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.
Steve Dawson | |
|---|---|
 Dawson performing in Chicago | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen John Dawson |
| Born | April 5, 1965 |
| Origin | San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals, bass, drums, keyboards |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Undertow, Pravda, Kernel |
| Website | stevedawsonmusic |
Early life
editDawson 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
editDawson'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
editSolo
edit- Sweet Is The Anchor (Undertow, 2005)[2]
- I Will Miss The Trumpets And The Drums (Undertow, 2009)[2]
- At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree (Pravda, 2021)[11][12]
- Ghosts (Pravda, 2024)
With Dolly Varden
edit- Mouthful of Lies (Mid-Fi Records, 1995)
- The Thrill of Gravity (Evil Teen Records, 1998)
- The Dumbest Magnets (Evil Teen, 2000)
- Forgiven Now (Undertow, 2002)
- The Panic Bell (Undertow, 2007)
- For a While (Mid-Fi, 2013)[13]
With Funeral Bonsai Wedding
edit- Funeral Bonsai Wedding (Kernel Sound, 2014)
- Last Flight Out (Kernel Sound, 2020)
With Diane Christiansen
edit- Duets (Undertow, 2003)
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Steve Dawson". All About Jazz. April 10, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c McGee, Paul (October 2, 2021). "Steve Dawson Interview". LonesomeHighway.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ "Bio". Steve Dawson. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Steve Dawson & Diane Christiansen". Dolly Varden. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ Rothschild, David (March 31, 1993). "Talent To Go". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Zimmerman, Lee (July 15, 2021). "Review: Steve Dawson Pursues the Prospects of Finding Peace With Purpose". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ "Dolly Varden Interview". Time Out. January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2021.