Matt Dawson has spent plenty of time singing and songwriting, when he wasn’t busy ). He has been a member of Claudine Muno and the Lunaboots, The Shanes (Germany) and Julian Dawson Band (UK), among others.
“Making an album is the last thing I expected to be doing at the age of 64, and I’m as surprised as anyone,” he tells Delano. He explains that he was contacted by Jamie Reinert of Radio 100,7, who proposed recording a new album together.
The two started with a jam session, and the project grew later into what’s now Dawson’s eighth album, The Cliffs of Lone.
“It was fun to make, and although it’s not a big studio production, I think it is honest and authentic.”
The Cliffs of Lone presents 10 new songs “recorded completely live over three days and nights”. It brings together the initial duo, along with Christophe Demart (percussion), Darren Wiseton (bass and piano), Kristina Mascher (French horn), OPL Konzertmeister Haoxing Liang (violin), Silja Geirhardsdottir (violin) and his daughter, Hayley Dawson (additional vocals).
Inspiration behind the songs
As Dawson puts it, every song has a quirky story behind it. Take Man With No Shadow, for instance. In the 1970s, Dawson was deep into the British punk scene and a fan of the band Doll by Doll, formed by Scottish songwriter Jackie Leven. In 2008 Dawson was touring with a country band in Germany, and by coincidence Leven was on the same bill at one of the gigs in Saarbrücken. “As a kid I’d been to about 30 Doll by Doll gigs. I was a fan; he recognised me.” The two, a bit more mellowed in older age, decided to have a single malt whisky together at the hotel, jamming together on their guitars. At the time, Dawson says he realised listening to Leven’s music was having an influence on his own music, and he told Leven this. “And he said, ‘Don’t worry about that! The world needs more Jackie Leven. And he helped me finish the song. It was a really big moment in my life because Jackie died shortly after that [in 2011].”
The album was “recorded completely live over three days and nights in Philippe Demart’s front room,” Dawson explains Rita Demart
Many of the songs are Dawson’s reflections on women or the trials of love. Greenhill’s Lament, for example, was in part inspired by Claudio Monteverdi’s Si dolce è’l tormento, which Dawson calls a beautiful but sad song. It was also the result of “wanting to write a love song that’s actually true because people meet, are in love, say things like, ‘I’ll love you forever, I’ll never leave you.’ And it’s a sad fact that most of those relationships end, people do get divorced.” Dawson admits it’s a cynical take on love, but he likens love to a game such as Dungeons and Dragons. He recites the first lines: “Lovers and liars is the strangest game. Both players lose, then they play it again.”
Another song close to his heart is The Cliffs of Lone, which includes a reprise on the album. Dawson used to visit a place with wild cliffs and a tower along England’s Kentish coast. “Lovers used to meet there for hundreds of years and go to this mystical stone, make their vows and carve their names,” he explains, with some dating back to the 1700s.
“I went there with the love of my life but, unfortunately, very shortly after that we were in a Tesco supermarket and I dumped her, and I always felt bad about that.”
An album release party and a free concert will take place at 3pm on 4 February at Vinyl Harvest record shop in Esch-sur-Alzette. .
Delano giveaway
Delano has one The Cliffs of Lone album to giveaway. To enter to win, send an email with “Matt Dawson” in the subject line to news@delano.lu, including your name, telephone number and answer to the following question: Greenhill’s Lament was inspired by which Italian classical composer?
Competition closes at 12pm (noon) on 1 February.
This competition is now closed.
This article was edited on 30 Januay at 8:26am to correct the spelling of Matt’s daughter.