By Dean Wells
David Michael Miller’s journey into Southern Soul music was inevitable.
The Buffalo, NY singer & guitarist grew up in a church environment. His grandfather was a preacher, his father a church musician. Miller found himself surrounded by gospel music. Andrae Crouch—known as the father of modern gospel music—stayed in his grandfather’s home and played at his church.
Miller’s musical education continued through his childhood thanks to the family car radio.
“It was on all the time,” Miller said. “Seventies Soul, yacht rock—just all of that stuff from the 70s.
“I’m kind of a stew of musical influences. And it got started with gospel music—particularly black gospel. That’s the root of my music: spiritual and the blues.”
The final ingredient to that stew?
Seattle Grunge.
“Grunge was heavily influenced by the 70s,” Miller said.
Miller, a five-time Buffalo Night Life Magazine “Best Male Blues Vocalist” award winner, is set to bring his eclectic style of Southern Soul, gut bucket delta grit, gospel spirit and rhythm and Blues to Ellicottville on Feb. 13 with his trio Miller and the Other Sinners.
The trio is an off-shoot of his full band, which bears the same name.
Miller and the Other Sinners was put together in the wake of the recording of Miller’s first album, “Poison Sip”—an album that landed in the top 25 Blues Rock Albums of 2014 on the Roots Music Report.
“It was going to be a one-off album,” Miller said. “I had to do it. It was to excise some demons and whatnot.”
Miller had the material but no band to go on tour with.
But he did have a name for the band.
“David Michael Miller is a boring name for an artist. It’s like John Smith.”
Enter Miller and the Other Sinners.
“I didn’t know who was going to be in the band when I started touring. I just had different guys jumping in and out, just trying to make things work.”
Miller and the Other Sinners eventually solidified around a core lineup: Miller, on vocals and guitar; Isaiah Griffin, drums; and Steve Davis, keyboards and bass lines.
“We’re just a bunch of imperfect people trying to figure this life out,” Miller said. “And that’s how we do music—we just try to figure it out.”
Miller’s second album, “Same Soil,” debuted at No. 11 on the RMR Blues chart before climbing to No. 3. He is currently working on putting the finishing touches on mixing a live album for a release later this year.
After that?
“We’ve started writing as a band,” Miller said. “Before, it was just me bringing in my songs. But now we’re co-writing.”
Miller said he foresees a new release of original material, most likely in an EP format.
“I’m kind of excited about that; it’s going to be more us than just me.”
In addition, Miller said he plans on releasing singles of solo material in the singer-songwriter vein.
“I’ve got 40 songs in process that I want to get out. I don’t even care about it being profitable. I just kind of want to get them out into people’s ears.”
Miller and the Other Sinners have played over 700 shows across the United States and Canada since 2015. Over the years, Miller has shared the stage with the Steve Miller Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Rusted Root, Jonny Lang, Jimmie Vaughn, Eric Gales and blues powerhouse Joe Bonamassa.
Miller opened for Bonamassa at the Artpark Outdoor Stage in Lewiston, NY, with his band at the time, Beautiful Bones.
“Joe was great,” Miller said. “Actually, a funny story with Joe: we were warming up with (Joe Cocker’s) ‘Feelin’ Alright.’ Some dude with a hoodie was hollering from the side of the stage, being all excessive. Turns out it was Joe. He was very cool, and really, really nice to us.”
According to Miller, his band also caught the eye of Bonamassa’s manager, who suggested Beautiful Bones open more shows for his client. He gave Miller his business card.
“And I lost it,” Miller said, laughing. “Can you believe it? The story of my life.”
Miller and the Other Sinners are scheduled to play at the Mill Street Pub in Ellicottville on Feb. 13 with a 7pm start.