Newmarket-based folk roots performer John Dawson puts his heart on his sleeve with his latest single “Where You Belong” from his Outlier album. The tune, produced and mixed by Adam Brunner, speaks to the universality of times a relationship might be in peril. But, by sticking things out together, it’ll be water under the bridge or in the rear-view mirror as time marches forward.
Dawson, who describes “Where You Belong” as a “scrappy little love song,” offers a lovely piece of music and lyrical prose by believing the proverbial glass is half full, not half empty. With gorgeous harmonies, sweet piano accents in the background and the solid rhythm duo of bassist Manny DeGrandis and drummer/percussionist Anthony D’Angela, “Where You Belong” exemplifies the quality and depth Dawson brings to each song with an economical use of words that brings to mind lyrical craftsmen like Ron Sexsmith, Lyle Lovett and Nick Lowe.
Tell me I’m wrong,
But if we just wallk away,
We’ll be giving in to all they have said.
You decide,
But I believe,
That by my side,
Is where you belong.
“Where You Belong” is the latest single from Dawson who released “Things That I Meant To Say” in July, 2024. In an August, 2024 interview with Newmarket Today, Dawson said the songs emerged from a handful of touchstone events in his life including the death of a parent, getting married and the birth of a child. “Much of the music was coming just working through a lot of emotions myself,” he told the outlet. “Just sort of reporting what I’m seeing in my life through the music I create.”
Dawson says there’s also an appreciation for his craft now that he has become a bit more removed from his teenage years and twenties. “The joy to be able to know that my hands can do these things,” he told the outlet. “It changes as you get a bit older. You don’t go out to be a rock star. You do it because of the genuine love of the art form.”
Dawson is no stranger to music, having worked in a myriad of parts of the industry from performing to education. A graduate of Humber College, Dawson cites Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Paul Simon and the late George Harrison as some of his music and lyrical influences. He also earned degrees in Music and Education from York University. And if that wasn’t enough, besides being chosen for various commissions and publishing projects the last two decades, he also co-hosts Ringside Heat, a weekly professional wrestling radio show.
Now with his new single “Where You Belong,” look for John Dawson to keep crafting fully formed gems that tug at your heartstrings as he wrestles with timeless, thoughtful aspects of the human condition.
