Scottsdale, AZ (January 22, 2015) -- The Fender Custom Shop is proud to announce the 2015 Collection for the 2015 NAMM Show.
2015 Limited Edition Tele Caballo Tono (Tone Horse Tele)
The 2015 Limited Edition Tele Caballo Tono presents a fresh take on Fender’s original workhorse tone machine. Its name translates to “Tone Horse Tele,” and there is indeed a great deal of horsepower here, courtesy of a TV Jones Classic neck pickup, a hand-wound Texas Tele bridge pickup and a Greasebucket™ tone circuit, which rolls off highs without reducing gain. It’s a dark horse too, with a Black lacquer finish on its lightweight alder body and the aged-and-worn Relic treatment to impart the look of authentic wear and tear.
Other premium features include a quartersawn AAA flame maple neck with a highly worn heavy-Relic treatment, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, distinctive Cabronita pickguard and reverse control plate (pickup switch placed behind control knobs), rock-solid Custom Shop RSD bridge, Sperzel tuning machines with pearl buttons, and Schaller strap locks. Black LTD case included.
2015 Limited Edition 1955 Stratocaster
The 2015 Limited Edition 1955 Stratocaster takes you straight back to the instrument’s original era, with a lightweight ash body in Dirty White Blonde or Two-Color Sunburst lacquer Relic finishes that evoke years of hard-fought wear and tear. The sparkling trio of hand-wound ’55 single-coil Stratocaster pickups is mounted on a single-ply eight-hole white pickguard, with five-way switching for modern tonal versatility.
Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, rock-solid American Vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, American Vintage tuning machines and a Custom Shop Limited Edition neck plate. Includes blonde LTD case containing a 1955 Fender Downbeat catalog insert reproduction.
2015 Limited Edition 1955 Esquire
The 2015 Limited Edition 1955 Esquire is a peerlessly crafted take on the single-pickup classic that preceded even the Telecaster in Fender history. Everything about the instrument takes you back to that original era, with a lightweight ash body in Dirty White Blonde or Two-Color Sunburst lacquer Relic body finishes that evoke long years of wear and tear. Authentic Esquire snap comes from its hand-wound ’55 Telecaster single-coil bridge pickup with staggered/beveled polepieces, and, in a special touch, the guitar comes with a neck pickup conversion kit containing a ’55 Telecaster single-coil neck pickup, pickguard and control assembly should you prefer dual-pickup tone and performance.
Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with “soft V” profile and highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three-way tone/pickup switch with black “top hat” tip, single-ply five-hole white pickguard, ’55 Telecaster bridge with ¼” steel saddles, American Vintage tuning machines and a Custom Shop Limited Edition neck plate. Includes blonde LTD case containing a 1955 Fender Downbeat catalog insert reproduction.
2015 Limited Edition 1955 Precision Bass
The 2015 Limited Edition 1955 Precision Bass gives you a magnificently crafted original-era version of the bass that started it all. Its lightweight ash body is sculpted with comfortable body and forearm contours, and comes in Dirty White Blonde or Two-Color Sunburst lacquer Relic body finishes that evoke the wear and aging of decades of frequent use (and occasional abuse). Its muscular blunt-force tone comes from a hand-wound ’55 Precision Bass single-coil pickup with a classic chrome cover.
Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with a highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, 7.25”-radius maple fingerboard with 20 vintage-style frets, single-ply seven-hole white pickguard, authentic reproduction bridge with chrome cover, American Vintage tuning machines and Custom Shop Limited Edition neck plate. Includes blonde LTD case containing a 1955 Fender Downbeat catalog insert reproduction.
2015 American Custom Telecaster
The Fender Custom Shop 2015 American Custom Telecaster takes a double-bound early-’60s classic and decks it out with knockout appointments that make it a dazzling performer. The two-piece lightweight alder body comes in Three-Color Sunburst, Black and Faded Lake Placid Blue finishes with parchment top and back body binding and an NOS treatment that evokes the look of a brand-new instrument in its original model year. Scorching Telecaster snap comes from a pair of hand-wired Twisted Tele single-coil pickups and Fender’s Greasebucket tone circuit, which rolls off highs without reducing gain.
