On 'Era,' Mike Dawes Takes a Fingerstyle Journey, Literally and Figuratively

The physical constraints imposed by playing guitar in that restroom would result in the single-note groove on “Overload,” from Dawes’ new solo album, Era. This sophomore effort is also informed by other places the globetrotting guitarist has known, such as Northern Ireland (“Fortress”), where he lived for several years, and the American Southwest (“Purr & Sway”), where he toured with the Moody Blues.

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Era has an uncannily natural sound to it, owing to the sophisticated ways in which Dawes’ guitar—a signature Andreas Cuntz CWG23s with Indian rosewood back and sides—was recorded. The instrument was captured with a pair of stereo microphones in the room, a large diaphragm condenser over the nut, a pair of condensers near the guitar’s body, and four onboard pickups. “I can’t speak highly enough of the engineer, Josh Clark, who really gets acoustic music,” Dawes said, adding that cheese-and-chutney sandwiches and tea between takes helped make for a relaxed vibe in the studio.

Though the sound of Dawes’ instrument on the record is predominantly acoustic—the guitarist uses extended techniques to call forth a wide range of timbral and percussive elements—it’s enhanced by a judicious use of effects. “I use lots of effects very moderately, enhancing the music whilst still letting the guitar breathe,” he says. “But who knows? Maybe my next album will be an Icelandic epic with gallons of reverb and delay.”

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