STEVE DAWSON

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Evoking storytelling elements the likes of Leonard Cohn and Van Morrison in his captivating writing style, while sporting a vocal delivery that employs a countrified Paul Carrack-style pop sensibility, has made Steve Dawson a favorite on the Chicago music scene.

Though best known for his collaborative work alongside his equally talented chanteuse wife, Diane Christiansen in their Chicago-based alt-country group, Dolly Varden, Dawson has stepped out with a darn good solo release –– Sweet Is The Anchor.

Recorded over the winter in his home studio and released this past week, “Sweet Is The Anchor”, has an earthy brilliance and pleasantness.

His ten tasty new original songs are anchored by Dawson’s treatment of the late Tyrone Davis’s “Love Is A Blessing”, which is a nice nod to the recently loss Chicago soul singer.

Christiansen guests on the CD’s title track and will also be heard backing her hubby on stage during a short run of live gigs that Dawson is doing to support, Sweet Is The Anchor. Helping him deliver the goods live are bassist Casey McDonough and drummer Jason Adaseiwicz. Making sure that the country edge is never lost is pedal steel player, Joel Paterson.

Raised in small town Idaho during the early 1980s, Dawson explained he “fought off boredom” by turning on to the varied styles of music he one day discovered in his parent’s massive record collection.

On his father’s side were black vinyl platters chock full of jazz, soul, and R&B, while his stepmother’s LPs introduced him to music by Dylan, Beatles, Stones and others.

Guitar lessons came at the onset of his teens and soon after Dawson taught himself piano. He recalled playing his first professional gig at age 16 as guitarist of a group called, Cadillac Carl & The Road Rangers.

Relocating to Boston after graduation, Dawson studied at the Berklee College of Music before drifting to Chicago.

“We met in 1988,” he said. The two had been asked by a mutual friend to add background vocals to a recording and both recognized the magic their voices had together. Together they formed Stump The Host, a country/soul/pop hybrid band that later morphed into Dolly Varden.

“I couldn’t imagine life any other way,” said Dawson on his wife’s involvement on his new solo project. “We’ve been singing together since the day we met.”

Together, the couple have impressed critics as far reaching as The Village Voice and Rolling Stone Magazine with their creative output. Dawson is hopeful that Sweet Is The Anchor likewise finds favor through its textured writing and blending of rock, country and pop influences.

Dawson says working at home on a loose schedule of his own making, gave him the freedom to find new ways to come up with songs. “The lack of a deadline allowed for experimenting with parts and multiple versions of songs,” he noted.

STEVE DAWSON performs AUGUST 28 at Schuba’s in Chicago

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