The press has likened Landes to "the grand old dames of country" and in the same breath The Black Keys and The White Stripes (Uncut). She’s also garnered comparisons to Cat Power and Pavement, an interesting mix that made even NPR’s David Dye wonder.
Raised in the fertile musical fields of Branson, Missouri and Louisville, Kentucky, Landes came to New York City in 1999 and did a cannonball into the music scene. While holding down several jobs to pay the rent, she abandoned university (NYU) and began to intern at some of the best studios in the city. "I had very little experience", she says. "I was just really, really curious. Dangerously curious in the studio… I picked heros like Tchad Blake and Brian Wilson and took a flying leap."
What started as a job getting coffee for engineers has blossomed into a truly enviable resume; among others she has worked with Phillip Glass, Ryan Adams, Hem, Joseph Arthur, The Earlies and Josh Ritter in the studio. Working late into the night, and often sleeping at the same studios she was interning in, Dawn began producing and recording her own songs after hours. "I wanted to get the sounds in my head onto tape exactly as I heard them. And that’s not an easy thing, there are a lot of sounds in there!"
After meeting the band Hem in the studio, Landes joined them on the road as an 8th band member (vocals and glockenspeil) and opening act. Her performing career started to gain speed. Her first full-length, «dawn’s music» was released in France in 2005, followed by extensive touring in Europe and two other European releases; «234» a 7-song EP released in the UK and finally «Fireproof», released worldwide in 2007. Since then her music has become the stuff of whispers and internet buzz, and her touring schedule has put her on the road with artists such as Feist, Jose Gonzales, Midlake, Suzanne Vega, Martha Wainright, The Swell Season…(the list goes on) At times solo, at times with a revolving cast of musical guests, her shows have the guileless and vibrant quality of a work of art in constant creation.
Landes penned the end-credit song for the movie «Savage Grace» starring Julianne Moore and plucked the WST Bluegrass band from a BBQ in Austin, TX to help her record her version of the Peter, Bjorn and John classic, «Young Folks.» Rumor has it, James Blunt liked it so much he covered dawns cover of the song! In 2007 Landes became the co-partner, designer and full-time dry-waller of Saltlands Studio in Brooklyn. «What if we get bored?» Dawn sings in the Fireproof gem, «Kids in a Play.»
As a solo artist, Landes has put out a number of albums:
* Dawn’s Music (self-released-US/Ocean Music-Europe) 2002
* two, three, four (Boy Scout recordings-UK) 2006
* Fireproof (Cooking Vinyl-US/Fargo Music-Europe) 2008
* Sweetheart Rodeo (Cooking Vinyl) 2010
Official Website: www.dawnlandes.com
Kids In a Play
Dawn Landes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Set in the Victorian age
We only know what to say
Because we practiced at home
Next to kids just like us
Who couldn't help but think we were weird
And you would open your mouth and it would kill me
Just start to speak of the South, like I had been there
And you would forgive yourself as you map my words
I think it's your turn to leave and throw a fit
And I will mumble and grieve and then sigh
Brings the crowd to their feet and almost makes you cry
What if no one comes
What if we get bored
Will you fit my clothes
If we should switch roles
Here we go
We're like kids in a play
Set in the Victorian age
We only know what to say
Because we practiced at home
Or we rehearsed on the bus
Next to kids just like us
Who couldn't help but think, they couldn't help it
They couldn't help it (x3)
The song "Kids in a Play" by Dawn Landes is a reflection of the dynamics of a relationship between two people who feel vulnerable and insecure. Landes illustrates this through the metaphor of children who are acting in a play, set in the Victorian age, where they rehearse their lines in private in order to fit the roles they play in public. The first verse is particularly poignant, as it highlights how the characters in the song are unsure of what to say, but have rehearsed their lines on the bus, with other young people who feel like they don't fit in. The second verse reveals that the male in the relationship struggles with expressing himself, while the female seems to have a better grasp of her own emotions. At one point, the male almost starts to feel comfortable in his own skin, but ultimately breaks down and throws a fit. The chorus brings the song full circle, with the characters realizing that they are in fact like kids in a play.
Line by Line Meaning
We are like kids in a play
We are living in a world where we only know how to behave in a certain way, like actors in a play
Set in the Victorian age
Just like in a play, we are stuck in a specific time period, unable to escape the expectations and norms of this past era
We only know what to say
Our behavior and words are limited and scripted, mirroring that of actors in a performance
Because we practiced at home
Our actions and words are not spontaneous, but carefully rehearsed before stepping into the public eye
Or rehearsed on the bus
Even in private spaces, we continue to rehearse our roles, obsessing over every detail and interaction
Next to kids just like us
We are surrounded by others who are just as trapped in their roles as we are
Who couldn't help but think we were weird
Despite our best efforts to fit in, those around us can sense that something is off, something is not quite genuine
And you would open your mouth and it would kill me
Even the slightest deviation from our rehearsed roles can be unsettling and harmful to ourselves and others
Just start to speak of the South, like I had been there
Trying to incorporate new experiences or perspectives, even if well-intentioned, can disrupt the stability of the carefully constructed roles we inhabit
And you would forgive yourself as you map my words
When we make mistakes or falter in our roles, we must quickly slip back into character and try to cover up or justify our missteps
I think it's your turn to leave and throw a fit
The performative nature of our existence means that we must take turns playing different emotions and reactions to keep the play going
And I will mumble and grieve and then sigh
Our responses to different situations are predictable and rehearsed, just like lines in a script
Brings the crowd to their feet and almost makes you cry
Despite the artificiality of our performances, there are moments when we can almost convince ourselves and others that they are real
What if no one comes
Without an audience, our performances lose their purpose and meaning
What if we get bored
If we become too comfortable in our roles, the play loses its excitement and novelty
Will you fit my clothes
Sometimes we must switch roles and try to inhabit someone else's prescribed identity
If we should switch roles
The possibility of changing roles is both thrilling and terrifying, as it disrupts the stability of the play's structure
Here we go
With each new scene and interaction, we must take another step into our scripted roles
We're like kids in a play
Our lives are just a performance, a play that we feel we must perform in order to fit in with the expectations of society
Who couldn't help but think, they couldn't help it
Those around us, even if they sense that something is off, cannot help but continue playing their parts in this grand performance
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
K Hill
This is one of them songs that if people heard it they would like it. It has a magical quality that's much better then most songs played on the radio.