Many retirees move to Moore County for its beauty or the plethora of golf courses. It’s not many musicians who move here in the midst of their career, but that’s exactly what Chelsea Davis did. At the tail end of 2020, she decided to leave the lights and hum of Los Angeles for our corner of the world. And the more casual pace suits her. She can be seen strolling in her leather jacket between teaching music lessons or recording sessions for other local musicians or one of her many projects.

Davis has been playing any instrument she could get her hands on “since I was spat out into this cruel, cruel world,” she says with her usual wry smile, but she stresses that she felt lucky to have access to play music. Her mother, a touring musician, and the local elementary school from her hometown in Utah were quick to support that interest. The fire was fueled and needed an outlet, so she went to LA to pursue a career in music.

New to the scene, Davis found an in as a studio drummer. That led her to a series of projects over the next decade while still playing and going on tour with the bands to round out their lineup. Around 2010, she got her first shot at production. She saw an opportunity to shift her career to the next level, and found work with Warner Brothers, Disney and eventually found her place with Martin Kierszenbaum and Cherrytree Records.

But Davis is always working, always looking to keep the fire burning. “I like to keep about six projects going at any given time,” she says. “Three active on the front burners, and three ideas in development.” Those three back-burner projects are her way to “keep art honest,” so she’s not forcing anything to fit into a place where it won’t further the music.

Right now, her active projects are SparkByrd, which is a duo she started before moving to North Carolina with one of her best friends; MOONtransmissions, a four-piece made up of members across the country; and the latest, Class Action and the Suits (CATS) is Davis, Rob Dufresne, Joe Felice and a rotating guest soloist. CATS could be considered a lounge band. They take 90s tunes, like “Heart Shaped Box” by Nirvana or “I’ve Got 5 On It” by Luniz, and perform them as jazz standards. You can see them around town, but that won’t be all. Chelsea Davis always has more cooking.