Dawes Release Centerpiece Song of New Album 'Oh, Brother'

Acclaimed California rock band Dawes have shared their epic new single, “Surprise!,” available everywhere now. Co-produced by brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith alongside longtime friend Mike Viola, the not-quite-center centerpiece about life not going as expected, written as Taylor was settling into fatherhood, marks the latest single from Dawes’ upcoming ninth studio album, Oh Brother, arriving on Dead Ringers via Secretly Canadian Distribution on Friday, October 11. Pre-orders are available now. In addition, exclusive split color vinyl representing the two Goldsmith brothers, as well as an array of deluxe Oh Brother bundles, is available for pre-order via the Dawes online store.

"The things you hope for never arrive as anticipated, if at all," says Taylor Goldsmith. "The things that scare you are not what you should have actually been worried about. The person you were wouldn’t recognize the person you are, but not in the ways you’d expect. It’s a song about getting older and taking stock in how elegantly (or not) we’ve all navigated the terrain."

The sprawling "Surprise!" follows the release of Dawes' intimate single, "Still Strangers Sometimes," which was accompanied by an official music video in which the band's fans are filmed singing the lyrics. The album was first heralded earlier in the summer with its first single, “House Parties." The nostalgic track was accompanied by an irresistible official music video interpolating behind-the-scenes footage of Dawes hard at work in the studio with clips submitted by fans of riotous party scenes from their personal lives.

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 on 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. Listen to the Dawes/Winnetka Bowling League/Medium Build summer single, “This Is Life,” HERE.

The upcoming headline run 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 last weekend’s Terrapin Crossroads Presents: Sunday Daydream Vol. 4 in San Rafael, CA. For complete tour details and ticket availability, please visit HERE.

DAWES - TOUR 2024/2025

NOVEMBER

7 – Knoxville, TN – Mill & Mine

8 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre

9 – Durham, NC – Carolina Theatre of Durham

10 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium

13 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre

14 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

15 – Indianapolis, IN – Vogue

16 – Chicago, IL – Salt Shed

19 – Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall

20 – Harrisburg, PA – XL Live

21 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre

22 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner

23 – Portland, ME State Theatre

DECEMBER

6 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore

8 – Solana Beach – Belly Up Solana Beach

9 – Solana Beach – Belly Up Solana Beach

13 – San Antonio, TX – Stable Hall

14 – Houston, TX – The Heights

15 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits at the Moody Theater

APRIL 2025

9 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theatre

10 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse

11 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore

12 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre

13 – Princeton, NJ – Matthews Theatre at McCarter Theater Center

17 – Madison, WI – The Majestic

19 – Columbia, MO – Blue Note

23 – Denver, CO – Ogden

25 – Kalispell, MT – Wachholz College Center

26 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre

27 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall

* w/ The Revivalists

† w/ Brad Paisley

‡ w/ Conan O’Brien & Real Musicians Ft. Dawes w/ Jimmy Vivino & Guests

^ w/ Phil Lesh & Friends Ft. Taylor & Griffin Goldsmith, Stu Allen, & More

§ Festival Appearance

Photo Credit: Jon Chu

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