Music
Press
This Demo sounds more like the soundtrack to a seedy vampire drama set in a speak-easy town in the Deep South than the debut offering from 5 lads hailing from West Yorkshire. Opening tracks Goldrush, Westenra and The Virgin & the Creep really set out the bands stall as heavily 50s/60s-influenced raconteurs recounting tales of enchanted forests, forbidden medievil romances and self destructive greed. As the lyrics take the foreground the music itself is subtley understated, embracing gloomy Americana. The atmospheric undertones and evocative lyrics are reminiscent of the great American storytellers like bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, with more than a slight element of Mick Jagger swagger, demonstrating a band with a whole bucket load of potential and an already-polished veneer that belies their relative inexperience.
- No Title Magazine 2010
Second on the days menu is Dawnriders who come on stage looking like extras from a fist full of dollars. I’m expecting a howdy but instead we get an ‘’alriiight, anyone see us busking outside here yesterday?’’ The majority here it seems did do which pleases guitarist’’’’’’no end. First song to be played is Dawnriders. You have to admire a band that has a self titled song, especially one this grandiose. They play tight and they play hard. They play music for drinking whiskey to and for pinching girls bottoms to, they play music for a party in a barn, there are times when I could easily see myself grabbing daisy by the toe and spinning her around my head or whatever goes on in a hoe down and others when I feel like propping up the bar of my local saloon before shooting some fucker in the face. It’s a treat to see a band so in tune with each other and doing something other than guitar indie or heavy rock, particularly coming from Bradford. - Panic Music
Influences of Johnny Cash were also present as the Dawnriders put on great performance before Seasick Steve proved to be one of the festival’s highlights with his story telling blues, owning the stage while being ably assisted by his enthusiastic drummer.
- The Ark 2010
Klondike Gold Rush, Dawson City, Saloon brawls, sawdust, stage coaches and vultures circling overhead spring to mind as The Dawnriders deliver their powerful, punchy songs taking you on a journey for a large slice of the wildwest. There's everything here from The Animals to Gene Pitney with a little bit of Johnny Cash thrown in for good measure. These boys believe in what they're doing and they do what they're doing very well. YeeHa! Enjoy the journey.
- Bingley Music Live 2010
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Amid the glowing embers of a dying camp fire on a dark December night in the winter of 2008, rose a sombre melody that would draw together a posse of friends who would soon become The Dawnriders.
Westenra"?, a dark, atmospheric ballad inspired by tales of enchanted forests and vampire maidens snatching the souls of lonely men, was the first of many songs that were born from the collective consciousness of two close friends, Danny Teale and Danny Louch, the founding members of The Dawnriders.
Very soon, they realised that to construct an album as powerful and soulful as they envisaged, they would have to draw upon the creative talents of their good friends and members of former bands. By the spring of 2009, they were joined by Joe Leach (Louch’s cousin) on the keyboards, organ and piano. The Dawnriders still needed a dynamic rhythm section to push their sound forward and add depth and force to the poetic lyrics and melodies. Candle lit evenings in a decrepit, derelict mill spent playing tunes huddled together in the dancing light convinced brothers, Matthew and Kieran Troth, the respective bass player/guitarist and drummer, that this was something they believed in.
Drawing lyrical inspiration from their favourite literature, storytellers and personal experience, a rapid abundance of songs formed and all members were contributing to the direction and dynamic of the band. Songs that told the story of forbidden medieval romance (The Virgin and the Creep), of nights lost in a haze of euphoric revelry (Nightcrawling) and metaphorical tales of greed and self destruction (Gold Rush) were deemed ready to record and by November of 2009 these songs and five others were recorded in the derelict mill where they had crafted their sound.
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