Other premium features include an AAA flame maple neck with “large C” profile, fast compound-radius (9.5”-12”) maple or dark rosewood “slab” fingerboard with bone nut and 22 narrow jumbo frets, three-way pickup switch with black “top hat” tip, three-ply eight-hole parchment pickguard, custom deluxe Telecaster bridge, and Elite chrome tuners with pearl buttons. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case.
2015 American Custom Telecaster FM
The Fender Custom Shop 2015 American Custom Telecaster FM takes a double-bound early-’60s classic and decks it out with knockout appointments that make it a dazzling performer. The two-piece lightweight ash body has a gorgeous two-piece book-matched AAA flame maple top, with parchment top and back body binding. The guitar comes in elegant Violin Burst or Honey Burst finishes with an NOS treatment that evokes the look of a brand-new instrument in its original model year. Scorching Telecaster snap comes from a pair of hand-wired Twisted Tele single-coil pickups and Fender’s Greasebucket tone circuit, which rolls off highs without reducing gain.
Other premium features include an AAA flame maple neck with “large C” profile, fast compound-radius (9.5”-12”) maple or dark rosewood “slab” fingerboard with bone nut and 22 narrow jumbo frets, three-way pickup switch with black “top hat” tip, three-ply eight-hole parchment pickguard, custom deluxe Telecaster bridge, and Elite chrome tuners with pearl buttons. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case.
2015 American Custom Stratocaster
The Fender Custom Shop 2015 American Custom Stratocaster takes the quintessential Fender electric guitar and decks it out with knockout appointments that make it a dazzling performer. The two-piece lightweight alder body is sculpted with deep ’57-style contours for remarkable playing comfort, and comes in Two-Color Sunburst, Black and Shoreline Gold finishes with an NOS treatment that evokes the look of a brand-new instrument in its original model year. Singing Strat sparkle comes from hand-wired ’69 Stratocaster single-coil neck and middle pickups (middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity) and a hand-wired Texas Special single-coil bridge pickup.
Other premium features include an AAA flame maple neck with “large C” profile and ’57-style small headstock; fast compound-radius (9.5”-12”) maple or dark rosewood “slab” fingerboard with rolled edges, bone nut and 22 narrow jumbo frets; five-way pickup switch; three-ply 11-hole parchment pickguard with countersunk pickup- and switch-mounting holes; vintage white control knobs and switch tip; custom deluxe tremolo bridge; and Elite chrome tuners with pearl buttons. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case.
2015 American Custom Stratocaster FM
The Fender Custom Shop 2015 American Custom Stratocaster FM takes the quintessential Fender electric guitar and decks it out with knockout appointments that make it a dazzling performer. The two-piece lightweight ash body is sculpted with deep ’57-style contours for remarkable playing comfort, with a gorgeous two-piece book-matched AAA flame maple top. The guitar comes in Violin Burst and Honey Burst finishes with an NOS treatment that evokes the look of a brand-new instrument in its original model year. Singing Strat sparkle comes from hand-wired ’69 Stratocaster single-coil neck and middle pickups (middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity) and a hand-wired Texas Special™ single-coil bridge pickup.
Other premium features include an AAA flame maple neck with “large C” profile and ’57-style small headstock, fast compound-radius (9.5”-12”) maple or dark rosewood “slab” fingerboard with bone nut and 22 narrow jumbo frets, five-way pickup switch, three-ply 11-hole parchment pickguard with countersunk pickup- and switch-mounting holes, vintage white control knobs and switch tip; custom deluxe tremolo bridge, and Elite chrome tuners with pearl buttons. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case.
2015 Postmodern Stratocaster
The 2015 Postmodern Stratocaster is elegantly designed with a reappraisal of modern assumptions. A thoroughly contemporary take on a time-honored classic, it has a lightweight ash body with a comfortably contoured heel, a quartersawn maple neck with a finely sculpted ’60s “C” profile, a fast compound-radius (9.5”-12”) “round-laminated” maple or rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, and three sparkling Fat ’60s single-coil pickups with modern five-way switching and a special “Tone-Saver” treble-bleed network that keeps tone consistent at any volume (no loss of highs when decreasing volume).
