Hamilton View

Steve Dawson is easily comparable to Daniel Lanois.
While both are musical geniuses, the bulk of their
brilliance is usually hidden under the names of other
artists through songwriting credits, production and
engineering. Lanois has certainly released a fine
collection of solo albums, but his production work with
U2 and Peter Gabriel among others has garnered him
the majority of his acclaim. Dawson is no different. Other
than achieving major acclaim for a trio of records with
fellow musician Jesse Zubot, Dawson has quietly been
prolifically contributing to the backdrop of Canada’s
roots music scene, working with artists like Kelly–Joe
Phelps, Jim Byrnes, Jenny Whiteley and JT King.
Yet, other than releasing an unfortunately overlooked
solo album titled Bug Parade in 2001, Dawson has
remained in the background, exerting his musical
influence on other artists through songwriting and
production duties.
Now, mirroring Lanois’ recent creative switch, Dawson
has shifted the spotlight onto himself, crafting a fantastic
solo release titled We Belong to the Gold Coast, set for
release next week on his own label, Black Hen Music. “I
worked hard on this album and really focused on trying
to make it very unique. Lots of studio experimentation
was involved, but that is my favourite thing to do, so it
was not like working, really,” explains Dawson.
We Belong to the Gold Coast is a cogent, countrified
gem, thematically entangled in traditional, Hawaiian
themes. Based loosely on a specific style of Hawaiian
music that flourished on the Island throughout the 1920s
and 1930s, Dawson adds traditional bluegrass, dusty
Appalachian and twisted folk to the mix to create a
curious blend of roots.
Cleverly packaged with production tricks, Dawson’s
love of both acoustic and electric elements adds a touch
of refinement to the ideals birthed while strumming on.
the back porch in Maui. Alternating between
instrumental and vocal tracks, Dawson’s maturity flirts
harmoniously with his quirky production charm, creating
a humid listen that shines with soul of old Hawaii; a
uniquely modern experiment bursting with the charms of
old world traditions.
“This recording is themed,” Dawson elaborates. “It is
meant to be in three distinct movements, in which all the
songs lead into one another, and then at the end of the
movement is a short break. Each section has a piece of
Hawaiian music as well that ties it together. I also
wanted to tie together old styles of music with more
modern sounds and effects. That is why you will hear
things like a distorted drum loop playing alongside a
Hawaiian guitar, or a backwards–recorded electric guitar
along with a pump organ.”
An already multiple Juno award winner, We Belong to
the Gold Coast could potentially be the project to fuel
Dawson’s journey back into the spotlight. The temporal
juxtaposition of styles is frightfully contagious, prompting