by Erin Dain

"Get through the darkness, get to the light - that’s the main theme of my songs." So says Ernest Davis, Jr., a.k.a. Davis. As Striking Ghosts, a one-man band with a unique sound, Davis combines acoustic guitar with atmospheric keyboard sounds and wraps them in a pop package with his distinctive vocals and confessional, thought-provoking lyrics.

Davis grew up in the mid-size gambling town of Reno, Nevada and surrounded himself with the British sounds of the '80's -- Tears for Fears, Wham!, Depeche Mode and The Police, just to name a few. Inspired to make his own music on an inexpensive acoustic guitar and a small Casio keyboard (the latter of which he has to this day!) as a teenager, he wrote songs for fun as The Club, then as Square Dorks (a punky piss-take project), but decidedly got more serious as he chose to record under a new name: Catharsis. During the 90's, he made five albums and a few E.P.’s that were heard by family and friends, and not distributed widely. Music for him was a hobby, as his primary focus was theater in high school and subsequently in college.

Leaving Reno and moving to California to attend UCLA, Davis majored in Theatre Arts and kept playing music and writing poetry and songs as a diversion from studying and rehearsing for plays. Upon graduation from UCLA, he took various jobs to support himself: as an ESL teacher, a book editor and a children’s entertainer. Working with children at birthday parties and on a regular basis, he was finally able to put his musical skills to use - singing and playing the guitar, utilizing percussion, etc. - and get paid for it. His study of music got more serious than ever before. Life was going well, especially after getting married in the mid-90's. It was his first sense of family he had ever had, having lived in a home as a child and teenager that was rife with domestic abuse and violence, and residing in a town simmering with racial intolerance.

Children’s songs were the primary focus of his music, learning traditional tunes such as "Wheels on the Bus" and "This Old Man". But all that was about to change. His marriage began to disintegrate, and he found himself writing his own songs again, with themes never explored before. As his marriage finally collapsed, he turned to music as his refuge and outlet to deal with all the emotions and events that had happened - in the present and in the past.

Having to start a part of his life over again as a divorcee, he realized he had a lot he wanted to say musically. He started playing live in July of 2001 with his debut at the Un-Urban Coffeehouse in Santa Monica, crooning songs of hope, happiness, loss and survival. Striking Ghosts was born.

"I know I’m still new to the game," Davis says, "But I really want to get my music out there and inspire others to play, or to pursue their art fully or as an interest, and overall to have a good time. I’d like to be as honest in my writing as John Lennon or Martin Gore and sing about touchy subjects, because I think that helps all of us get through the hard parts of life."

Davis is currently still doing many open-mike nights in the L.A. area and playing full sets, mostly at The Talking Stick in Santa Monica. He is recording a demo E.P. and two albums, THANK GOD FOR YOUR MOTHER and REALIA, and looks forward to playing more live shows, finding new fans and forming a live band in the future. And becoming a better songwriter and musician. His website is www.strikingghosts.com.