After a required high school stint, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Taylor Goldsmith and guitarist/vocalist Blake Mills assembled the framework of their first band, each lending a middle name toward the newly forged Simon Dawes. With drummer Stuart Johnson and bassist Wylie Gelber, the Malibu, Calif., quartet crafted a couple of impressive EPs and, after an inordinate amount of time spent with The Kinks’ Waterloo Sunset, its debut full-length, 2006’s Carnivore. The debut combined Jellyfish’s Pop melodicism, The Kinks’ British dancehall swagger, Spoon’s Garage Pop squall and the wise-beyond-their-years songwriting team of Goldsmith and Mills.
For whatever reason, Simon Dawes began to crack and shift. Johnson departed and was replaced by Goldsmith’s younger brother, Griffin. Mills also ultimately left (he’s become an in-demand touring and session guitarist and just released his debut solo album, Break Mirrors). With the defection of the Simon half of its name, Goldsmith shortened the band’s appellation to Dawes, a change that signaled a shift in musical direction as well.
Dawes headlines the MidPoint Indie Summer Series at Fountain Square Friday. Go here for Brian Baker’s full Sound Advice on the band, plus the full evening lineup.
Read about announcements of the lineup for September’s MidPoint Music Festival here.
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 3, 2010.