Just about to finish my second listen through the Dawes studio albums, once before my brain surgery on Tuesday and once since it made me deaf (as expected) in one ear. I’m falling in love with Dawes all over again and it’s wonderful. Can’t wait to hear what’s next both stories and demos here and the next album and tour which I eagerly await.
Gonna miss Wylie and Lee. You’re still my favorite band.
I love so much about every Dawes album, but Stories Don't End holds my highest admiration. It is the first Dawes album that clicked with me and gave me an appetite for Taylor's songwriting. It's like unto what The Swell Season albums did for me with Glen Hansard's earlier work in The Frames. And in my songwriting pantheon, a Frames analogy is bold veneration.
After devouring SDE, I went back to North Hills and Nothing Is Wrong, both of which I initially found forgettable. The second time around was magic.
Moral of the story: When I encounter new music that doesn't connect with me, I've learned to say I don't *yet* like it... not where I'm at in the story... and we all know stories don't end.
I was at some of those early shows at the Troubadour and have been here ever since. As a songwriter I can’t get enough of this stuff. I’m so here for this Substack. Thanks for making it!
my first exposure to you guys was while you were opening for mumford and sons during this time (in glasgow, late 2012) so it's personally fitting and especially nostalgic that this is how you're starting off the substack, really looking forward to coming along for the ride.
Window Seat is one of very few Taylor songs that doesn’t have the song title in the chorus. Another is Side Effects. Were they written around the same time?
I heard an interview where Paul Simon called "You can Call Me Al" his "National Anthem" because it always got the audience to stand up. In my experience at Dawes shows specifically in theaters where people are sitting in seats, "From a Window Seat" was usually the point in the set that got people to their feet and pumped the energy up as soon as they played that first intro riff. Never a fan of theater shows because it allowed people to sit so I always hoped for them to play this early in the set so everyone would get up!
So happy you've joined Substack and have another platform to create and communicate!
I've been a fan from the jump and view "Stories Don't End" as one of a number of notable turning points for the band. For me, it represents Taylor's really beginning to push the boundaries of his songwriting, both lyrically and musically, and the band's continuing to push the boundaries of their sonic landscapes and orchestration -- for example, the outro to "Just My Luck" is probably my favorite single piece of the album and is in my top 5 of all-time studio Dawes moments -- which is somehow ironic because I remember the first time I saw Dawes live (in 2010 on the incredible tour with the Belle Brigade, Middle Brother, Delta Spirit, and Deer Tick, at the Trocadero in Philly where Blake Mills sat in for a lot of the set), I thought the "Nothing Is Wrong" tunes sounded pedestrian compared with the tunes on "North Hills!"
While SDE may have seemed like somewhat of a left turn at the time -- think Weezer's "Green Album," not Dylan's going electric or André 3000's instrumental album -- I have tremendous respect for Taylor and the band as artists and want them have room to do whatever the spirit moves them to do (i.e., put out the art for its own sake, to the extent it's possible or even desirable to be a touring rock band and write songs without the fans in mind). I try to give my kids the same space to be themselves and do what they want to do, though as any parent knows, it can be tough to walk the line between that perspective and letting your kids make their own "mistakes" vs. also setting guardrails and teaching your kids how to not be assholes -- that's a whole other conversation.
In any case, I haven't loved absolutely every zig and zag along the way, but I definitely love "Stories Don't End" and know I'll always get a slowly whispered "nice" from the Wife when I put it on.
I have had the impression for years that if you listen to the discography in order, A Little Bit of Everything feels like a major turning point in the band and in your songwriting. So I loved reading this!
To this day I still play From a Window Seat as the first song of my journey every time I'm on a plane. Always feels like the right choice. Plus, got to catch it live in St. Paul earlier this year. Can't wait to hear the remix!
Just popping in to say that "From A Window Seat" was the song, and Stories in general as an album, that made me feel like I was aging alongside my favorite band. Weird compliment, I know, but bear with me; I turned 16 when "Is This It" came out, and it was my record, and the Strokes were my band. I was 6 years younger than those guys though, an eternity at the time especially when considering how the world changed after 2001 and becoming an adult before or after that date had a different experience. Throw in my other touring favorites The Hold Steady and Ben Folds (firmly Gen Xers), and it felt like maybe rock n' roll was really dead post-Strokes and my millennial experience was going to be represented by MGMT and Vampire Weekend, not someone with my sensibilities (I came to enjoy both of those bands eventually, but not at the time). It wasn't until I heard Dawes in '09 (Bowery Ballroom!), and found Deer Tick and Delta Spirt alongside them, that I felt like I found my bands who were my contemporaries. But then I grew up a bit, and gravitated back to the elders; so when Stories Don't End hit, and the mellow-yet-driving funk of FAWS hit my ears, I knew Dawes got some years under their belts too, and it was going to be all right to get a little older.
