Dean Fields

Artist Information

Biography

It takes a long time for me to wake up. Often Ill get up in the middle of night, change the cat box, and go back to bed with no recollection of it. Im an over-thinker and an undecider. I make up words. I went to grad school to pursue music and left grad school to pursue music. I moved 7 times in 3 years between 4 states. I have 300 voices with 300 accents for 301 different moods. I cannot park a car. My wife is the coolest person I know. And she is not a horse. (You gotta see the new album cover.)

Speaking of...My most recent release is a 5 song EP called “Under A Searchlight Moon,” and it’s the best thing I’ve ever created. Recently, I got married and signed a publishing deal. In some ways it feels like I just woke up and while I was sleeping I changed the cat box, recorded 4 albums, and played more than a thousand shows.

Some truly inspiring people have said some really nice things about me including:

Lori McKenna: "All the good people of the world should listen to Dean Fields. He's amazing!"

Rosanne Cash: "Dean Fields is a great songwriter!"

-John Popper (Blues Traveler): "Dean Fields is f@$king awesome!"

I've seen most of our fine country's asphalt performing as a solo singer songwriter: just me and my acoustic guitar. But, I am also honored to have a stellar band in the studio and on the stage that features members of Bon Iver, Josh Ritter, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, and Sparklehorse.

Speaking of name-dropping...I've also had the pleasure of strumming and singing before these fine folks took the stage: John Hiatt, KT Tunstall, Blues Traveler, Rosanne Cash, Randy Rogers Band, Yonder Mountian String Band, Lori McKenna, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Bob Schneider, Hootie and the Blowfish, Cake, Bruce Hornsby, among others.

This time around, It was important to me that the album be an appropriate representation of my music for folks at solo shows and band shows. I’m lucky to have friends who are insanely talented and practiced musicians who are sensitive to my vision. Trey Pollard and I produced this album together at Songwire Studios in Richmond VA. He along with Curtis Fye, Wells Hanley, and Erika Sato really performed magnificently. Did I say magnificently? Because I meant to say MAGNIFICENTLY! I trusted them with these songs and the results are my best work yet. I can’t wait for you to hear it. And I can’t wait to try and outdo it the next time around.

-Dean Fields


Still here huh? Here are a few more highlights you might find interesting:

•FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES:
All About Music TV & Film Festival (Nashville TN), Rites of Spring (Nashville TN), Riverbluff Music Festival (TN), NeMO (Boston MA), Atlantis (Atlanta GA), Dewey Beach (DE), 2NMC (Nashville TN), NACA Northeast (MA), NACA Midatlantic (MD), MusicPlayerLive (NYC, NY), Seaside Music Festival (NJ), Black Potatoe Fest (NJ)

•STARBUCKS EMERGING ARTISTS: Selected as a finalist for the Starbucks Emerging Artist competition along with Mieka Pauley and Sarah Borges.

•BMI SONGWRITER SHOWCASES in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, and the BMI Brunch at SXSW 2005 in Austin!

•INDEPENDENT MUSIC WORLD SERIES Southeast Region finalist. Dean was chosen from over 1,200 acts –the only Singer-Songwriter invited to perform in the finals. The event was held in front of industry judges and a sold out crowd in Nashville TN.

•TOP ONLINE SALES ON CDBABY: Debut CD ‘Imitations’ spent several weeks ranked as one of the top selling albums on CDBaby, the internet’s largest independent music distributor.

•DEAN FIELDS ON MTV: Songs from “Imitations’ have been heard on MTV’s Real World, Road Rules, and Sorority Life.

Instrumentation

Dean Fields: Vocal, Guitar, Piano, Harmonica
Band Lineup:
Curtis Fye: Upright and Electric Bass, bg vocal
Daniel Clark: Drums, Piano, bg vocal
Trey Pollard: Guitars, bg vocal
Emily Easterly: bg vocal

Discography

"Under A Searchlight Moon"
Engineered: Trey Pollard
Songwire Studios (Richmond VA)

"Everything Just Happened the Way that It Happened"
Engineered: Trey Pollard
Songwire Studios (Richmond VA)

"Songs on the Mend"
Engineered: Rich Leissler
EL Records Studios (New York, NY)

"imitations"
Engineered by Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse) Produced by Aland Weatherhead and Dean Fields
Sound of Music Studios (Richmond VA)

