Steve Dawson (American musician)

Last updated

Steve Dawson
Steve dawson.jpg
Dawson performing in Chicago
Background information
Birth nameStephen John Dawson
Born(1965-04-05)April 5, 1965
Origin San Diego, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals, bass, drums, keyboards
Years active1988–present
Labels Undertow, Pravda, Kernel
Website stevedawsonmusic.com

Stephen John Dawson (born April 5, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his solo work, and for his work with the bands Dolly Varden, Stump the Host and Funeral Bonsai Wedding.

Contents

Early life

Dawson was born in San Diego, California. [1] In 1977, he moved to Hailey, Idaho, [2] with his father, sister and step-mother. He learned to play guitar in seventh grade at Wood River Junior High School. He began writing songs and performing locally in 1980 before moving to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music [1] from 1983 to 1987. Dawson moved to Chicago, Illinois, in the fall of 1987. [3] He formed the band Stump The Host [1] with fiddle player Tom Murray and singer Diane Christiansen in 1988. By the early 1990s, Stump The Host expanded to include bassist Dave Gay, guitarist Brian Dunn, and drummer Leslie Santos and signed a songwriting contract with PolyGram Music. [4] Stump The Host broke up in 1993. Dawson and Christiansen married in 1990 [5] and had a child, Evangeline, in 1992. [6] Dolly Varden was formed in 1994 with Dawson and Christiansen singing and writing songs, joined by drummer Matt Thobe and bassist Lisa Wertman. [7] [8] Wertman left in 1995 and was replaced by Mike Bradburn, and guitarist Mark Balletto joined the lineup. [9] Dolly Varden toured in the United States and United Kingdom regularly between 1998 and 2003. Their album, The Dumbest Magnets, produced by Nashville's Brad Jones at Alex The Great studio, was released in 2000 in the US on Evil Teen records and licensed for release in the UK on Flying Sparks Records and in Europe on Fargo Records. After the release of Forgiven Now, also produced by Jones in Nashville, in 2002, the band took a hiatus and Dawson began focusing on solo projects. In 2004, Dawson began teaching songwriting and guitar at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

Solo career

Dawson's first solo album, Sweet Is The Anchor, was recorded in his home studio, Kernel Sound Emporium, [1] and released on Undertow Records, August 23, 2005. The follow-up, I Will Miss The Trumpets And The Drums, was also recorded at Kernel Sound Emporium and released on Undertow Records, November 1, 2009. In 2013 Dawson formed Funeral Bonsai Wedding with vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, drummer Frank Rosaly, and bassist Jason Roebke to record their self-titled debut album at Kingsize Sound Labs in Chicago. In 2020 Dawson assembled Funeral Bonsai Wedding (with drummer Charles Rumback replacing Frank Rosaly) back at Kingsize with the Quartet Parapluie string quartet to record the album, Last Flight Out. Dawson self-released the album in May 2020. In April 2020 the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events awarded Dawson an Esteemed Artist Award. The grant helped him complete the album, At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree. It was recorded in his home studio, Kernel Sound Emporium, and released on Pravda Records, July 16, 2021. [10]

Partial discography

Solo

With Dolly Varden

With Funeral Bonsai Wedding

With Diane Christiansen

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul D'Amour</span> American musician

Paul D'Amour is an American musician and was the first bassist for Tool. His bass sound is recognized by the aggressive picked tone he developed with his Chris Squire Signature Rickenbacker 4001CS, which can be heard on Tool's first full-length album, Undertow. Since March 2019, he has been the bassist for industrial metal band Ministry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skin Yard</span> American rock band

Skin Yard was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, that was active from 1985 to 1992. The group never gained a mainstream audience, but were an influence on several of their grunge contemporaries, including Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, and Green River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Stump</span> American musician (born 1984)

Patrick Martin Stumph, known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Fall Out Boy, originally from Wilmette, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Smart! (band)</span> American post-punk band

Get Smart! is a three-piece post-punk band formed in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1980 consisting of Marcus Koch, Lisa Wertman Crowe and Frank Loose. The band released 2 studio albums along with some singles and EPs over a 10-year career. The band re-united in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nora O'Connor</span> American, Chicago-based musician (born 1968)

Nora O’Connor is an American, Chicago-based musician. Though primarily known for her vocals, O'Connor also plays guitar and bass. For much of 2013, O'Connor toured internationally as a singer in Iron and Wine. She also records and performs with longtime collaborator, Andrew Bird. O'Connor plays bass and sings back-up for Kelly Hogan and in 2010, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy enlisted O'Connor and Hogan as primary vocalists on gospel legend Mavis Staples’ Grammy Award-winning album You Are Not Alone. In the studio and on the stage, O'Connor has backed Neko Case, Jakob Dylan, The New Pornographers, The Decemberists, Archer Prewitt, John Wesley Harding, Hushdrops, Justin Roberts and Robbie Fulks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolly Varden (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Dolly Varden is a Chicago band built around the singing and songwriting of husband and wife duo Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen. Their music combines elements of folk, rock and pop and country. The band has released 5 albums, along with several collections and side projects.

<i>Lovelife</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Lush

Lovelife is the fourth and final studio album by English rock band Lush. It was released on 5 March 1996 by 4AD. On Lovelife, the band moved away from their earlier dream pop and shoegazing style and embraced a more Britpop-oriented sound. The album was produced by Pete Bartlett and the band at Protocol Studios in London, and engineered by Giles Hall. Three songs were released as singles: "Single Girl", "Ladykillers", and "500 ", all of which achieved moderate success on the UK Singles Chart, reaching the top 30 positions. On release, Lovelife reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Waco Brothers</span> American alternative country band

The Waco Brothers are an American alternative country, or country-punk rock, band based in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Undertow began in 1996 in St. Louis, Missouri, as a collective of independent artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers and creative managers sharing resources, ideas, and a love of music. Undertow Music is currently located in Champaign, Illinois.

