John Davey's Active Years in West Lafayette, Indiana (2005–2014)
John Davey established himself as a cornerstone of the Lafayette/West Lafayette underground and DIY music scene during his roughly decade-long residency in the area, roughly from 2005 to 2014.He began writing songs and performing in 2005, quickly becoming a fixture at open-mic nights and a key organizer of DIY house shows and small-venue concerts that supported both local talent and touring independent acts. These efforts helped sustain and grow a vibrant, grassroots music community in the twin cities at a time when few formal all-ages venues existed.Starting in 2007 and continuing through 2014, Davey undertook extensive DIY touring across the United States and Canada. Performing primarily as a solo acoustic act, occasionally with a small string ensemble, and sometimes opening for larger rock bands, he logged thousands of miles each year. His routes took him as far north as Minnesota, Ontario, Vermont, and New Hampshire; east to New York City and down the entire Eastern Seaboard; south to Florida, Louisiana, and Texas; and west to Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona—covering a huge portion of the continent on a strictly independent level. While based in West Lafayette, he recorded and released several key works that documented this fertile period:

• 2011: The Homely Seed EP (recorded at GreyHouse Studios)

• 2012: In a Whelming Tide (full-length, also at GreyHouse Studios)

• 2014: Living Is Trying (full-length, recorded and released while still living in Lafayette)

Throughout these years he remained deeply embedded in the local scene, regularly playing beloved venues such as Skylight Coffee Shop, Sacred Grounds Coffee, Lafayette Brewing Company, Downtown Records, Lafayette Theater, The Black Sparrow, and People’s Brewing Company. He was also a central figure in the area’s thriving house-show circuit and appeared at regional festivals including the 2013 Jurassic Pop Festival, Taste of Tippecanoe in downtown Lafayette, and the Starry Night Music & Arts Festival in West Lafayette. By the time he left Indiana around 2014–2015, John Davey had not only built a substantial catalog and national touring résumé but had also played a significant role in nurturing and sustaining one of the Midwest’s most active and supportive DIY music communities of the late 2000s and early 2010s.