My Dawes Indifference

Something I have noticed when talking about music is how easy it is to talk about the bands we absolutely love and even the bands that we just cannot stand. However, an interesting middle ground that is sometimes hard to discuss are the types of bands that you like but not necessarily consider yourself a fan of.

Think about it for a moment. Think of a band or artist that has maybe one album or performance that you really enjoy and probably listen to often, but don’t really give their other work much attention at all. To be clear, I am not talking about those bands or artists that you know of but have never listened to or the situation where you have listened to multiple albums of a band and only liked one of them.  I am talking about the type that you ONLY care to listen to one piece of their collection. This description is different because it means you simply haven’t even cared to give the other albums a listen but very much enjoy one. I am sure we all have at least one, if not many more once you give it a thought. So for me, that band is Dawes.

For some background, Dawes is an American rock band with a little more folk and indie sound. The band started as a branch off of the band Simon Dawes after the departure of Blake Mills where they then decided to go in more of a folk direction as apposed to a punk sound. Their sound is sometimes compared to the sounds of Laurel Canyon with some Neil Young or Crosby, Stills and Nash influence. A little fun fact, the lead singer, Taylor Goldsmith, is married to Mandy Moore!

I initially discovered Dawes at the 2013 Austin City Limits Music Festival when I was in between shows I wanted to see and I decided to mosey on up to the stage that Dawes was at and gave them a listen. I had a great spot in the crowd and I enjoyed their performance to the point that I told myself I would look them up once I returned from the festival (I didn’t). A few months later I found a copy of their record, Stripped Down At Grimey’s, at a random record store that features a selection of live performances from their 2013 album, Stories Don’t End and decided to purchase it after remembering I enjoyed their ACL set. I will say - the orange record did catch my eye as well!

So here is where I feel like it gets somewhat hard to explain: I very much enjoyed their Austin City Limits performance and I really enjoy the Stripped Down At Grimey’s record but for some reason I cannot bring myself to dig into the rest of their discography. It’s like I totally recognize their talent and know they are a pretty good band but I genuinely just don’t care to listen to anything else of theirs. I am not saying I absolutely refuse or haven’t ever come across some of their other stuff because that isn’t true. I have heard their song, All Your Favorite Bands and found it to be a pretty cute song but never even gave the album it’s from a listen. But other than that, I have no other desire to listen to them further than what I already do. I do want to clarify that this isn’t me trying to throw shade at the band or say they are not deserving of recognition, listeners or anything. Just for me, I only care to listen to the one record I have and that is it. The easiest way to explain it would be an indifference. Does that even make sense?

I am not sure if maybe it is a nostalgic thing since I did see them live the same year their album Stories Don’t End came out. Or it maybe that I just like the vibe of the performances on the Stripped Down At Grimey’s record because of their specific sound. It could also be one of those things where my brain thinks if I dig into more of their stuff, the record of theirs I do enjoy won’t seem as great as I imagine in my head. But honestly, who knows! I truly cannot pinpoint exactly what it is that makes me feel this way towards the band.

After explaining my indifference towards Dawes, I am hoping that I am not alone in this weird situation towards a band or artist. Please comment below if you have a band or artist that you feel the same way about. I know I cannot be alone in this. Or maybe after reading this you realize you do have a similar situation and just didn’t realize that was how you viewed them. Either way, I am interested to know if others have a similar experience.

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