Tay Strathairn - Dawes (12/04/2012)
After playing their first show in Melbourne since 2008, Dawes keyboardist Tay Strathairn spoke to The 59th Sound about their return to Australia, also mentioning what the band has been up to since the release of their latest album Nothing Is Wrong late last year.
Hi Tay! It's great to have the band back on Australian soil!
Thanks! Last night’s show was a lot of fun. Audiences are really receptive here.
It's been four years since we saw you here last, and 3 years since the release of your first album North Hills in 2009. What's new?
We've been on the road working really hard. We put out Nothing Is Wrong in September last year and have been touring around since. It's definitely been a full time job.
Last night Dawes played at the Palace Theatre in Melbourne. Have you guys found that you've accumulated more fans since the release of Nothing Is Wrong in 2011?
Last night was our first time playing in Melbourne since performing with My Morning Jacket in 2008. We definitely felt as though we were made welcome by fans, it was nice. The crowds here are certainly ones we will be returning for.
Do you feel the band has evolved since its first album?
Absolutely. North Hills was recorded in a couple of weeks; we didn’t have a record deal then and kind of went into it hoping for the best. Nothing Is Wrong is the product of hard work and dedication. We are constantly working on bettering ourselves and our instruments.
With two of the band members being related, do you find it can be difficult to have brothers travelling together? Some say happiness is having a close-knit family in another city…
You would think so! Taylor and Griffin are about as good as any brothers, they work really, really well together. There is never any fighting between any of us. It's extremely fortunate and beneficial that we all get along so well!
Last year Nothing Is Wrong came in at number 35 for the Rolling Stone's top 50. How does the band feel about such a great achievement?
It's humbling. These kinds of achievements inspire us and make us want to do a better job. It was definitely an honour being listed by such a credited magazine.
Was this expected before releasing the album?
If you go into it with those kinds of expectations there is so much room for disappointment. We kind of went into it with the intent to better ourselves and evolve. We feel really fortunate to have been rated so highly, it's definitely icing on the cake!
Last year you guys played alongside renowned band Mumford and Sons, how was this as an experience?
It was really awesome. They are a bunch of great guys and real music fans. They couldn't have been more supportive of us and were so sweet. Their fans were incredible which made it a really fun gig.
Where does the band draw it's inspiration from? I've noticed a few lyrics mention a longing for something, or someone?
Taylor writes all the lyrics, he reads tonnes and has a lot of different sources. He is kind of like a student of song writing. As far as music goes - we are always listening to new stuff and recommending new records to one another. We see it as a way to be better on our instruments and stay in the loop. Really, it allows us to adapt to new forms of music. As a band we have definitely become mature listeners, making sure we aren't boxed in to only one genre of music.
Are there any bands that Dawes fans should check out?
Our friend Blake Mills is an amazing guitar player - his record Break Mirrors is really amazing. Definitely check that out.
Does the band have any intention of returning to Australia for future tours?
Definitely. Australia is one of our favourite places to visit. It's a long flight but it's absolutely worth it. We are sticking to the east coast at the moment, and then it's off to perform at Coachella in America.
Can Dawes fans expect to see a new album released in the future?
As soon as we take a break from touring and have a bit of time to ourselves, it will be back to the studio for us to hopefully release another album around this time next year.
Kim Tedge
Follow me on Twitter! - @kimmers90
Hi Tay! It's great to have the band back on Australian soil!
Thanks! Last night’s show was a lot of fun. Audiences are really receptive here.
It's been four years since we saw you here last, and 3 years since the release of your first album North Hills in 2009. What's new?
We've been on the road working really hard. We put out Nothing Is Wrong in September last year and have been touring around since. It's definitely been a full time job.
Last night Dawes played at the Palace Theatre in Melbourne. Have you guys found that you've accumulated more fans since the release of Nothing Is Wrong in 2011?
Last night was our first time playing in Melbourne since performing with My Morning Jacket in 2008. We definitely felt as though we were made welcome by fans, it was nice. The crowds here are certainly ones we will be returning for.
Do you feel the band has evolved since its first album?
Absolutely. North Hills was recorded in a couple of weeks; we didn’t have a record deal then and kind of went into it hoping for the best. Nothing Is Wrong is the product of hard work and dedication. We are constantly working on bettering ourselves and our instruments.
With two of the band members being related, do you find it can be difficult to have brothers travelling together? Some say happiness is having a close-knit family in another city…
You would think so! Taylor and Griffin are about as good as any brothers, they work really, really well together. There is never any fighting between any of us. It's extremely fortunate and beneficial that we all get along so well!
Last year Nothing Is Wrong came in at number 35 for the Rolling Stone's top 50. How does the band feel about such a great achievement?
It's humbling. These kinds of achievements inspire us and make us want to do a better job. It was definitely an honour being listed by such a credited magazine.
Was this expected before releasing the album?
If you go into it with those kinds of expectations there is so much room for disappointment. We kind of went into it with the intent to better ourselves and evolve. We feel really fortunate to have been rated so highly, it's definitely icing on the cake!
Last year you guys played alongside renowned band Mumford and Sons, how was this as an experience?
It was really awesome. They are a bunch of great guys and real music fans. They couldn't have been more supportive of us and were so sweet. Their fans were incredible which made it a really fun gig.
Where does the band draw it's inspiration from? I've noticed a few lyrics mention a longing for something, or someone?
Taylor writes all the lyrics, he reads tonnes and has a lot of different sources. He is kind of like a student of song writing. As far as music goes - we are always listening to new stuff and recommending new records to one another. We see it as a way to be better on our instruments and stay in the loop. Really, it allows us to adapt to new forms of music. As a band we have definitely become mature listeners, making sure we aren't boxed in to only one genre of music.
Are there any bands that Dawes fans should check out?
Our friend Blake Mills is an amazing guitar player - his record Break Mirrors is really amazing. Definitely check that out.
Does the band have any intention of returning to Australia for future tours?
Definitely. Australia is one of our favourite places to visit. It's a long flight but it's absolutely worth it. We are sticking to the east coast at the moment, and then it's off to perform at Coachella in America.
Can Dawes fans expect to see a new album released in the future?
As soon as we take a break from touring and have a bit of time to ourselves, it will be back to the studio for us to hopefully release another album around this time next year.
Kim Tedge
Follow me on Twitter! - @kimmers90