Dawes, Winnetka Bowling League

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Jon Chu

The two members of Dawes playing pinball.

Dawes

media release: Acclaimed California rock band Dawes have announced today’s release of their eagerly awaited ninth studio album, Oh Brother, available everywhere now on Dead Ringers via Secretly Canadian Distribution. Exclusive split color vinyl, as well as an array of deluxe Oh Brother bundles, are available via the Dawes online store.

Co-produced by brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith alongside longtime friend Mike Viola, Oh Brother includes the brand new single, “Mr. Los Angeles,” joined today by an official music video starring Conan O’Brien streaming now on YouTube following its exclusive world premiere in October via PEOPLE.com.

Oh Brother also includes such recently premiered singles as the sprawling album centerpiece, “Surprise!,” “Still Strangers Sometimes,” and “House Parties,” the latter two accompanied by creative fan-focused official music videos streaming now at YouTube. In addition, Dawes recently shared a pair of exclusive live studio performance videos of “House Parties” (featuring special guest Brad Paisley) and “Still Strangers Sometimes” (featuring Madison Cunningham and Mike Viola).

Oh Brother marks a distinctive new chapter for Dawes co-founders Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith following 2022’s epic Misadventures of Doomscroller and the amicable departure of two bandmates last year. The album steers Dawes decidedly forward, honoring 15 years of Taylor and Griffin’s musical relationship, as well as the next era and natural evolution of their beloved band. That spirit informed much of the writing and recording, with each track initially recorded live with just Taylor on guitar and vocals and Griffin on drums, later incorporating additional studio instrumentation and collaborating with touring guitarist Trevor Menear. Across its nine heartfelt songs — which move seamlessly between folk rock, piano ballads, and sprawling jams while maintaining both an immediately recognizable sound and a freedom from expectations — Oh Brother sees Dawes navigating new chapters in their personal and professional lives while remaining steadfastly creative, ambitious, and inspired. 

“All you can really do is find out what are the most essential, truest, and idiosyncratic parts of yourself,” Taylor Goldsmith says. “And I like the fact that Griffin and I are kind of clinging to each other and holding on to each other more than we ever have. We’re grateful for each other in a new way. But we’ve also been through a lot.

“It feels like we’re reborn in a way, and I mean that with so, so much love and gratitude to everyone we’ve ever played with before! This is what it means to be a lifer, to have iterations. It means having phases and chapters, and this is a very clear delineation as to the beginning of a new one. So Oh Brother feels like a ninth record, but it also feels like a first record.”

Dawes will celebrate their new era with the Oh Brother Tour, getting underway November 7 at Knoxville, TN’s Mill & Mine with additional legs set for December and April 2025. Support on most dates comes from Winnetka Bowling League (with whom Dawes recently collaborated on the summer single, “This Is Life (Feat. Medium Build & Dawes).” What’s more, Dawes recently announced their annual star-studded Christmas In LA with Dawes & Friends holiday event, set for Los Angeles, CA’s The Bellwether on December 7. Next year will also see Dawes joining Goose, The War on Drugs, Tycho, and others for Viva El Gonzo, a three-day music and arts festival in San José del Cabo, Mexico on May 8-10, 2025.

The upcoming tour follows a wide-ranging summer schedule highlighted by a once-in-a-lifetime performance at Newport, RI’s annual Newport Folk Festival as part of Conan O’Brien and Real Musicians (accompanied by special guests including Jack White, Nick Lowe, Mavis Staples, Brittany Howard, Nathaniel Rateliff, Langhorne Slim, and Triumph The Insult Comic Dog) as well as joining Phil Lesh & Friends at Terrapin Crossroads Presents: Sunday Daydream Vol. 4 in San Rafael, CA. For complete tour details and ticket availability, please visit dawestheband.com/tour.