Music Industry News

Following on from the twitchy single ‘Quarter Life’ Elliott Dawson releases his new single ‘Calling Time’ on November 15th. The track features Dawson’s unmistakable vocals and a driving, minimal groove. It is the second single from his just-announced sophomore album Certain Death, scheduled for release in April 2025.

‘Quarter Life’ proved to be a hit on the SRN, charting for multiple weeks on 95bFM’s Top Ten and in RadioScope’s Alternative Music Charts. ‘Calling Time,’ also accompanied by a thrashing music video directed by Daniel Kingston, sees Dawson reflecting on the difficulty of maintaining friendships in your mid to late 20s. The song is a sparse groover that poses more questions than answers, contemplating the transactional nature of some relationships.

Certain Death, Dawson’s forthcoming album, was recorded in Pōneke throughout 2023, produced by Wellington legend James Goldsmith (DARTZ, Wiri Donna, Mermaidens), and will be released independently in April 2025. Dawson describes the album as his most honest work to date: “This record took a lot out of me. I did a lot of staring at the ceiling and scratching my head, like, ‘Do I really want to go there?’ Some things are better left in the ground, and this one felt like exhuming my own remains.” The album will be available for pre-order on Bandcamp starting November 15, 2024.

Since we last heard from him, Dawson has toured in support of his debut record Hang Low, opened for acts such as Black Midi (UK) and Sorry (UK), and made his mark at festivals like Welcome to Nowhere and CubaDupa. He has also solidified his role as lead guitarist in the band Wiri Donna, contributing to their forthcoming EP In My Chambers. Nevertheless, Certain Death marks a new chapter for Dawson, one in which the universal theme of mortality takes center stage.

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