Dawes perform in The Current studio
by Bill DeVille and Dawes
July 14, 2015
It was the first time Dawes had recorded in Nashville, Tenn., and even though the songs had all been written beforehand, frontman Taylor Goldsmith says "The environment definitely influenced the recording experience."
More specifically, Goldsmith spoke about the availability of session players and the generous amounts of time producer Dave Rawlings had to spend on the band's latest album, All Your Favorite Bands.
In town to play a show at the Cabooze Plaza in Minneapolis, Dawes — Taylor Goldsmith, Wylie Gelber, Griffin Goldsmith, Tay Strathairn and recent addition Duane Betts — stopped by The Current's studio to play some songs off the new album and to chat with Bill DeVille.
All Your Favorite Bands was released on the band's own HUB label. "It's nice to know how and when money's getting spent and to really feel in control of the record you're making," Taylor Goldsmith says. "With HUB records, we do feel like we're in the driver's seat."
Here are some additional interview highlights from Taylor Goldsmith:
On working with producer Dave Rawlings:
"He's an incredible producer … He was so invested so early on. We were out on tour the summer before, opening for Conor Oberst, and even then, Dave was calling me, talking about demos, making suggestions, so he was so in it early on, which was so wonderful for us, we've never had that experience just because most producers don't have the time. It was a really special recording experience."
On the question of "Things Happen" being a breakup song:
"There was really no element of what the narrator's singing about being a breakup. There's references to relationships in our lives. I like that it can be perceived that way, but that song was more about a friend of mine — a guy who was getting caught up in a lot of the petty issues that we all deal with … I know sometimes I need to be reminded of this is just how it works, and it's more about how you accept that and deal with it rather than letting it get you down."
On his approach as a songwriter:
"I don't ever feel too much pressure. There have been moments where people have said, 'Oh, I really love this song of yours,' whatever song it is. And there will be that small part of me that thinks, 'Oh, I've got to write another song that they would like for those reasons,' but I remember pretty quickly that there probably isn't a worse way to go about being a songwriter. There's no way I could ever write any of these songs over again, and I feel like if I did, it would be pretty obvious what my effort was. So I think all I can do is try to write new songs that are nothing like the songs I've written before. Obviously there are going to be those common threads — and I'm really happy about that — but at the same time, I can't try to allow any pressure to factor into my writing process because I don't think anyone achieves anything good that way."
On meeting Elvis Costello while working on The New Basement Tapes:
"For me, it was unbelievable, I'd grown up being such a huge Elvis Costello fan. I didn't meet him until the day we got there into the studio. Not only was I meeting a hero of mine, I was about to make a record with him for the next two weeks."
Listen to the complete interview to hear more about the band's recent projects, including opening for Bob Dylan and an upcoming project with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Songs Performed
"Don't Send Me Away"
"Things Happen"
"All Your Favorite Bands"
All songs from Dawes' most recent album, All Your Favorite Bands, out now on HUB Records.
Hosted by Bill DeVille
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Michael DeMark
Web feature by Luke Taylor
