Chelsea Marie Davis is a storyteller through and through. Her compelling lyrics and evocative arrangements contain a rare depth and complexity, not easily found in today’s music. The title track of her debut album Caged Bird invokes a heartbreaking journey of reaching out to someone in overwhelming pain. Gorgeous, unusual chording choices help to solidify the emotional depth of the lyrics. Born and raised in Edgewood, Kentucky, Chelsea Marie Davis has deep musical roots. The daughter of a jazz singer\songwriter and a composer, Chelsea's earliest childhood memories were filled with hours of listening to a large variety of music. She explains, "My grandmother was a church organist & pianist, and my parents both sang in the church choir, so sacred music was a huge part of my childhood. My dad loved classical music and American musicals and I developed a penchant for complex harmonies & beautiful melodies. My mom was always vocalizing, and we would harmonize and make up songs together. She always had a notebook with her and she'd ask me to contribute ideas to the songs she was writing. She played records of Carole King, Anita Baker and Barbra Streisand. They definitely influenced my vocal leanings." In her adolescence, she shunned her jazz roots in favor of modern rock and folk music. She also began grappling with a much earlier experience of abuse by someone who briefly worked for their family. Indie artists such as Fiona Apple, Tori Amos and Sara Maclachlan saturated her musical landscape with their angsty lyrics & piano-driven songs. “They were singing about real life, real experiences of pain and trauma, and their raw honesty called to something deep in me. I knew I wasn't alone.” After pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music therapy, Chelsea began to return to her jazz background. She founded an American Songbook cover band called The Lovestory Quartet, teaming up with jazz pianist\composer Jonathan May, who would later help articulate the piano arrangements for Caged Bird. "Originally it was just for fun, but I felt like I was falling in love with performing all over again, and I couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of pursuing music full-time." With the support of her husband Tim, she made the decision in 2011 to leave her day job as a music educator in order to pursue singing & writing full time. Chelsea was inspired to write an EP with Ana Sanchez, a spoken word poet she met 8 years prior at an art show where Sanchez was performing. Chelsea was impressed with her writing talent, vulnerability, and raw expression about her own traumatic experiences. When the two reconnected years later, it was a natural fit. "I thought I had faced most of my demons and I'd just write a few songs from my own journey to encourage other people. Easy peasy." Chelsea laughs. "But the collaborative writing process was unexpectedly cathartic for me.I was totally undone in the creative process, but also mended. I found my voice as an artist and a human being. Ultimately, the album became a way to create beauty out of tragedy." In June 2014, their project {Caged Bird} was funded in just 6 days on Kickstarter.com, ultimately raising a total of $18K. Well-known industry veterans including jazz arranger, pianist, and composer Bill Cunliffe, Grammy-nominated jazz arranger Thomas Zink, and 10-time Emmy winning composer John Henry signed on to the project. Bill Cunliffe, who provided creative oversight for Caged Bird, notes: "Chelsea Marie Davis is a very talented young singer who has a wonderful sound and intelligence. Her songs are fresh and vital, and deserve a wider hearing. I think her potential as a writer and vocalist are enormous, as she has a very clear but open vision. " Caged Bird was recorded in Los Angeles between August and October 2014. It was completed just days before Chelsea toured in Northeast India, where she had the opportunity to both perform & support an organization that rescues underage girls out of prostitution. A portion of all the proceeds from Caged Bird help to end child prostitution & restore lives devastated by abuse.