Official Website

http://www.deanfields.com

Links

• MySpace
• Facebook
• Twitter

Audio

• Forever Never Knowing
  Listen  
• On Its Way to You
  Listen  
• Half Hearted Apology
  Listen  
• Tongue Like A Hammer
  Listen  
• L.A.
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Before Morning Sobers
• Pale Moon
• L.A.
• Something's Got to Give

Video

dean-fields-lori-mckenna-more-than-i-deserve-demo.mov

Photo Gallery

Press

• Editor Picks [+ Show ]
  

  Dean Fields — He writes lyrics like Leonard Cohen and sings like Jeff Buckley, so it’s no surprise t...Dean Fields — He writes lyrics like Leonard Cohen and sings like Jeff Buckley, so it’s no surprise that there’s a serious industry buzz on this Virginia singer-songwriter. His BMI showcase at South By Southwest was covered by Billboard, he’s playing the Rites of Spring festival in Nashville this weekend (with groups like Yonder Mountain String Band, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Robert Randolph) and his song “Irish Bars” is making the rounds of AAA radio nationwide. At Caffe Corner.
  -K. Oliver

• Review: Dean Fields, Imitations
  

  "He's a delicate songwriter with a voice sweet and melancholy enough to stand up on its own."

• FACE THE MUSIC: DEAN FIELDS [+ Show ]
  

  Face the Music: Dean Fields By Marie Yarbrough Originally from Mechanicsville, Va., Dean Fields re...Face the Music: Dean Fields By Marie Yarbrough
  Originally from Mechanicsville, Va., Dean Fields received his undergrad degree in music composition. He was studying music business and entertainment in Miami when he decided he just wanted to drop out and play music. Fields wrote his debut album "imitations" after a break-up, and the result is a compelling collection of tenderly poetic folk-rock songs. Since then, his music has been featured on MTV reality shows, film scores and soundtracks. This month Fields has a residency at The Sutler, and he talked about Will Smith's rapping style, neurosurgery, and the joys of unbidden clapping.
  
  Describe your music, please.
  Acoustic music, lyrically based. The most generic way to describe it is acoustic pop.
  
  What was the first record you owned and where is it now?
  
  The Oak Ridge Boys' Steppin Out on tape. I got it with my very first boombox! I don't have an earthly clue where it is. You'd think I would have hung on to such a gem of an album!?!?!
  
  What song would you never want to hear again, and why?
  Any Will Smith song. They're the cheesiest word play and always an uncomfortable rap. Except for "Parents Just Don't Understand" -that was true.
  
  What's the best gig you ever had?
  Billboard Live in Miami; it's a big nightclub, the sound was amazing, it was early in my career. Rufus Wainwright played there the day before. I just felt like the coolest guy in the world.
  
  What's the worst gig you ever had?
  Gigs at colleges or bars when I have to teach people they have to clap after songs. They may not come for the music but I come for the clapping..so get on board!
  
  What record do you wish you'd made?
  Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John or Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams. There are a lot I wish I'd made.
  
  If you could be someone else for 24 hours, who would you be?
  A neurosurgeon. -something I'll never be in my life. I'd like to pick apart people's brains then wash my hands and wake up myself again.
  
  What's your opinion on the Nashville music scene?
  It's cool. It's strange. I love the Nashville music scene. It's hard to get into. It's really cool to be around hungry people and it's based around the song -that's key. The ugliest guy can sing at the Bluebird and people will like him if he has a great song.
  
  Who are your favorite Nashville musicians/artists?
  Josh Rouse. He doesn't fit the mold.
  
  Who is someone you've worked with that you think is incredibly talented and everyone should know about, producer, musician or otherwise?
  Emily Easterly. She's a songwriter. She's young and she's a redhead. Eric Hutchinson, another great songwriter. And Alan Weatherhead, he's my engineer/producer. He's good at picking apart sound and making songs ambient. His attention to detail is amazing.
  
  What is your proudest music moment so far?
  When I first went to graduate school I wrote the song "imitations." That's how everything got startedÉI wrote a song I wanted to listen to over and over again. And being able to convince my dad I should leave graduate school.
  
  When and where will you be seen/heard next?
  June 13 & 27 at The Sutler. For more dates, check out www.deanfields.com.
  

