Dag songs are the otherworldly tunes we hear in our dreams; the dreams we don’t want to wake up from.
Having just finished their debut full-length album, Benefits of Solitude, Dag will be showcasing their unique sound on February 24, when the album drops.
Benefits of Solitude is a patchwork quilt of musical ideas, bringing in the musical diversity and bottomless influence Dag is making their own.
The title track Benefits of Solitude strikes both a literal and figurative chord with its listeners, as the twang of guitar accompanies the deep warm vocal tone and a chanting chorus to create a strikingly Aussie sound.
The song’s lyrics weave sentimental childhood memories of growing up on a cattle property with darker poetry on the impact of alcoholism and depression on a family.
“It’s about the experiences you go through as a child that shape you in later life, how you feel about love and loss” lead singer Dusty says.
Having grown up in a family that fostered good music in the form of mouldy record collections, Dusty was lucky enough to be exposed to incredible musical influences, such as T. Rex, from a young age. Also featured on the tapes were the mysterious music of Brian Eno and Harold Budd.
“My Uncle Jono also made my Mum these beautiful tapes for long road trips between Sydney and Mundubbera when I was little” he recalls.
The singer fondly remembers his move to Brisbane at the age of 21, and how venues like Real Bad Music were “a kick in the proverbial pants”.
Their soon-to-be released album was a labour of love, described as a “travel diary set to the tune of a badly tuned acoustic guitar”. Though the process was reportedly gruelling at times, it was well worth the slog. Dag truly hit a gold mine with this album.
Not only does Dag deliver a beautiful soundscape, but also accompany each song with some really interesting visual works. The photographs, taken on a disposable camera, symbolise Dag’s music.
“The stark beauty and isolation of the bush, the sadness and depression that hangs over a lot of rural areas”.
With Benefits of Solitude being released this Friday, the band are set out to bring the house down at their album launch. Expect a cheeky stage dive.
After the album is released, Dag are set out to play shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart, as well as a possible regional tour through Victoria.
You can pre-order their album in digital or vinyl form.
