Today we’d like to introduce you to Davey Schacherl.
Hi Davey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Austin, TX to parents that were heavily involved with nightlife culture and active in building, designing and operating clubs and discotheques around Texas and the southwest. By age 12, one of the former DJ’s from a club my parents were partners in gifted me a pair of Technics turntables for a Christmas present. This single event basically dictated the trajectory of my life. From that point on, I became obsessed with music and constantly petitioned my parents to let me dig through their record collection or drive me downtown and drop me off at the record shops for 5-10 hours at a time. Through DJing, it didn’t take long for me to discover synthesizers and drum machines and although I had been previously interested in piano and guitar before that, these new instruments were vastly more exciting to me. I began crafting my own electronic compositions in my bedroom and by age 17 I was DJing and performing in the local rave scene and making my way into the vibrant club circuit by 18. I also obtained an associate’s degree in Audio Engineering through ACC and that opened the door for me at the legendary Bubble Studios here in Austin.
I worked on a few dozen records as a second engineer and even went on tour with a couple of bands as a roadie, monitor engineer and guitar tech. My connections at the Bubble got me through the door of South By Southwest and led to a 7-year stint as an event producer and equipment coordinator for the festival, working directly under the event’s executive producer. But I always came back to DJing… even with all these other musical outlets at my fingertips, I remained a full-time DJ during all of it, playing at clubs and events around the country. By age 25, I got an opportunity to move to NYC and it was there that I realized how much I truly loved Texas so…in other words, I was pretty homesick. I toughed it out for a while and being on the east coast gave me the opportunity to create my current project, The Silver Rider. My Brooklyn apartment is where I wrote my first tracks under that moniker and the general reception for the project has been really exciting. I’ve been able to play some amazing clubs and parties around the globe and have seen my tracks supported by other great DJs and producers that I look up to.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Yes, plenty of obstacles, usually in my personal life. Whether it be family hardships, relationship troubles or falling out with business partners… I’d say that no obstacle has been bigger than that of actually LIVING in Austin. Which is why I no longer do! After getting married, discussing our future with my wife, rising costs of living plus an eviction after my landlord discovered we had been hiding two pygmy goats at our townhouse off south congress… My wife and I decided to pack up and leave Travis County to take over my family’s 100-acre hobby ranch outside of Giddings, TX (70 miles east of Austin). The ranch had been an active beef cattle operation my entire life… a reality that provided an even greater obstacle for us as we’re both Vegan. It was extremely difficult to be face to face with raising and selling cattle for consumption so we quickly devised a plan to convert the cattle operation into a farm animal sanctuary and just recently finalized our paperwork to become a 501c3 Non-profit organization! I love the serenity that a country life provides but moving outside of Austin did introduce new challenges and obstacles, primarily with having to commute long distances to work or play. DJ opportunities are fewer and far between out in the sticks, so keeping one foot in the city life is essential to my livelihood. It’s still just the two of us managing the property. We have over 40 animal residents, plus we’re also raising 4-year-old boy/girl twins so, needless to say, parenthood is a whole nother obstacle in and of itself. As our children grow and develop, it’s a challenge to ensure they get everything they need, all while balancing the needs of the ranch, the animals and my wife and I’s separate careers. Thankfully, I’ve made a living doing something I love and the overwhelming support I receive from my wife, my friends and my family is invaluable and a great secret to my success.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am primarily a DJ, but I also produce and release music as well. I’ve been writing original electronic music for over 20 years…utilizing a whole host of synthesizers, drum machines and computer-based programs to record and sequence dance tracks. I’ve personally released close to a dozen EPs plus over twenty vinyl releases as well. I’d say that thanks to my close connection with certain record labels, most fans would associate my sound with funky, joyful and disco connotations. And honestly, while I appreciate that, and Disco certainly is in my blood (my parents used to own discotheques, remember?), I play a wide range of music and don’t really just want to be known as “that disco DJ.” I’ve actually been quietly writing a repertoire of new music that could not be classified as “disco” at all with the intention of launching a new artist alias to brand this project. It’s a bit of a slow process as I really want the music to showcase the breadth of my influences and interests but also take my time to ensure that the tunes are at the level of quality I’m happy with. As far as being proud of things, it definitely is validating when fans reach out to me directly to express their support for what I’m doing or when other artists and DJs play my music… It really gives me the inspiration and desire to soldier on.
And one thing I think really sets me apart is my upbringing as a DJ. At this point, I’ve been Djing and collecting records for the last 26 years. I also came up as a DJ in the age prior to digital downloads, the proliferation of CDJs and social media… I’m very thankful for that.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Being a native Austinite, I possess a lot of pride in my hometown…it’s certainly the best place in Texas and throughout my travels in this world, I always received a positive response from folks when I told them I was from Austin. I still love the city and even though I have my family out in the boonies, it was important to us that our children be born in Austin…they are now third-generation Austinites as my father was also born in 78701. Austin still has a great natural environment, amazing restaurants (it’s considered one of the meccas for vegan food in this country), cool nightlife and plenty of amenities that are unavailable in most other places. I would have to say that it seems like a lot of Austin culture is under threat and up for sale to the highest bidder. Dozens of amazing locations and businesses that I frequented as a youth were bulldozed and now occupied by generic high rises and condos that most folks in the artistic community wouldn’t want or couldn’t afford. And let’s not forget, it’s the artistic community that MADE Austin such a special place and an attractive destination.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/_thesilverrider
- Facebook: facebook.com/thesilverrideredits
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/silverrider
Image Credits
Photos by Robert Garcia