• "Dean Fields is fkin AWESOME!"
  

  "Dean Fields is fkin AWESOME!" -John Popper (Blues Traveler)

• Sweet-Voiced Singer Songwriter Plays From The Heart [+ Show ]
  

  Sweet-Voiced Singer Songwriter Plays From The Heart Sarah Shay February 26, 2008 2:43 PM Capi...
  Sweet-Voiced Singer Songwriter Plays From The Heart
  Sarah Shay
  February 26, 2008 2:43 PM
  
  Capital Ale House / Saturday, Feb. 23
  
  When singer/songwriter Dean Fields was a graduate student in Florida, he did exactly what most graduate students dream of at least once in their lives: he quit graduate school. It took the 28-year-old Virginia native a few years to come around to the idea of being a performer, but in the midst of pursuing a degree in music business, the classically trained musician finally threw down his textbooks and made a break for it. Seven years, 800+ shows, and two albums later, he’s still going strong, and making a bit of a name for himself in the bargain.
  
  Positive press has followed Fields wherever he goes, comparing him to the likes of Jeff Buckley and Leonard Cohen. Though he’s folkier and less ethereal than Buckley, his sweetly high tenor and tender phrasing does draw the connection. Fields has also been compared to artists as varied as Neil Young and Willie Nelson (though his soft voice has none of their famous nasal tones), and even Tracy Chapman. Yet while he might have just blended into the obscure mass of folk-inspired singer/songwriters with a guitar and a dream, something is making audiences and critics alike notice this determined young performer.
  Fields’ songs run from mellow, soft ballads like “Be Sweet to Me” to slightly more upbeat folk jaunts like “LA,” breaking your heart (“I’ve held ‘I love yous’ on the tip of my tongue; I swallowed and choked down each, every one”) even as he mends it. His influences ran the gamut from Jim Croce to Aimee Mann, Jump Little Children to “girls with tattoos” (according to his MySpace profile, anyway).
  Fields will be playing this Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Capital Ale House Downtown Music Hall at 9 pm. He’ll be playing with a backing band, so you can expect a fuller sound than on his album. Yet, somehow, I think that Fields’ emotive vocals will still very much be the star of the show.
  
  –Sarah Shay

• The Scene: Dean Fields [+ Show ]
  

  "Imitations works its way through isolation and loneliness, jealousy and desperation with beautiful,..."Imitations works its way through isolation and loneliness, jealousy and desperation with beautiful, sometimes painfully honest lyrical detail"

• REVIEW: DEAN FIELDS, IMITATIONS [+ Show ]
  

  Dean Fields: Imitations Review by Kristen Pasculli, www.discoveringartists.com Rating: 5 stars ...Dean Fields: Imitations
  Review by Kristen Pasculli, www.discoveringartists.com
  
  Rating: 5 stars
  
  The Miami Herald was spot-on when they dubbed Dean Fields as the "voice of two angels". The Boston resident released his album, "Imitations" in 2002, and it's been gaining popularity ever since. I recently got a hold of the CD to give it a listen and was impressed, to say the least. He's similar in sound to the likes of Ryan Adams, but still stands boldly apart from any other artist I've heard. Fields blends sentiment with enchantment into a collection of nine songs that inspire the mind and intrigue the heart. In "Each Every One", my favorite track, Fields combines heartfelt, descriptive lyrics with a soothing sound in a song that explores the phases in relationships: "I've held 'I love yous' on the tip of my tongue/I swallowed and choked down each, every one." The music helps you sense the mood, but it's his vocals that allow you to actually feel his emotions. In "Imitations," he sings about a relationship ending, but does so with great fervor and wisdom. Throughout the album, Fields proves that he's much more than another singer/songwriter wailing out emotions over a guitar. He's got all the makings of a musician who will be around for years to come. This is one CD that will stay in my stereo.
  
  Favorite Tracks: Each Every One, Charleston

• REVIEW: DEAN FIELDS, IMITATIONS [+ Show ]
  

  Artist: Dean Fields CD: Imitations Home: Boston, Massachusetts Style: Hypnotic Folk/Rock Quote...Artist: Dean Fields
  CD: Imitations
  Home: Boston, Massachusetts
  Style: Hypnotic Folk/Rock
  
  Quote: "At the core, he’s a contemplative troubadour trying to bind the pieces of his heart together with guitar strings."
  
