Mt. Pleasant country rocker wins independent music award for 3rd straight year
Oct. 27—Andy Davis has plenty to smile about these days.
The Mt. Pleasant native and his band released an EP and a full-length record in the past few years, and a new album, "The River," was released in May on streaming services. And in each of the past three years, has earned at least one Josie Music Award, the nation's largest independent music awards organization.
This year, it was Davis' listeners who spoke loudest, winning him the "Fan's Choice" award in the male category. That comes on top of his 2022 win for Male Entertainer of the Year and 2021 win for Modern Male Country.
Davis, 33, spoke with the Tribune-Review about the band's recent success and accolades. This interview has been edited for length.
Q: This is now your third year in a row winning a Josie Music Award — what does it mean to have your music and work regularly recognized like this?
A: Three years in a row is hard to believe, and to stand in the circle at The Grand Ole Opry is one of the most humbling things for a guy like me. I would have to say it is also absolutely incredible to be recognized on a platform that is shared with artists from all genres who are from all over the world. Winning three years in a row is putting a stamp on all of our work and it it for sure helps us keep writing!
Q: Has your success at the Josies translated to more gigs and more success for the band?
A: Absolutely. We are playing in new states and new towns all the time and we are meeting new people constantly. It is a true blessing.
Q: What projects are you working on?
A: We just launched our new album "The River" which is available on all streaming platforms and we are always working on new material to follow things up. The writing and record process for me is the most rewarding because I get to share bit and pieces of stories from my life with people for them to relate to.
Q: This year you won "Fan's Choice" at the Josies. Does that hold a little more meaning knowing it's coming directly from listeners as opposed to the industry itself?
A: It does, and not only does it have to come from fans but it also has to go through their judging panel so I believe it is a really hard award to get and it's perfect because this one is for my fans. Without my fans and my crew I don't get to do what I do and each and every single one of them is a blessing. This would not happen without them. I wish there was a crew award I could submit cause my team deserves one and I'm glad that I get to share this one with them and our fans.
For more on Davis and his music, see InTheDeerStand.com.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