Will Johnson is an American musician, singer-songwriter, author and painter who was the lead singer of the bands Centro-matic and South San Gabriel. Called "one of the most prolific artists in American indie rock", Johnson has also released solo records, and is a member of the bands Monsters of Folk, New Multitudes and Overseas, and has also performed as part of the Undertow Orchestra. He is currently a member of Jason Isbell's band, the 400 Unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall Out Boy</span> American rock band

Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band originated from Chicago's hardcore punk scene and was formed by Wentz and Trohman as a pop-punk side project; Stump joined shortly thereafter. The group went through a succession of drummers before Hurley joined. Their debut album, Take This to Your Grave (2003), became an underground success and helped the band gain a dedicated fanbase through heavy touring. Take This to Your Grave is cited as influential on pop-punk music in the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stump the Host</span>

Stump the Host was a band from Chicago, United States, featuring lead singers Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen, who later formed the band Dolly Varden. From 1988 to 1993 they played primarily in Chicago and the Midwest. Their music was a mix of country, rock, and R&B, featuring dual male / female harmony vocals, country-blues electric guitar, saxophone and rhythm section. After a series of local and national reviews of their cassette recordings, and a performance at South By Southwest, they signed a publishing deal with PolyGram Music and were courted by Zoo Records. They eventually released one 7" single, "California Zephyr" on the independent label Minty Fresh.

<i>For a While</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Dolly Varden

For A While is the sixth studio album by Chicago based alt-country band Dolly Varden and their first album since the 2007 The Panic Bell release. The official release date for the album was January 21, 2013 but pre-release copies were made available as early as October 2012.

<i>The Panic Bell</i> 2007 studio album by Dolly Varden

The Panic Bell is the fifth studio album by Chicago based alt-country band Dolly Varden. Released in February 2007 it was their first album since Forgiven Now in 2002. The album was recorded over a period of about a year after the band had taken a long hiatus from playing together. It includes songs influenced by the continuing violence in Iraq and the prisoner abuse scandals at Abu Ghraib, which led to some of the band's rawest recordings.

<i>Forgiven Now</i> 2002 studio album by Dolly Varden

Forgiven Now is the fourth studio album by Chicago based alt-country band Dolly Varden and was released in 2002. Like the previous release, The Dumbest Magnets, this album was recorded in Nashville with producer Brad Jones.

<i>The Dumbest Magnets</i> 2000 studio album by Dolly Varden

The Dumbest Magnets is the third studio album by Chicago based alt-country band Dolly Varden and was released in 2000. This album was recorded in Nashville with producer Brad Jones.

Hushdrops are a three-piece rock band from Chicago featuring current and former members of Veruca Salt, Liam Hayes and Plush, The Waco Brothers, The Webb Brothers, Josh Caterer, Kevin Tihista, and NRBQ. The band's 2004 debut album Volume One was followed in 2014 by the (mono) double album Tomorrow. Drummer Joe Camarillo died unexpectedly in January 2021, just as the group were completing their third album. In August 2021, it was announced that Pravda Records would release that album in November of that year, partly in tribute to Camarillo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Split Single (band)</span> Musical artist

Split Single is the American indie rock solo project of Evanston, Illinois-based musician Jason Narducy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Rosaly</span> American drummer

Frank Rosaly is a Puerto Rican American drummer, composer, and sound designer associated with a transparent compositional approach to drumming across various styles of music including jazz, improvisation, rock and experimental music. Rosaly also composes for film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Pence</span> American record producer and drummer

Matthew Louis Pence is an American recording engineer, producer, and drummer. He owns and manages The Echo Lab studio in Denton, Texas.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Steve Dawson". All About Jazz. April 10, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 McGee, Paul (October 2, 2021). "Steve Dawson Interview". LonesomeHighway.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Bio". Steve Dawson. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  4. ↑ Caro, Mark (March 22, 1991). "Stump the Host signs Polygram/Island publishing deal". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Steve Dawson & Diane Christiansen". Dolly Varden . Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  6. ↑ Rothschild, David (March 31, 1993). "Talent To Go". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  7. ↑ Rothschild, David (March 26, 1993). "Road-ready Stump the Host gets a new bass player". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  8. ↑ Puls, Eric (April 22, 1994). "Dolly Varden Hooks Listeners". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2021. Our bass player quit and when we auditioned Lisa (Wertman, ex-Get Smart!), we felt a chemistry. The three of us began playing quite a bit and it was obvious that we needed to start a new outfit. Stump had become standardized and somewhat boring. Now joined by drummer Matt Thobe and guitarist/keyboardist Mark Balletto, Dolly Varden rocks harder and leaner than the ambling Stump the Host.
  9. ↑ Dickinson, Chrissie (May 3, 2015). "Concert review: Dolly Varden marks 20th anniversary at Old Town". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 7, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  10. ↑ George, Doug (April 21, 2021). "Youth musical 'Plane That Took a Train' becomes a podcast, and a reminder of the times we all could use a little help". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  11. ↑ Ingalls, Chris (July 16, 2021). "Steve Dawson's At the Bottom of a Canyon in the Branches of a Tree is Exquisite". PopMatters . Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  12. ↑ Zimmerman, Lee (July 15, 2021). "Review: Steve Dawson Pursues the Prospects of Finding Peace With Purpose". American Songwriter . Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Dolly Varden Interview". Time Out. January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.