) wove a delightful acoustic tapestry behind Davis, while Irish notables such as Sirius Radio’s Celtic Crush host Larry Kirwan, Irish Consul General Tim O’Connor, authors T.J. English and Peter Quinn and Alfie McCourt looked on approvingly.

Davis’s lyrics are awash in the romantic imagery of things like gypsies engaging in forbidden love. Her stage presence, slightly reminiscent of the Welsh witch vibe put out by Stevie Nicks minus the chemically induced melodrama of the seventies, has a pagan sensuality that is the perfect backdrop to the stories in her songs.

“Rhiannon’s Lullaby” is one of the best things I’ve heard all year, even though the year is only two weeks old. You know what I mean.

I caught up with Davis after the show to find out more about her Isle of Man artist in residence gig, working with Flatley, and life on the road. Here’s how it went.

I loved the story about you being the artist in residence in the Isle of Man. Can you retell it?

I discovered Manx music a few years back when I was a graduate student at the University of Limerick. About a year ago I ran into a song called “Manannan” and fell in love with it. However, since I don’t speak Manx, I wasn’t able to learn it without the written words. So I began writing to the Manx government trying to get the lyrics to this song.

Finally someone from the Manx Heritage Department wrote me back, and sent me the lyrics. I wrote her back a long letter about how I had discovered Manx music and how it had influenced my writing, and sent her a copy of my CD which I use a Manx melody on (“Rhiannon’s Lullaby”). They appreciated that someone outside of the island was doing their bit to try and preserve and expose this beautiful music.

After a few more letters back and forth, they invited me to come over and do an artist in residence with them. It was a wonderful time. I picked up a significant number of new songs, stories and bits of Manx language.

I now have a special connection to the island that I am continuing cultivate, making it back at least once a year. It led me to do lectures around the country where I give a general introduction and overview of the music, language and history of the Manx people.

Have any of the people there heard the CD and if so, what did the people on the island think of your music?

The island radio stations were playing my CD, particularly “Rhiannon’s Lullaby.” They were so proud that someone had taken one of their old island melodies and made it into a contemporary song. This delighted me, of course! The islanders were so warm and kind. There is a quiet that lives on the island that is present in everything that they do along with a genuine curiosity for all things new.

So when I did my concert before I left the island, most of the islanders I had met over my time there came to it. Even though it was in a pub, they came in and listened to me sing and tell stories for almost three hours. It’s a magical place with a treasure trove of untapped culture.

What was it like working on a Flatley show?

I was hired straight out of Ireland when I finished my master’s degree. I had planned on moving to Dublin to join the music scene there. But then this opportunity came, and I had a big tab to pay to the University of Limerick. I decided, why not?

I remember being at the audition in Dublin, and sitting in a room full of Irish girls from all over Ireland. I was the only American there and I had no idea what I was really auditioning for. I ended up getting the part and it was a wonderful experience.

Michael wasn’t dancing in those days, but he would visit the show now and then and practice with the troupe. The one thought that I remember having every night when I would watch the show from the wings (when I wasn’t singing obviously) was how lucky I was to be working with such talented people every day, people who had taken an old tradition to a new level and honed their skill to an advanced level that was breathtaking to watch. I was honored to work with every one of them.

“Rhiannon’s Lullaby” was my favorite track on the CD. I love the soft electronica-like touches. How did the track come to life?

We had one spot left on the album for a track. I wanted to use the melody from the Manx song “Aranne Oie Vie” so I brought it into the studio one day and sang it for my co-producer, Ben Yonas. He came up with a beautiful progression for it, I wrote a new set of lyrics to it, and we just started building a track around his keyboard part.

What has been the reaction to the CD from media (radio) and people that go to your concerts?

The reaction has been extremely positive to the CD on all levels. The most common reaction, though, is that it has helped heal in them in some way, that it calms them down when things aren’t going well, brings things back to the center for them, helps a broken heart, etc. If I can do that for someone with my music, I am humbled and so grateful that it has connected with them in that way.

Ashley Davis music can be found on iTunes or CD Baby. For more information, log onto www.daisyrings.com