Davy Knowles

Born in Port St Mary on the Isle of Man, Davy Knowles early on developed a blues-rock approach shaped by cultural proximity to Ireland and a strong taste for Celtic hues. Initially active with Back Door Slam, a trio formed in the mid-2000s, Knowles made a name for himself with Roll Away in 2007, a record that blends blues guitar, rock tension and folk touches, before continuing as Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam with Coming Up for Air in 2009. During this period he appeared at festivals such as South by Southwest, Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, and toured alongside Jeff Beck, later with Joe Satriani and Chickenfoot. Later based in Chicago, Knowles pursued a solo career with The Outsider (2014), Three Miles from Avalon (2016), What Happens Next (2021), If I Should Wander (2023) and The Invisible Man (2024). His repertoire remains centered on melodic, vocal-driven blues-rock, where guitar lines keep a central role without excluding more acoustic passages and roots inflections. Davy Knowles also joined Band Of Friends in 2017 and 2018 to perform Rory Gallagher’s material alongside Gerry McAvoy and Ted McKenna.