“We sort of had about a month off up until last week, because our guitarist Andrew was overseas in the UK. He’s come back and we’ve hit the rehearsal studio again, and it sounds so good! It’s going to be awesome, recording’s great fun, but playing live is a whole ‘nother fun,” she says.
The song is called Replay, and is a fine piece of buoyant, catchy pop-rock. It is intended to be the first single lifted off a major release slated for later this year, and the song has special meaning for Dawson, although it can be interpreted in a more universal manner as well.
“It’s the first that the boys and I will be releasing together. It’s really cool, it’s about making the same mistake in life over and over again, as I often do!” she says ruefully, laughing. “It’s one of those songs about old habits dying hard. It’s great, and yeah, it’s a rocking sort of pop-rock tune. It’s got lots of vocal and guitar hooks, and I like to think that it slams, it’s awesome!”
It may be the band’s first ever gig as Seattle, but Dawson is still able to give a little insight into what the band’s live show is like for the people heading along who may not have seen her play before. Especially since the new band is essentially an evolution of her previous, self-titled act.
“It’s actually a good question,” she says. “There will people who will have seen (previous incarnation) the Jo Dawson Band before, and will recognise a lot of what we do. I think it’s a bit punchier now, it rocks a little bit harder. But it’s still very lyrically-driven, guitar-based pop-rock tracks.
“At heart I guess I’m a storyteller,” she continues. “I think the people who come along to the show can expect to go on a little bit of a journey, get a little bit of an insight, God help them, into my mind!” she laughs again.
Post launch, Dawson plans to have the band gig more, both here and interstate, where she feels there is some serious demand. “After the launch we want to play a few shows around and about town,” she tells us. “I’m also originally from Torquay, so I want to do maybe a local launch, maybe somewhere in Geelong and also the surf coast. And then at some stage soon I’d like to do a bit of an East Coast thing, maybe that might a bit more appropriate a bit later when we release the EP. So I’m thinking around September if everything works out the way that I hope.
“I’ve got lots of people saying, ‘When you going to come and play in Queensland?’ and ‘When you coming to play in Sydney?’ I keep promising but as yet, haven’t delivered!”
Longer term, Jo has some pretty lofty goals for the band, tempered with some realism. But ultimately she feels the band has a great and unique sound and a great future. “I think we’re going to take over the world!” she laughs, with tongue firmly in cheek. “I think ultimately I want to reach as many people as possible. I think the boys and I have got something that is really good and really exciting and a little bit different. There’s not that many female-fronted rock bands going around, so it’s a bit refreshing.”
BY ROD WHITFIELD
