Korn’s Johnathan Davis
goes solo to indulge his mellow musical side. He will bring his softer sound to Orlando on Monday.
Jonathan Davis wants fans to know his solo concert may not be what they’re expecting. “If you come to do this show, don’t expect to see a Korn show,” said the singer/songwriter over the phone. “This is a totally different, mellow, more vibe-y kind of thing. I wanted to be completely separate from Korn.”
The California-based vocalist is touring ahead of his album “Black Labyrinth,” slated to be released this month. He will perform at Orlando’s Plaza Live on Monday (with Meka Nism, 7:30 p.m., 425 N. Bumby Ave., admission: $35-$59.50, plazaliveorlando.org).
Davis, 47, is best known as the frontman for the iconic metal band Korn. The band, which debuted in 1994, were pioneers in the genre of nu metal, combining elements of alternative rock and hip hop. This isn’t the first time he’s stepped out from his band’s shadow. In 2007, he created the side project Jonathan Davis and the SFA. He also composed the soundtrack to the 2002 movie “Queen of the Damned.”
Davis describes his new show as “a mellow trip” that involves interactive psychedelic imagery. He talked about going solo, his lyrics and his musical influences.
Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Question: What has going solo meant to you?
Answer: It means I can do things that I can’t do in Korn. There have been times that I know artists have gone out and done solo stuff and it sounds just like their regular band. For me, being a soloist is healthy for me. It’s free. I don’t have to deal with four other opinions on everything.
Q: Have you found yourself connecting with the audience differently?
A: Hell yeah. Just the fact that people show up and they’re smiling and dancing around and having a good time, I feel that. It’s my job to entertain people. I want to see them smiling and forgetting about all the [expletive] they deal with in their day. That’s what we listen to music for, anyway.
Q: How have your lyrics evolved over the years of songwriting?
A: I’m just not a little kid anymore. When I started with Korn I was 23-24 years old. But it’s pretty much the same thing. The way I write, once it’s in my consciousness, I put a pencil down on paper and write. I had different problems going on in my life when I wrote this record. I did this 10 years ago. At that time, I had just left Korn and I was very pissed off against organized religion. I was questioning why am I here, what do I believe in and all these things.
Q: You’ve worked in a number of different styles. What are your influences?
A: I was brought up around music. Kids, when they get Korn, they’re teenagers. You’ve got that band. My bands were Duran Duran and The Cure, the romantic stuff in the ’80s. The moment I was getting into rebellion and rock and roll, I got Mötley Crüe’s “Shout at the Devil” and Dio’s “Last in Line.” But then my father became a born-again Christian and he burned them because they were satanic. So that pushed me in another direction where I got into Ministry and Skinny Puppy.
But I listen to all music. I’m not closed-minded. Honestly, metal music is the last thing I listen to . ... Music is just art in my book, and I respect it all. I don’t have to like it all, but I respect it.