You know the feeling of listening to music and becoming so absolutely immersed in it, that it becomes like a movie soundtrack to your life? You could be out for a run, sitting at work, or making lunch at home; with this soundtrack each ordinary scene becomes a cinematic excursion. This is the feeling of listening to Perth artist Creativity Nativity Scene. The good kind of sinking feeling. Adam Lloyd Davis, the enigmatic maestro of Creativity Nativity Scene artfully guides your soul on a profound journey through his music, stirring a spectrum of emotions that captivate your senses with every note. It becomes all the more poignant to discover that Adam Lloyd Davis composed these evocative tunes on an iPhone while confined to a hospital bed.
In his mid-twenties, Adam experienced a severe emotional breakdown due to the intense demands of working in the music festival scene, including collaborations with renowned figure Ken Adams of Big Day Out fame. The mounting pressure eventually led to hospitalisation in a facility in Perth's Joondalup, where prescribed antipsychotic medications turned his body into a metaphorical prison, stifling his ability to move, think or experience emotions.
Isolated and withdrawn, he sought solace in reading old Western comics, engrossed in the thrilling gunfights depicted on the pages, all the while contemplating the musical genius of Italian composer Ennio Morricone and his vast repertoire of work. Enthralled by the idea of creating music, specifically Western soundtracks, he faced a significant hurdle - a lack of musical instruments. Turning to the digital world, he discovered that Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) were available on his iPhone 12 Mini. With the aid of various music-making apps including Music Maker Jam and sample kits, as well as recording and sampling sounds from within the hospital itself, he defied the limitations of his circumstances, transforming his iPhone into an instrument of artistic expression. From that moment on, he channeled his creativity into music production, crafting evocative melodies and harmonies that paid homage to the spirit of Western soundtracks. Thus began his journey as a musician, finding solace and purpose in creating music that resonated with the echoes of his past struggles and aspirations.
“I hope people see that the future is making music in the palm of your hands, and that anyone can do it! I did it with a mental illness in a hospital bed, and I hope the youth are inspired to make better and better music no matter how simple the start, no matter what the circumstances are.” Creativity Nativity Scene
His debut album titled 'Royalty Free', was a platform for experimentation and practice. The album's name was symbolic, reflecting his nine-year confinement in the hospital where he was fondly known as "The King" . Fueled by the desire for freedom, he embarked on this musical journey, despite the album not aligning with the Western genre.
Adam’s second album 'Mobile Homes and Remote Villages', is an eerie and dark story about the kidnapping of a young girl, and the climactic buildup to the final track on the album, 'Gun Hell at Hanlons', a fast track with distinctly Western inspiration, depicting a final showdown and the safe return of the girl. It is an interesting album, full of experimental storytelling. Creativity Nativity Scene has been quite prolific releasing albums, 'Gold, Cold, All Over', 'The Deeper Darker Kind', 'If Children Painted the Sky', 'Creativity Nativity Scene' and even has a new album in the pipelines titled 'Dark Sails over a Shoreline Sea'.
Music has played a significant role in Adam's healing journey, and he not only takes you on the journey with him but also enables you to experience the world as he does. You are a character in the tale. Using his own emotions, he narrates vulnerable, emotional, and complex stories without the use of lyrics. Stories which resonate with your own journey as much as they are a part of his. Ranging through ambient to fast-paced and guttural electronica Creativity Nativity Scene amplifies moments through sound.
Despite the challenges he has faced and continues to face, Creativity Nativity Scene’s music is an emblem of resilience, transcending boundaries and connecting with the depths of human experience. Behind each harmony lies a profound story of a gifted artist navigating the complexities of life and death, leaving his mark on the world with extraordinary creations.
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