Other premium features include a three-ply parchment pickguard, American Vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, staggered tuning machines (no string tree), Schaller strap locks and Fender “F” logo engraved neck plate. Available in Black, Olympic White, Dakota Red and Three-Color-Sunburst NOS and new “Journeyman” Relic lacquer finishes, the latter of which imparts the appearance of years of aging and light use without heavy wear and tear. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case.
2015 Postmodern Telecaster
The 2015 Postmodern Telecaster is elegantly designed with a reappraisal of modern assumptions. A thoroughly contemporary take on a time-honored classic, it has a lightweight ash body with a comfortably contoured heel, a quartersawn maple neck with a finely sculpted ’60s “C” profile, a fast compound-radius (9.5”-12”) “round-laminated” maple or rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, and dual Twisted Tele pickups with three-way switching and Greasebucket tone circuit, which rolls off highs without reducing gain.
Other premium features include a three-ply parchment pickguard, Custom Shop RSD bridge, American Vintage tuning machines, Schaller strap locks and Fender “F” logo engraved neck plate. Available in Black, Dakota Red and Aged White Blonde NOS and new “Journeyman” Relic lacquer finishes, the latter of which imparts the appearance of years of aging and light use without heavy wear and tear. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case.
2015 Postmodern Precision Jazz Bass
The 2015 Postmodern Precision Jazz Bass is elegantly designed with a reappraisal of modern assumptions. A thoroughly contemporary combination of Fender’s two most time-honored basses, it has a lightweight alder Precision Bass body with a comfortably contoured heel, a quartersawn maple Jazz Bass neck with a finely sculpted ’60s “U” profile, a 7.25”-radius “round-laminated” rosewood fingerboard with 20 medium jumbo frets, and a seismic ’63 Precision bass split single-coil pickup with a vintage-style chrome cover.
Other premium features include a three-ply parchment pickguard (three-ply tortoiseshell pickguard on Three-Color Sunburst model), Custom Shop string-through-body RSD bridge, American Deluxe tuning machines and “Stealth” A-string retainer, Schaller strap locks and Fender “F” logo engraved neck plate. Available in Olympic White, Dakota Red and Three-Color Sunburst NOS and new “Journeyman” Relic lacquer finishes, the latter of which imparts the appearance of years of aging and light use without heavy wear and tear. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case.
1959 Journeyman Relic Precision Bass
The Custom Shop 1959 Journeyman Relic Precision Bass takes you straight back to the original era of the bass that started it all. Its two-piece ash body comes in Vintage Blonde or Faded Three-Color Sunburst “Journeyman” Relic lacquer finishes, which impart the appearance of years of aging and light use without heavy wear and tear. The quartersawn maple neck has a carefully sculpted ’60s “oval C” profile and a highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, topped by a 7.25”-radius rosewood fingerboard with 20 vintage frets.
Other premium features include a ’59-’62 Precision Bass split single-coil pickup with chrome cover, gold anodized aluminum pickguard, authentic reproduction bridge with chrome cover, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes brown textured vinyl hard-shell case with gold interior.
1960 Journeyman Relic Jazz Bass
The Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Jazz Bass transports you to the debut year of Fender’s most popular bass guitar model. Its two-piece alder body comes in Aged Olympic White or Three-Color Sunburst “Journeyman” Relic lacquer finishes, which impart the appearance of years of aging and light use without heavy wear and tear. The quartersawn maple neck has a carefully sculpted ’60s “U” profile and a highly worn Heavy Relic treatment on the back, topped by a 7.25”-radius rosewood “slab” fingerboard with 20 vintage frets.
The two single-coil Jazz Bass pickups are designed for era-specific authenticity, with chrome covers and, in a special period-correct touch, dual “stacked” concentric control knobs (volume and tone for each pickup). Other premium features include a four-ply tortoiseshell pickguard, authentic reproduction bridge with “F” logo chrome cover, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes brown textured vinyl hard-shell case with gold interior.
