BRENDA GOUGH
NEWS Contributor
After more than a dozen years of entertaining audiences with her folky blues music, Cumberland’s Brodie Dawson is hoping 2014 may be her breakout year.
Dawson describes her sound as a mix of soulful ‘folky’ blues with a gospel funk, a twist of pop and a twang of old-school country.
“It is a bit of everything. I have really been focussing on my original music over the last couple of years just to commit to that and it has taken me to some great places.”
One of those great places she got to experience was the Sunfest music festival held a few weeks ago in the Cowichan Valley.
Dawson is riding a musical high after playing on the main stage at the giant country music event and for good reason. She and her band warmed up the crowd for country music super stars George Canyon and Jake Owen and since then she has been getting a lot more interest from some music agencies.
Her next gig is the Fall Fair at the Lighthouse Community Centre August 30 and while there will not be a crowd of 30,000 people like there was when she played on a huge stage at Sunfest, she says she is just happy to be doing what she loves.
“I have had some cool gigs and Sunfest was fun. We were on the big screen and as the crowd started growing people were dancing. They were into it and giving us a lot of love,” she said.
Since that performance Dawson admitted she has been a bit overwhelmed with the interest she has been receiving from the industry but stated she is more than happy to take her music to the next level.
“I would not have been ready before this. I think I would have been sucked into the machine and spit out but now I feel like I am really grounded and prepared and ready for it and the universe can bring it on.”
Dawson was born in Hamilton, Ontario and grew up at first unaware of the magnitude of those musical seeds developing within her.
Her father Brent Dawson a successful soul / blues musician, helped to form the grassroots core of the Hamilton music scene.
Being immersed in a life of music, she eventually began to absorb the incredible energy that would soon be transformed into her own magical style.
“My dad was a singer so music was engrained in me,” she said.
At age 19 she began migrating west and embarked on a well-travelled journey of searching and finding her way.
Dawson who also plays guitar, a bit of bass, keyboards and mandolin said her ultimate gig would be performing at the Grand Ole Opry.
“Nashville is on my bucket list and I feel like it may be coming soon,” she agreed.
With a Vancouver Island Music award for vocalist of the year in 2014, and nominations for best live act in 2014 and 2013 it is easy to see why a gig at that venue may be a reality soon.
Dawson’s original songs are about life, love, searching and finding your way.
Her long-awaited debut CD The Lost Tapes, (recorded 11 years ago in Montreal, put on the back burner during her adventurous ride in life, and actually did get lost!) was found and finally mastered and was released this summer.
It opens a personal and venerable window into her life that carries you through a magical musical journey leaving you spellbound and wanting more.
You can hear Dawson’s warm and earthy style when she and her band take to the stage at the Bow Horne Bay Community Club’s Fall Fair held at the Lighthouse Community Centre August 30 at 3 p.m.
