Who we are
Preserving the stories behind music
Sound Archive Books is an independent publishing imprint founded by experienced publishing entrepreneurs and working musicians. Our work focuses on two complementary tracks: creating books with musicians and bands, and producing place-based musical archives that preserve and elevate regional music communities.
We believe books can play a meaningful role in today’s music economy. In an era when streaming pays less and touring grows more difficult, fans are actively looking for tangible ways to support the musicians they care about. A thoughtfully made book—rooted in songs, stories, and visual art—creates a durable, meaningful way for fans to show that support while deepening their connection to the work.
At the same time, we are committed to responsible preservation. Every project pairs a carefully produced commercial book with open-access digital source materials developed in partnership with sponsoring institutions, ensuring that the cultural record remains accessible and preserved.
Sound Archive Books brings together editorial discipline, design craft, manufacturing infrastructure, and library partnerships to build books that strengthen musicians’ livelihoods, support cultural institutions, and preserve the music and stories that define a place.
Our Team
Mitchell Davis
Founder
Mitchell Davis is a publishing entrepreneur and producer whose career has focused on building platforms that connect content, community, and commerce. He co-founded BookSurge, an early print-on-demand company acquired by Amazon that laid the groundwork for Kindle Direct & Kindle Enterprise Publishing. He was also the founder of BiblioLabs, a software company whose tools enabled libraries to expand community engagement through digital collections, local content initiatives, and accessible publishing models before its acquisition by the global nonprofit LYRASIS in 2021.
His work has consistently centered on helping institutions and creators activate their stories in ways that are both meaningful and economically sustainable. Based in Western North Carolina, Davis is also a founder, partner and resident at Rare Bird Farm, which produces intimate cultural & musical events — reflecting his broader commitment to place-based storytelling and creative exchange.
Read a blog post from Mitchell about the motivations behind Sound Archive Books and how we got to this point.
Donna Ray Norton
Ambassador & Coordinator
Donna Ray Norton is an eighth-generation Appalachian ballad singer, storyteller, and culture bearer from the Sodom Laurel community of Madison County, North Carolina. She carries forward one of the oldest unbroken non-Indigenous oral traditions in the United States, learning songs passed down through generations of her family. For Donna Ray, this work isn’t separate from her life. It is part of everything she does, shaped by place, memory, and community.
Alongside her work as a performer, she is committed to documenting and preserving the traditions of her family and community while helping others do the same. Donna Ray believes music and stories are powerful connectors across genres and backgrounds. She loves helping people share their voices to carry their traditions and stories forward. She takes pride in work that ensures these traditions and stories remain rooted, respected, and available for generations to come, continuing not as something remembered, but as something still lived.
Kevin Reese
Production & Tech Lead
Kevin Reese is a sixth-generation Madison County native whose work is shaped by place, memory, and a close connection to the stories that move through the region. He spent over a decade touring as a musician alongside longtime collaborator Pierce Edens, developing a body of work rooted in Appalachian-infused folk rock and a lived understanding of how artists shape story, audience, and identity over time.
He now works at the intersection of music, public service, and digital storytelling. As Production & Tech Lead at Sound Archive Books, he builds the systems and tools that help artists translate lived experience into cohesive, story-driven books. He also serves as Public Information Officer for the Town of Hot Springs, coordinates at Azule, a nonprofit supporting low-cost artist residencies in Appalachia, and is a Director for Rebuild Hot Springs Area, a community-led nonprofit focused on long-term recovery and resilience in the Hot Springs region post-Helene. Across these roles, his work centers on documentation, communication, and helping stories remain rooted, accessible, and ongoing.