1970 Relic Stratocaster
The Fender Custom Shop 1970 Relic Stratocaster delivers the authentic style and sound of the era when the Strat ascended to world dominance on the charts and concert stages everywhere. Features include an alder body, quartersawn maple neck with 1969 “U” profile and large headstock, 9.5”-radius maple or rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three Fat ’60s single-coil pickups (reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup) with five-way switching, three-ply parchment pickguard, vintage white control knobs and an American Vintage bridge. Available in Black, Lake Placid Blue, Three-Color Sunburst and Olympic White (maple fingerboard model only) worn Relic finishes. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case with red interior.
1960 Relic Telecaster Custom
The Fender Custom Shop 1960 Relic Telecaster Custom is a sight and sound to behold, with an alder body dressed in a gorgeous Three-Color Chocolate Sunburst Relic finish with Dark Plum sides, and the elegant top and back binding that is the early-’60s hallmark of the instrument. Pure Telecaster snap and sparkle comes from a pair of hand-wound Twisted Tele pickups, and the quartersawn maple neck is sculpted with a comfortable early-’60s “oval C” profile.
Other premium features include a 9.5”-radius rosewood “slab” fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three-way pickup switch with aged white “top hat” tip, three-ply mint green pickguard, American Vintage Telecaster bridge with threaded saddles, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes brown textured vinyl hard-shell case with gold interior.
1957 Relic Stratocaster
The Fender Custom Shop 1957 Relic Stratocaster takes you straight back to the pivotal year when the instrument was largely perfected into the form known worldwide today. Its deep-contoured alder body comes in Two-Color Sunburst, Black and HLE Gold lacquer Relic finishes, while an ash-body model is available in a White Blonde lacquer Relic finish. Sparkling tone comes from three hand-wound ’50s Stratocaster single-coil pickups (reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup) with modern five-way switching.
Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with a ’57 “soft V” profile and small headstock, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, single-ply parchment pickguard, vintage white control knobs, American Vintage bridge, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes hard-shell tweed case with gold interior.
1963 Relic Stratocaster
The Fender Custom Shop 1963 Relic Stratocaster takes you back to a pivotal period in the instrument’s history, when surf music was riding high and the Strat underwent some notable design mods. Its deep-contoured alder body comes in Three-Color Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red and Olympic White lacquer Relic finishes. Sparkling tone comes from three hand-wound ’60s Stratocaster single-coil pickups (reverse wound/reverse polarity middle pickup) with modern five-way switching.
Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with a comfortable ’60s “oval C” profile and small headstock, 9.5”-radius “round-laminated” rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three-ply mint green pickguard, vintage white control knobs, American Vintage bridge, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes brown textured vinyl hard-shell case with red interior.
1952 Heavy Relic Telecaster
The Fender Custom Shop 1952 Heavy Relic Telecaster is an authentic evocation of Fender’s first workhorse guitar, along with some upgraded features for modern playability. Its ash body comes in Two-Color Sunburst, Black or Nocaster Blonde Heavy Relic lacquer finishes. Time-honored Telecaster snap comes from dual Nocaster pickups with three-way switching and Fender’s Greasebucket tone circuit, which rolls off highs without reducing gain.
Other premium features include a maple neck with a Nocaster “U” profile, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, single-ply parchment pickguard (black pickguard on Nocaster Blonde model), ’52 Telecaster bridge with brass saddles, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes hard-shell tweed case with center pocket.
1963 Relic Telecaster
The Fender Custom Shop 1963 Relic Telecaster takes you back to the early years of one of modern music’s most electrifying decades. Its alder body comes in Three-Color Sunburst, Olympic White and Blue Ice Metallic lacquer Relic finishes, with signature Telecaster snap and sparkle coming from dual American Vintage Telecaster pickups with three-way switching and Fender’s Greasebucket tone circuit, which rolls off highs without reducing gain.