  By Jennifer Layton
  
  Sometimes the most delicate sound can have a powerful effect. Dean Fields proves that point throughout his debut CD. His voice is a blend of Tracy Chapman, Christopher Cross, and Dave Matthews. High and sweet. His music has an echoed, dreamy vibe. His lyrics break your heart over and over again.
  
  I’ve held “I love yous” on the tip of my tongue,
  I swallowed and choked down each, every one ...
  
  Fields does loneliness and vulnerability really well. I’m glad he channels those emotions through music, or I’d have to follow him around with the suicide hotline on speed dial.
  
  I bleed my emotion through the push of a pen
  on the tear stained surface of your pale parchment skin,
  on the napkins of Irish bars
  while my pint glass is weeping ...
  
  The music is so beautiful, I find it hard to wallow in the sadness of the lyrics. He occasionally kicks up the tempo with tracks like the rockabilly “In and Out,” and there’s a bit of humor in the sound of the bar patrons providing the chorus of “Irish Bars.” But at the core, he’s a contemplative troubadour trying to bind the pieces of his heart together with guitar strings.
  
  I called you from a payphone in a hotel full of lonely,
  when I knew I didn’t have a dime to me.
  I stirred up the courage
  and I swallowed down my pride.
  I chased it with tequila
  what I knew I couldn’t hide ...
  
  The cello arrangements are perfectly suited for the title track, adding another haunting element to the music. Overall, I’ve never heard sadness sound so beautiful. This is the first CD of sad songs I’ve ever been able to recommend to the brokenhearted. You’ll feel a connection. You’ll be under a different spell than the one love threw over you. You’ll like this one a lot better.
  

• Review: Imitations [+ Show ]
  

  By Jennifer Layton Sometimes the most delicate sound can have a powerful effect. Dean Fields pro...By Jennifer Layton
  
  Sometimes the most delicate sound can have a powerful effect. Dean Fields proves that point throughout his debut CD. His voice is a blend of Tracy Chapman, Christopher Cross, and Dave Matthews. High and sweet. His music has an echoed, dreamy vibe. His lyrics break your heart over and over again.
  
  'I’ve held “I love yous” on the tip of my tongue,
  I swallowed and choked down each, every one ...'
  
  Fields does loneliness and vulnerability really well. I’m glad he channels those emotions through music, or I’d have to follow him around with the suicide hotline on speed dial.
  
  'I bleed my emotion through the push of a pen
  on the tear stained surface of your pale parchment skin,
  on the napkins of Irish bars
  while my pint glass is weeping ... '
  
  The music is so beautiful, I find it hard to wallow in the sadness of the lyrics. He occasionally kicks up the tempo with tracks like the rockabilly “In and Out,” and there’s a bit of humor in the sound of the bar patrons providing the chorus of “Irish Bars.” But at the core, he’s a contemplative troubadour trying to bind the pieces of his heart together with guitar strings.
  
  'I called you from a payphone in a hotel full of lonely,
  when I knew I didn’t have a dime to me.
  I stirred up the courage
  and I swallowed down my pride.
  I chased it with tequila
  what I knew I couldn’t hide ...'
  
  The cello arrangements are perfectly suited for the title track, adding another haunting element to the music. Overall, I’ve never heard sadness sound so beautiful. This is the first CD of sad songs I’ve ever been able to recommend to the brokenhearted. You’ll feel a connection. You’ll be under a different spell than the one love threw over you. You’ll like this one a lot better.
  
  

• "Dean Fields is a GREAT Songwriter"
  

  "Dean Fields is a GREAT Songwriter" -Rosanne Cash

Setlist

On its way to you
Figure Drawings
Carrie's Feet
2 Days to Decide
Now You're Nearly Gone
Half Hearted Apology
Before Morning Sobers
LA
Next in Line
One and Only
Be Sweet to Me
As it was Ending
Dandelion Rain
Pale Moon
Walk with You
In and Out
Get Away
Each Every One
Imitations
Paper Dolls
Irish bars
Anymore
Charleston
Run
Aint no Sunshine (cover-Bill Withers)
Always on My Mind (cover-Willie Nelson)
Into the Mystic (cover-Van Morrison)
Creep (cover-Radiohead)

Basic Requirements

Calendar