Dawes is an American rock band comprising brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, Wylie Gelber, and Tay Strathairn, hailing from Los Angeles, California. Dawes was formed from the band Simon Dawes when co-songwriter Blake Mills left, abandoning their post-punk sound in favor of folk rock.
Dawes is part of the Laurel Canyon sound, whose influences include Crosby, Stills, and Nash and Neil Young, among others, centered in the North Hills area of Los Angeles. At the invitation of producer Jonathan Wilson, the band joined an informal jam session in the area that included Conor Oberst, The Black Crowes's Chris Robinson, and Benmont Tench. The band recorded their debut album, North Hills, in Laurel Canyon in a live setting to analog tape[2], resulting in a sound that Rolling Stone magazine called "authentically vintage". Wilco multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone is also credited with appearing on the release.
The band made their television debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on April 14 2010. The band's song "When My Time Comes" played during the final scenes and closing credits of the season two finale of Hung.
On October 26th, 2010, lead singer Taylor Goldsmith told the crowd at a show in Saint Louis, Missouri, that the band took off the month of September to record a new album which will most likely be released in May of 2011.[citation needed]
In an interview with the UCLA Daily Bruin, lead singer Taylor Goldsmith said their new album will most likely be released in June of 2011. In a February 21, 2011 comment left on the same interview, Lenny Goldsmith confirmed that "Alex Casnoff left the band a few months ago. Tay Straithairn was before, and is NOW the keyboard player."
Dawes performed with Robbie Robertson on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman and ABC's The View in support of his new album, How to Become Clairvoyant, featuring Taylor Goldsmith on background vocals.
"When My Time Comes" was featured in a national advertising campaign by Chevy.