Davey Beige by David Bishop

Davey Beige plays folk rock with a healthy slice of kiwiana and at one time over a dozen beige suits filled his wardrobe. Most of this historic menswear collection featured fawn safari suits, and these were the genesis for his stage name. This was back in the day when he and his band “The Peter Stuyvesant Hitlist” were performing at many a corporate Christmas party in Auckland and beyond. Currently Davey’s name remains however the safari suits have been upgraded for rock’n’roll threads and brown suede boots. 

Davey Beige’s music has always embodied a fun and earthy element and he writes songs that reflect his Kiwi life. Growing up in the 1970s on a farm in Rotorua he started playing guitar at an early age and was immediately inspired by the parties and sing-a-longs of the day. From these formative years Davey developed a lifelong passion for song writing and he has consistently (either as solo artist or in various bands) been releasing original music ever since. 

Davey’s new album Beginner’s mind was released in October of 2017 and the songs on it are influenced by his life in the Bay of Plenty and a recent discovery of mindfulness. The songs on Beginner’s mind as well as the musical performances reflect Davey’s commitment to living well and living in the moment. Supporting him on the album is “The Blackdoor Band” which includes an extremely talented number of Auckland musician friends that Davey specifically invited to collaborate. The first single to be released from the album is Sweet spot and its country-ish swing supports a hardcase lyric which ponders the transitory nature of contentment in life.   

With over thirty years of professional experience as a guitarist, songwriter, singer, teacher, columnist and performer Davey has worked with many notable New Zealand artists including John Rowles, Bunny Walters, Fiona McDonald, Peter Urlich, The Topp Twins, Dave McArtney, Jackie Clarke, Harry Lyon, Don McGlashan, The Grand Central Band and Riqi Harawira. Previous Davey Beige releases are Fold in two - Full length album, 2007 and Hard work - Four track EP, 2014. 

Continuing his academic studies Davey is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the Griffith Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, Australia. 

Website

https://daveybeige.bandcamp.com/

Selected Publications 

Bishop, D. (2019). The benefits of prosody for music educators and students: Unpacking prosody and songwriting strategies in the classroom. The Journal of Popular Music Education, 3(1), 113-128 10.1386/jpme.3.1.113_1  

Bishop, D. (2017). Beginner's Mind [audio recording]. [Auckland,]. Blackdoor Studio: New Zealand.