Over the past three decades, Steve Dawson has become such an indelible fixture on the musical landscape of Americana music that it’s tempting to take him for granted. The music that flows out of him is so natural and authentic that it’s possible to forget all of the toil that went into producing it.

Behind the seemingly endless stream of award winning musical output (he has produced and/or played on more than 300 albums since the turn of the millennium, 7 of which have won Juno Awards), is one of the hardest working musicians that Canada has ever produced. Whether he’s turning heads on the concert circuit with his incendiary guitar playing, or pulling the best possible performances out of the many artists that he works with in the studio, Dawson is always striving to take things to the next level.

Steve is a versatile musician and multi-instrumentalist but is mostly known as a slide, steel and pedal steel player. He has developed a style and voice on those instruments that can only come from years of touring and working in the studio. Never one to over-play, Steve is the consumate sideman - creative, supportive and imaginative. While his solo work focuses on the slide guitar in its many forms, and displays advanced technique and mastery, his work in the studio is geared towards the artists that he works with and supporting their vision and songwriting. Artists like Kelly Joe Phelps, Allison Russell and Matt Andersen have all called on Steve to help realize their vision on stage and in the studio.

A native of Vancouver, Canada, but currently residing in Nashville as of 2013, where he works as a solo artist, sideman, and record producer, Steve has forged an impressive career full of highlights and awards, including: 

• 7 Juno Awards as artist/producer, 18 times nominated

• 3 times named "Producer Of The Year" at Western Canadian Music Awards

• 4 times named "Producer Of The Year" at Canadian Folk Music Awards

• Recipient of many other awards including Maple Blues Awards, Grand Prix De Jazz De Montreal, Blues Blast Awards, and many Western Canadian Music Awards and Canadian Folk Awards as an artist and producer

Steve sees production as an exciting step in the creative journey that a song takes from its beginning as a songwriter's idea to a final recorded product. The producer has to understand the music and be able to know what will open possibilities in it. Being a musician is not essential, but it helps, and Dawson brings enviable chops to his work. He also owns a vast collection of unusual instruments, many of which he plays on the recordings he helps to craft – modern electric instruments find themselves blended in with weissenborns, marxophones, pedal steel, pump organs and other odd antique instruments.

Steve’s multi-faceted career has brought him to countless international festivals, working on the stage and in the studio with an extensive cast of musicians, including Allison Russell, John Hammond, Sonny Landreth, Van Dyke Parks, David Hidalgo, Jim Byrnes, David Olney, Oliver Wood, Jill Barber, Dave Alvin, Joe Henry, Bob Rock, Steve Poltz, Amy Helm, Tim O'Brien, Luther Dickinson, Fats Kaplin, The McCrary Sisters, Matt Chamberlain, Birds of Chicago, Long John Baldry, Bruce Cockburn, Kelly Joe Phelps, Linda McRae, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Geoff Muldaur, Scott Amendola, Danny Barnes, The Deep Dark Woods, The Matinee, Big Dave McLean, and many others.

He continues to tour in various configurations; solo, duos, and with his full band The Hooded Mergansers. You can also find Steve playing around Nashville regularly with his traditional Hawaiian band The Volcano Brothers (with Nashville legends Richard Bennett, Fats Kaplin and Dave Jacques). Check the Tour Page for upcoming shows and events.

Steve's studio, The Henhouse, located in East Nashville (and previously in Vancouver) has hosted countless artists and has been the creative home to over 100 releases. With a beautifully warm and organic setting to record and work, it promises to become a destination for many more to come.

Between producing projects for other artists, Steve has recorded music of his own that has explored blues, jazz, Hawaiian, rock, and experimental music. His groundbreaking work with Jesse Zubot in Zubot and Dawson kicked things off in 1998, leading to 2 albums with Toronto jazz stalwarts Andrew Downing and Kevin Turcotte in the award-winning Great Uncles of the Revolution.

Steve’s solo recording output started with 2001’s “Bug Parade”, and from there he has released 11 solo albums that have explored everything from blues and folk to rock, Americana, traditional Hawaiian guitar and avant-garde string quartets.

Head over to the albums section for more info on Steve’s work as a solo artist.

Steve has also been producing the Music Makers And Soul Shakers Podcast for 8 years now and over 175 episodes. If you’re into deep conversations about making music, this podcast is for you!

Steve is always eager to work on new projects, either at his Henhouse Studio in Nashville, or wherever something needs to happen! If you’d like to work with Steve as a musician, producer, mix engineer or any combination thereof, feel free to reach out here.