I think your specificity has increased over time- and I think that specificity is a connection point for many listeners. The “chicken wing”’s and “how they look out at the clouds each time they smile”’s dig deeper into a listener’s psyche. I know as a writer it can feel like a risk- but to a listener it feels like a hand outstretched in invitation.
I agree with Daniel. The specific details in your stories add a more complete visual and really help us invest in the song. It also shows your wit, intelligence and writing skill. I’d imagine that most people feel the same way as I, in that your lyrics are a prime factor in our love for DAWES. Thanks for the music and inspiration!
This song was my first exposure to Dawes a decade ago. I believe I heard it on my local public radio station, KKXT 91.7 in Dallas. I've always been a huge Dire Straits fan. This song has always reminded me of their sound and Mark Knopfler's storytelling.
I love the idea that ALBOE potentially opened up a different narrative voice for you. My first Dawes exposure was Most People on Letterman and I was instantly taken. 'January Christmas lights' feels like an observational narrative sibling to 'daily dosages', 'chicken wings', and 'a million swimming pools'. Much like many of Joni's lyrics, I feel almost tricked when I follow your observations literally and then realize that sneakily they have revealed or eluded to some unspoken emotional truth for me.
While I have deep love for the material that came before, Stories Don't End will always be the album that sparked my love of Dawes and thus uniquely special. Loving the writing. Happy to be on this Substack! Thanks Taylor!!
Just about to finish my second listen through the Dawes studio albums, once before my brain surgery on Tuesday and once since it made me deaf (as expected) in one ear. I’m falling in love with Dawes all over again and it’s wonderful. Can’t wait to hear what’s next both stories and demos here and the next album and tour which I eagerly await.
Gonna miss Wylie and Lee. You’re still my favorite band.
I love so much about every Dawes album, but Stories Don't End holds my highest admiration. It is the first Dawes album that clicked with me and gave me an appetite for Taylor's songwriting. It's like unto what The Swell Season albums did for me with Glen Hansard's earlier work in The Frames. And in my songwriting pantheon, a Frames analogy is bold veneration.
After devouring SDE, I went back to North Hills and Nothing Is Wrong, both of which I initially found forgettable. The second time around was magic.
Moral of the story: When I encounter new music that doesn't connect with me, I've learned to say I don't *yet* like it... not where I'm at in the story... and we all know stories don't end.
I was at some of those early shows at the Troubadour and have been here ever since. As a songwriter I can’t get enough of this stuff. I’m so here for this Substack. Thanks for making it!
my first exposure to you guys was while you were opening for mumford and sons during this time (in glasgow, late 2012) so it's personally fitting and especially nostalgic that this is how you're starting off the substack, really looking forward to coming along for the ride.
Window Seat is one of very few Taylor songs that doesn’t have the song title in the chorus. Another is Side Effects. Were they written around the same time?
I heard an interview where Paul Simon called "You can Call Me Al" his "National Anthem" because it always got the audience to stand up. In my experience at Dawes shows specifically in theaters where people are sitting in seats, "From a Window Seat" was usually the point in the set that got people to their feet and pumped the energy up as soon as they played that first intro riff. Never a fan of theater shows because it allowed people to sit so I always hoped for them to play this early in the set so everyone would get up!
So happy you've joined Substack and have another platform to create and communicate!
I've been a fan from the jump and view "Stories Don't End" as one of a number of notable turning points for the band. For me, it represents Taylor's really beginning to push the boundaries of his songwriting, both lyrically and musically, and the band's continuing to push the boundaries of their sonic landscapes and orchestration -- for example, the outro to "Just My Luck" is probably my favorite single piece of the album and is in my top 5 of all-time studio Dawes moments -- which is somehow ironic because I remember the first time I saw Dawes live (in 2010 on the incredible tour with the Belle Brigade, Middle Brother, Delta Spirit, and Deer Tick, at the Trocadero in Philly where Blake Mills sat in for a lot of the set), I thought the "Nothing Is Wrong" tunes sounded pedestrian compared with the tunes on "North Hills!"
