So it’s been a little over a week since this song was released. The response has been warm and loving and I can’t tell you just how much that means to me. Before releasing it I had played it a bunch of times in the acoustic segment of Dawes shows and it was always well received. It was important to me to have a full band on the tune. I thought a groove and guitar riff could help it feel like a proper Dawes song rather than something quieter and more traditional, and that appears to have worked out. But that didn’t mean I knew how fans would react. I was expecting a fair amount of demoitis; of people complaining that they liked it more in its embryonic state. I’m proud to say I haven’t come across any of that pushback. It wouldn’t have changed my mind if I did, but it’s nice to see nonetheless.
“House Parties” was the first song I wrote for “Oh Brother”. In fact, I remember playing it for Griffin at the studio during the Misadventure sessions. I was confident it would be a good tune for the band, but it felt obvious that it wasn’t appropriate for the record we were cutting at that particular moment. So I sat on it and played it live for a few years .
I can’t count the amount of cities I’ve visited, found myself in the middle of the most touristy zones, with the same shops that are in any big city, with all the landmarks that I wish I cared a little more about, with all the fellow travellers looking for some kind of local flare, while all the true ambassadors of the city’s culture are on the other side of town, far from these mechanisms of consumerism and tourism that have drawn us in, without us knowing even knowing how. We all want our experiences to be singular and authentic, but unless you spend a long time in a place, know some people who live in the area, or are particularly adept at this kind of thing, it’s hard to get even a fleeting glimpse of the true heart of a city.
I have so many fond memories of finishing shows and having friends or fans or promoters drag us along to a house party, a diner, a beloved dive bar, or an even later show somewhere nearby. Getting insights along the way into communities, budding music scenes, slang, the backs of strangers’ cars, what beers are popular where, even nuanced histories of families and friendships. Looking back on these experiences, that kind of access frankly feels sacred.
“House Parties” is also the first track we recorded for “Oh Brother”. The workflow of every album is different and it always takes a few songs to see how that presents itself. The first songs you cut are always a bit of a crapshoot. So we started with this one because we felt confident enough in the tune to revisit if we needed to. But it turns out we didn’t need to! Mike fired up his tape machine, I showed him the bass part I had in mind for the choruses, Trevor had written a perfect slide guitar hook, and Griff had a million amazing ideas for percussion layering. It came together fast and easy.
The 1st single off our upcoming album ‘Oh Brother’, dropping October 11th, 2024.
The Fat Angel Sings 