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It’s not some message written in the dark,
Or some truth that no one’s seen,
It’s a little bit of everything.

The California-based quartet Dawes has  made a name for themselves with their great harmonies and songwriting.  With roots in the great Laurel Canyon sound of Gram Parsons, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, and other 70’s west-coast icons, bandmates Taylor Goldsmith, Griffin Goldsmith, Wylie Gelber and Tay Strathairn went into WNCW’s Studio 13th of June for a great performance and talk about Middle Brother, Robbie Robertson, and of course their own great recordings.

Dawes was a great discovery for us in 2011 and they just keeps getting better.

The fantastic Million Dollar Bill:

Interview about songwriting, Middle Brother and more:

Another future classic, A little Bit of Everything, stunning songwriting!

Paste Magazine:
If the title hadn’t already been taken, Dawes’ “A Little Bit of Everything” could have easily been called “Helplessness Blues.” The song focuses on three different perspectives all linked by their complicated worries, whether those lead them to happiness or staggering depression. The stresses of modern life have never sounded so good.—Ross Bonaime

There are times in your life when you listen to a song that “really gets it”. The stuff   that is difficult to explain, difficult to put into words, difficult to convey.  But these lyrics really gets it, the song moves me.

It is pure poetry.

When a poem just grabs you around the heart and it explains the things you cannot articulate, it’s fuckin’ magic!  Songs sometimes do this to you.

A Little Bit of Everything by Dawes is a deeply moving poem.  And I get it.  I get why it blows my mind.  The song consistes of three scenes, one tragic, one sad and  one happier than the previous ones.  The lyrics end with this:

“It’s like trying to make out every word,
When they should simply hum along,
It’s not some message written in the dark,
Or some truth that no one’s seen,
It’s a little bit of everything.”

So simple, and so profound.

If I wanted Someone:

Time I spent in LA:

From WNCW’s web site:
A self-described “American rock ‘n’ roll band,” Dawes represent everything pure and true about that fundamental delineation, four talented friends making music together, fueled by a shared belief in the power of their songs. With Nothing Is Wrong, the Los Angeles-based band – singer/guitarist Goldsmith, his brother Griffin on drums, keyboardist Tay Strathairn, and bassist Wylie Gelber – continue to master their blend of singer/songwriter reflection with folk, country, and AOR-inspired arrangements, all ringing guitars, soaring harmonies, and heartfelt melodies. After spending much of the past two years on tour, songs like “Coming Back To A Man” and “Time Spent In Los Angeles” have a restless, unsettled quality evocative of life lived on the road. A collection of songs that expertly builds upon the template laid by 2009’s extraordinary debut, North Hills, Nothing Is Wrong sees Dawes displaying staggering growth and evolution while still manifesting their distinctive, unforgettable voice.

So very true.

– Hallgeir