Other premium features include a quartersawn maple neck with a comfortable mid-’60s “oval C” profile, 9.5”-radius “round-laminated” rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow jumbo frets, three-ply mint green pickguard, American Vintage Telecaster bridge with threaded saddles, and American Vintage tuning machines. Includes black textured vinyl hard-shell case with red interior.
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LR Baggs Session DI Acoustic Guitar Preamp / DI
Inspired by the LR Baggs Handcrafted Video Sessions and our experience in some of Nashville’s great studios, the Session Acoustic DI brings our signature studio sound to your live rig. The Session DI enhances your acoustic pickup and imparts the rich sonic character that you’d expect from an experienced audio engineer using some of the world’s finest studio gear. We’ve captured this studio magic and put it into a compact, easy-to-use DI that will transform your live sound.
For the first time in the band’s history, the Dawes lineup for Oh Brother consisted of just Griffin and Taylor Goldsmith (left and right).
Goldsmith’s lyrics spoke to me the loudest, with lines like “Well, you can judge the whole world on the sparkle that you think it lacks / Yes, you can stare into the abyss, but it’s starin’ right back” (a casual Nietzsche paraphrase); and “Oh, the snowfall this time of year / It’s not what Birmingham is used to / I get the feeling that I brought it here / And now I’m taking it away.” The way his words painted a portrait of the sincere, sentimental man behind them, along with his cozy, unassuming guitar work and the band’s four-part harmonies, had me hooked.
Nothing Is Wrong and Stories Don’t End came next, and I happily gobbled up more folksy fodder in tracks like “If I Wanted,” “Most People,” and “From a Window Seat.” But 2015’s All Your Favorite Bands, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Folk Albumschart, didn’t land with me, and by the time 2016’s We’re All Gonna Die was released, it was clear that Goldsmith had shifted thematically in his writing. A friend drew a thoughtful Warren Zevon comparison to the single, “When the Tequila Runs Out”—a commentary on vapid, conceited, American-socialite party culture—but it still didn’t really do it for me. I fell off the Dawes train a bit, and became somewhat oblivious to their three full-lengths that followed.
Oh Brotheris Goldsmith’s latest addition to the Dawes songbook, and I’m grateful to say that it’s brought me back. After having done some catching up, I’d posit that it’s the second work in the third act, or fall season, of his songwriting—where 2022’s Misadventures of Doomscrollercracked open the door, Oh Brother swings it wide. And it doesn’t have much more than Dawes’ meat and potatoes, per se, in common with acts one or two. Some moodiness has stayed—as well as societal disgruntlement and the arrangement elements that first had me intoxicated. But then there’s the 7/4 section in the middle of “Front Row Seat”; the gently unwinding, quiet, intimate jazz-club feel of “Surprise!”; the experimentally percussive, soft-spoken “Enough Already”; and the unexpected, dare I say, Danny Elfman-esque harmonic twists and turns in the closing track, “Hilarity Ensues.”
The main engine behind Dawes, the Goldsmith brothers are both native “Angelinos,” having been born and raised in the L.A. area. Taylor is still proud to call the city his home.
Photo by Jon Chu
“I have this working hypothesis that who you are as a songwriter through the years is pretty close to who you are in a dinner conversation,” Goldsmith tells me in an interview, as I ask him about that thematic shift. “When I was 23, if I was invited to dinner with grownups [laughs], or just friends or whatever, and they say, ‘How you doin’, Taylor?’ I probably wouldn’t think twice to be like, ‘I’m not that good. There’s this girl, and … I don’t know where things are at—can I share this with you? Is that okay?’ I would just go in in a way that’s fairly indiscreet! And I’m grateful to that version of me, especially as a writer, because that’s what I wanted to hear, so that’s what I was making at the time.
“But then as I got older, it became, ‘Oh, maybe that’s not an appropriate way to answer the question of how I’m doing.’ Or, ‘Maybe I’ve spent enough years thinking about me! What does it feel like to turn the lens around?’” he continues, naming Elvis Costello and Paul Simon as inspirations along the way through that self-evolution. “Also, trying to be mindful of—I had strengths then that I don’t have now, but I have strengths now that I didn’t have then. And now it’s time to celebrate those. Even in just a physical way, like hearing Frank Zappa talking about how his agility as a guitar player was waning as he got older. It’s like, that just means that you showcase different aspects of your skills.
“I am a changing person. It would be weird if I was still writing the same way I was when I was 23. There would probably be some weird implications there as to who I’d be becoming as a human [laughs].”
Taylor Goldsmith considers Oh Brother, the ninth full-length in Dawes’ catalog, to be the beginning of a new phase of Dawes, containing some of his most unfiltered, unedited songwriting.
Since its inception, the engine behind Dawes has been the brothers Goldsmith, with Taylor on guitar and vocals and Griffin on drums and sometimes vocal harmonies. But they’ve always had consistent backup. For the first several years, that was Wylie Gelber on bass and Tay Strathairn on keyboards. On We’re All Gonna Die, Lee Pardini replaced Strathairn and has been with the band since. Oh Brother, however, marks the departure of Gelber and Pardini.
“We were like, ‘Wow, this is an intense time; this is a vulnerable time,’” remarks Goldsmith, who says that their parting was supportive and loving, but still rocked him and Griffin. “You get a glimpse of your vulnerability in a way that you haven’t felt in a long time when things are just up and running. For a second there, we’re like, ‘We’re getting a little rattled—how do we survive this?’”
They decided to pair up with producer Mike Viola, a close family friend, who has also worked with Mandy Moore—Taylor’s spouse—along with Panic! At the Disco, Andrew Bird, and Jenny Lewis. “[We knew that] he understands all of the parameters of that raw state. And, you know, I always show Mike my songs, so he was aware of what we had cookin’,” says Goldsmith.
Griffin stayed behind the kit, but Taylor took over on bass and keys, the latter of which he has more experience with than he’s displayed on past releases. “We’ve made records where it’s very tempting to appeal to your strengths, where it’s like, ‘Oh, I know how to do this, I’m just gonna nail it,’” he says. “Then there’s records that we make where we really push ourselves into territories where we aren’t comfortable. That contributed to [Misadventures of Doomscroller] feeling like a living, breathing thing—very reactive, very urgent, very aware. We were paying very close attention. And I would say the same goes for this.”
That new terrain, says Goldsmith, “forced us to react to each other and react to the music in new ways, and all of a sudden, we’re exploring new corners of what we do. I’m really excited in that sense, because it’s like this is the first album of a new phase.”
“That forced us to react to each other and react to the music in new ways, and all of a sudden, we’re exploring new corners of what we do.”
In proper folk (or even folk-rock) tradition, the music of Dawes isn’t exactly riddled with guitar solos, but that’s not to say that Goldsmith doesn’t show off his chops when the timing is right. Just listen to the languid, fluent lick on “Surprise!”, the shamelessly prog-inspired riff in the bridge of “Front Row Seat,” and the tactful, articulate line that threads through “Enough Already.” Goldsmith has a strong, individual sense of phrasing, where his improvised melodies can be just as biting as his catalog’s occasional lyrical jabs at presumably toxic ex-girlfriends, and just as melancholy as his self-reflective metaphors, all the while without drawing too much attention to himself over the song.
Of course, most of our conversation revolves around songwriting, as that’s the craft that’s the truest and closest to his identity. “There’s an openness, a goofiness—I even struggle to say it now, but—an earnestness that goes along with who I am, not only as a writer but as a person,” Goldsmith elaborates. “And I think it’s important that those two things reflect one another. ’Cause when you meet someone and they don’t, I get a little bit weirded out, like, ‘What have I been listening to? Are you lying to me?’” he says with a smile.
Taylor Goldsmith's Gear
Pictured here performing live in 2014, Taylor Goldsmith has been the primary songwriter for all of Dawes' records, beginning with 2009’s North Hills.
