Davion Farris

A songwriter whose accomplishments include contributions to Tyrese's chart-topping Black Rose and Lucky Daye's Grammy-winning Table for Two, Davion Farris is also a contemporary R&B recording artist specializing in unguarded, self-analytical lyrics with a vocal approach rooted in gospel and soul traditions. Farris' career progressed in tandem with brothers SiR and D Smoke, and cousin Tiffany Gouché, his earliest collaborators. As he was becoming an in-demand player behind the scenes, Farris made his solo debut in 2013, and followed up with Trenier and With Pleasure, both of which were issued four years later. Initiative Farris took in getting his music heard on television paid off when a track off With Pleasure was used in an episode of Lena Waithe's The Chi, leading to a recording deal with Waithe's Hillman Grad label. Farris responded in 2022 with his second EP, Moved.

Farris' musical talent and that of his brothers was nurtured by mother Jackie Gouché, a veteran background vocalist and minister of music. He knew his calling when he sang his first solo in church, and developed recording skills in the family's home recording studio. Along with siblings Darryl (SiR) and Daniel (D Smoke), and cousin Tiffany Gouché, he formed the Woodworks, a collective named in reference to the family's home base of Inglewood, California. They made their first mark in 2007 with Jaheim's "Never," a number 12 R&B/hip-hop hit -- and Adult R&B Songs chart-topper -- co-written by Davion. He co-wrote songs for Lloyd, the Pussycat Dolls, and Ginuwine over the next few years, and during the same period earned one of his first background vocal credits, appearing on his mother's The Way You See, a gospel LP produced by acclaimed bassist Andrew Gouché, his uncle. Farris quietly released his self-titled first album in 2013.

Over the next couple years, Farris made more major strides, working with the likes of Trey Songz, Chrisette Michele, and Jill Scott, as well as Tyrese, co-writing half of the cuts on the Billboard 200-topping Black Rose. Farris devoted more time to his own material, self-releasing the Trenier EP (titled after his middle name) and With Pleasure LP in 2017, the same year he placed three songs on Mary J. Blige's Top Ten hit Strength of a Woman. Into the 2020s, he co-wrote and was featured on brother D Smoke's "Fly," a single that quickly reached streaming figures in the millions, highlighting the album Black Habits (the cover of which featured a Farris family photo). He also co-wrote "Falling in Love" for Lucky Daye's Table for Two, winner of a Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album.

Farris' solo work reached a new audience when the With Pleasure track "Make Love" was featured in an episode of The Chi. This led to a recording contract with the Def Jam-supported label offshoot of Hillman Grad, the production company of Chi creator Lena Waithe. Farris made his Hillman Grad debut in 2021 with "Sometimes," heard in another episode of The Chi. A couple additional singles preceded the May 2022 release of Moved, all seven songs of which Farris co-wrote and co-produced. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi