Dawes have announced the release of “I Love L.A.,” a cover of the Randy Newman 1983 classic, with proceeds directed to the Recording Academy and MusiCares’ Los Angeles fire relief effort. The band first performed a rendition of “I Love L.A.” on Sunday at the Grammy Awards, making lyrical changes to reflect L.A.’s resilience. Dawes performed as part of the opening ensemble and were joined by Sheryl Crow, Brittany Howard, Brad Paisley, John Legend, and St. Vincent.
Dawes also performed at the FireAid benefit concert Friday, opening with their 2011 single “Time Spent in Los Angeles,” as L.A. landmarks filled the stage backdrop. Some members of the band were among those impacted by the California wildfires. Taylor Goldsmith, the lead vocalist, lost his home studio and band equipment to the Eaton fire; whereas his brother Griffin, the band’s drummer, and Wylie Gelber, former bassist, lost their homes in Altadena, California. Taylor Goldsmith reflected on the friends and family who lost their residences, in an interview with Rolling Stone last month.
“This is a gnarly tragedy and there’s no two ways around it,” Taylor Goldsmith told Rolling Stone. “The amount of loss and harm and pain is unthinkable and unfathomable and unforgivable on a cosmic level. But at the same time, I just have to figure out a way to not let it suck me into the vortex.”
Last fall, Dawes released their album Oh Brother, which features a blend of indie rock numbers and vulnerable ballads. The Southern California-based band also celebrated their 15th anniversary in the same year. Following Gelber’s decision to exit the band, Taylor Goldsmith said he welcomed the change.
“I love it when bands have new phases, and this is the beginning of a new phase,” Goldsmith told Rolling Stone last month. “If anything, it’s reinvigorated Griffin and I. It reminded us, ‘Oh, we’re lifers.’ We’re lifers as band leaders. We don’t want to do anything else — we want to do this.”