Photo by Tim Bugbee/Tinnitus Photography
Guitars
- Fender Telecaster
- Gibson ES-345
- Radocaster (made by Wylie Gelber)
Amps
- ’64 Fender Deluxe
- Matchless Laurel Canyon
Effects
- 29 Pedals EUNA
- Jackson Audio Bloom
- Ibanez Tube Screamer with Keeley mod
- Vintage Boss Chorus
- Vintage Boss VB-2 Vibrato
- Strymon Flint
- Strymon El Capistan
Strings
- Ernie Ball .010s
In Goldsmith’s songwriting process, he explains that he’s learned to lean away from the inclination towards perfectionism. Paraphrasing something he heard Father John Misty share about Leonard Cohen, he says, “People think you’re cultivating these songs, or, ‘I wouldn’t deign to write something that’s beneath me,’ but the reality is, ‘I’m a rat, and I’ll take whatever I can possibly get, and then I’ll just try to get the best of it.’
“Ever since Misadventures of Doomscroller,” he adds, “I’ve enjoyed this quality of, rather than try to be a minimalist, I want to be a maximalist. I want to see how much a song can handle.” For the songs on Oh Brother, that meant that he decided to continue adding “more observations within the universe” of “Surprise!”, ultimately writing six verses. A similar approach to “King of the Never-Wills,” a ballad about a character suffering from alcoholism, resulted in four verses.
“The economy of songwriting that we’re all taught would buck that,” says Goldsmith. “It would insist that I only keep the very best and shed something that isn’t as good. But I’m not going to think economically. I’m not going to think, ‘Is this self-indulgent?’
Goldsmith’s songwriting has shifted thematically over the years, from more personal, introspective expression to more social commentary and, at times, even satire, in songs like We’re All Gonna Die’s “When the Tequila Runs Out.”
Photo by Mike White
“I don’t abide that term being applied to music. Because if there’s a concern about self-indulgence, then you’d have to dismiss all of jazz. All of it. You’d have to dismiss so many of my most favorite songs. Because in a weird way, I feel like that’s the whole point—self-indulgence. And then obviously relating to someone else, to another human being.” (He elaborates that, if Bob Dylan had trimmed back any of the verses on “Desolation Row,” it would have deprived him of the unique experience it creates for him when he listens to it.)
One of the joys of speaking with Goldsmith is just listening to his thought processes. When I ask him a question, he seems compelled to share every backstory to every detail that’s going through his head, in an effort to both do his insights justice and to generously provide me with the most complete answer. That makes him a bit verbose, but not in a bad way, because he never rambles. There is an endpoint to his thoughts. When he’s done, however, it takes me a second to realize that it’s then my turn to speak.
To his point on artistic self-indulgence, I offer that there’s no need for artists to feel “icky” about self-promotion—that to promote your art is to celebrate it, and to create a shared experience with your audience.
“I hear what you’re saying loud and clear; I couldn’t agree more,” Goldsmith replies. “But I also try to be mindful of this when I’m writing, like if I’m going to drag you through the mud of, ‘She left today, she’s not coming back, I’m a piece of shit, what’s wrong with me, the end’.... That might be relatable, that might evoke a response, but I don’t know if that’s necessarily helpful … other than dragging someone else through the shit with me.
“In a weird way, I feel like that’s the whole point—self-indulgence. And then obviously relating to someone else, to another human being.”
“So, if I’m going to share, I want there to be something to offer, something that feels like: ‘Here’s a path that’s helped me through this, or here’s an observation that has changed how I see this particular experience.’ It’s so hard to delineate between the two, but I feel like there is a difference.”
Naming the opening track “Mister Los Angeles,” “King of the Never-Wills,” and even the title track to his 2015 chart-topper, “All Your Favorite Bands,” he remarks, “I wouldn’t call these songs ‘cool.’ Like, when I hear what cool music is, I wouldn’t put those songs next to them [laughs]. But maybe this record was my strongest dose of just letting me be me, and recognizing what that essence is rather than trying to force out certain aspects of who I am, and force in certain aspects of what I’m not. I think a big part of writing these songs was just self-acceptance,” he concludes, laughing, “and just a whole lot of fishing.”
YouTube It
Led by Goldsmith, Dawes infuses more rock power into their folk sound live at the Los Angeles Ace Hotel in 2023.