While SDE may have seemed like somewhat of a left turn at the time -- think Weezer's "Green Album," not Dylan's going electric or André 3000's instrumental album -- I have tremendous respect for Taylor and the band as artists and want them have room to do whatever the spirit moves them to do (i.e., put out the art for its own sake, to the extent it's possible or even desirable to be a touring rock band and write songs without the fans in mind). I try to give my kids the same space to be themselves and do what they want to do, though as any parent knows, it can be tough to walk the line between that perspective and letting your kids make their own "mistakes" vs. also setting guardrails and teaching your kids how to not be assholes -- that's a whole other conversation.
In any case, I haven't loved absolutely every zig and zag along the way, but I definitely love "Stories Don't End" and know I'll always get a slowly whispered "nice" from the Wife when I put it on.
I have had the impression for years that if you listen to the discography in order, A Little Bit of Everything feels like a major turning point in the band and in your songwriting. So I loved reading this!
To this day I still play From a Window Seat as the first song of my journey every time I'm on a plane. Always feels like the right choice. Plus, got to catch it live in St. Paul earlier this year. Can't wait to hear the remix!
That’s the best thing about Dawes. There’s a lot of turning points!
Just popping in to say that "From A Window Seat" was the song, and Stories in general as an album, that made me feel like I was aging alongside my favorite band. Weird compliment, I know, but bear with me; I turned 16 when "Is This It" came out, and it was my record, and the Strokes were my band. I was 6 years younger than those guys though, an eternity at the time especially when considering how the world changed after 2001 and becoming an adult before or after that date had a different experience. Throw in my other touring favorites The Hold Steady and Ben Folds (firmly Gen Xers), and it felt like maybe rock n' roll was really dead post-Strokes and my millennial experience was going to be represented by MGMT and Vampire Weekend, not someone with my sensibilities (I came to enjoy both of those bands eventually, but not at the time). It wasn't until I heard Dawes in '09 (Bowery Ballroom!), and found Deer Tick and Delta Spirt alongside them, that I felt like I found my bands who were my contemporaries. But then I grew up a bit, and gravitated back to the elders; so when Stories Don't End hit, and the mellow-yet-driving funk of FAWS hit my ears, I knew Dawes got some years under their belts too, and it was going to be all right to get a little older.
What's the inspiration behind the Substack name ("Talk Back")?
Thanks, looking forward to everything to come :)
Those talk back mic’s in studios
So, do we get an “engineer” credit or something? ;)
Ooh, TIL, thank you :)
I think it might be a reference to a talkback microphone - the mic that is in the studio control room that connects to musicians in the studio.
I think your specificity has increased over time- and I think that specificity is a connection point for many listeners. The “chicken wing”’s and “how they look out at the clouds each time they smile”’s dig deeper into a listener’s psyche. I know as a writer it can feel like a risk- but to a listener it feels like a hand outstretched in invitation.
I agree with Daniel. The specific details in your stories add a more complete visual and really help us invest in the song. It also shows your wit, intelligence and writing skill. I’d imagine that most people feel the same way as I, in that your lyrics are a prime factor in our love for DAWES. Thanks for the music and inspiration!
This song was my first exposure to Dawes a decade ago. I believe I heard it on my local public radio station, KKXT 91.7 in Dallas. I've always been a huge Dire Straits fan. This song has always reminded me of their sound and Mark Knopfler's storytelling.
This is so great, thanks for doing this Taylor and can’t wait for all that’s still to come!
I love the idea that ALBOE potentially opened up a different narrative voice for you. My first Dawes exposure was Most People on Letterman and I was instantly taken. 'January Christmas lights' feels like an observational narrative sibling to 'daily dosages', 'chicken wings', and 'a million swimming pools'. Much like many of Joni's lyrics, I feel almost tricked when I follow your observations literally and then realize that sneakily they have revealed or eluded to some unspoken emotional truth for me.
While I have deep love for the material that came before, Stories Don't End will always be the album that sparked my love of Dawes and thus uniquely special. Loving the writing. Happy to be on this Substack! Thanks Taylor!!