An Interview with Dawes, Tonight's Tractor Headliner
Photo credit: Matt Jacoby
Like the town we’re lucky enough to call home, our collective Seattlest heart has a special place for thoughtfully crafted country- and folk-soaked melodies. (Think Willie Nelson or Neil Young, not Garth Brooks or Toby Keith.)
When seeking to quench our thirst for rich harmonies and heartfelt lyrics, our city offers more than its fair share of options. We’d happily talk at length about our current favorites including bands with some combination of animal and/or otherwise nature-loving names*, but for now, we turn our (and perhaps your attention) to a band in the same category from the outskirts of LA.
The group, a band of brothers and others, who go by the name Dawes and hail from the North Hills, California, will be at the Tractor Tavern tonight.
We were able to spend some time with Taylor Goldsmith (lead vocals, guitar, lyrics) in advance of their show with Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons, and Jason Boesel (of Rilo Kiley).
(Tix: $10, Doors: 8pm)
How do you describe your sound to those who have not yet heard any of your songs?
They're long folk songs more or less. with a good amount of harmonies and with a rhythm section that sounds like they listen to a lot of Bill Withers.
What should people expect from seeing your live set vs listening to your record?
Our record is a little bit more restrained and our live show has a good amount more energy. The record's main focus is the songs and the show's main focus is the band.
You all have gathered quite a few accolades in the last year. Which was the most unexpected?
Having 'That Western Skyline' in Rolling Stone's top 25 songs of 2009. That was out of nowhere and was such an honor.
What is the country/folk-tinged rock (and/or folk-tinged country) scene like in and around LA?
Well, first and foremost, it seems to be extremely supportive. There's not really a competitive quality to things like a lot of people have told me they thought. Everyone is trying to do everything they can to help each other out. And there are a LOT of amazing songwriters and bands coming out of LA right now: Jason Boesel, Blake Mills, Delta Spirit, Romany Rye, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Haim, and Chief to name a few.
CSN are cited quite often by music writers when discussing your record. Do they rank that highly among your self-identified influences? Who else falls do you cite as most influential?
They don't necessarily. I understand people mentioning them because of that California sound and 3 part harmonies, and I do love their records, but in regards to songwriting, I feel like its two very separate approaches. Some of my biggest influences, at least right now, would be Warren Zevon, Will Oldham, Bill Callahan, Tom Petty and Jackson Browne. Along with the more universal ones like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.
Are there any sites you hope to see or activities you hope to do while in Seattle?
To drink really amazing coffee.
What else do you have planned for 2010?
Tour the larger part of the year and then make a record to hopefully be released early 2011.
*Short list of current favorite Seattle bands in this category includes but is not limited to: The Cave Singers, The Maldives, The Moondoggies, The Dutchess and The Duke and of course Fleet Foxes.
