Guitarist says her 'voice surprises everyone'

Having known her since the late 1990s and worked with her all over the country, Marci Mitchell's guitarist says she has come as far with her talent as she has on roads from coast to coast.

"We played New Year's in 2000 with the Smith Brothers of Nevada at the Old Bronc Busters' Club in Diamond," said Lou Davidson of Pittsburg, Kan. "I have worked with a lot of girls and the thing about Marci is her big voice that surprises everyone.

"She looks like this ordinary girl next door, but it happens that she is gifted with this phenomenal voice."

Davidson said Marci "was a little shy at first," but through "hours and hours in front of people" she developed a stage personality that expresses her uniqueness and makes her memorable. "She was pretty green when we first got together," he said.

"I have considerable experience in this line of work and can tell you she has gained a lot of confidence. She's quick on her feet at interacting with crowds. We never get hecklers, but I think she would be able to handle it if we did."

Davidson recounted a road trip when a trailer axle broke and the Marci Mitchell Band took a minimal setup and left the rest of their equipment locked in the trailer to return the next day. Everything was still there.

"It has been the usual things with weather and mechanical breakdowns," he said. "We've never been robbed. The thing I keep coming back to with Marci is this unwavering faith that's beyond anything I have ever seen, especially in someone her age. She just goes on in the face of anything, which is pretty surprising.

"She is strong on family stuff, hers and her extended family of friends. My wife and her get along great."

Having written songs for albums titled "It's a Guy Thing" in 2003 and "Road Trip" in 2010, Davidson said, Mitchell's writing is more sophisticated than many country singers' because she plays piano in addition to guitar. "At first it was angry chick songs, but she has gotten better," he said.

"She writes what she knows and feels."