Steve Dawson

Guitars, Pedal Steel, Mixing

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6 Reviews (1 Verified)
Steve Dawson on SoundBetter

I specialize in all things slide - pedal steel, lap steel, weissenborn, dobro, acoustic and electric slide guitar. I’m also an experienced mix engineer and producer with 25 years experience and over 100 album production credits. I work out of my studio in East Nashville - The Henhouse. I'm available for remote and in-person sessions of all kinds.

I'm a Canadian musician, living in Nashville for the last 12 years. I've played on over 300 albums, produced and mixed over 100 albums for other artists, as well as released 11 of my own records. I've spent a lot of time on the road, but these days I work mostly out of Nashville doing sessions, producing, mixing and recording remotely for artists from around the world. I have played on Grammy nominated records, and many Juno Award-winning albums (The Canadian Grammy). I'm fast, efficient and can get you set up with whatever you need from my skill set. I specialize in slide guitars and can get you the sounds you’re looking for whether that’s pedal steel, lap steel, acoustic or electric slide, weissenborn or dobro. I also play all forms of acoustic and electric guitar and am very comfortable in many styles of music. I am also available to produce and mix, and mostly work out of my Studio in East Nashville, but happy to work anywhere.

I’m happy to negotiate rates to play on multiple songs and look forward to working with you on your music!

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Steve Dawson (5)
  • Zubot & Dawson
  • Zubot & Dawson
  • Bottleneck (6)
  • Jenny Whiteley
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Kelly Joe Phelps
  • Old Man Luedecke
  • Old Man Luedecke
  • The Marigolds (5)
  • Ndidi O*
  • Various
  • The Deep Dark Woods
  • Mary Kastle
  • Old Man Luedecke
  • Oh My Darling
  • Christa Couture
  • Wyndham Thiessen
  • Kelly Joe Phelps
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Ralph Shaw
  • Kat Danser
  • Levi Cuss
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Leaf Rapids
  • Christa Couture
  • Big Dave McLean
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Birds Of Chicago
  • Matt Patershuk
  • David Olney
  • Matt Andersen
  • Kat Danser
  • Kim Beggs (2)
  • Geoff Berner With Diona Davies And Wayne Adams (2)
  • Kelly Joe Phelps
  • The Deep Dark Woods
  • Old Man Luedecke
  • The Deep Dark Woods
  • Mary Kastle
  • Old Man Luedecke
  • Oh My Darling
  • Christa Couture
  • Wyndham Thiessen
  • Kelly Joe Phelps
  • Jim Byrnes
  • JW-Jones
  • Ralph Shaw
  • Kat Danser
  • Levi Cuss
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Christa Couture
  • Big Dave McLean
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Birds Of Chicago
  • Matt Patershuk
  • David Olney
  • Matt Andersen
  • Kat Danser
  • Matt Andersen And The Big Bottle Of Joy
  • Maitri (2)
  • Various
  • Zubot & Dawson
  • Great Uncles Of The Revolution
  • Chris Tarry
  • Buried Heart Project
  • Zubot And Dawson*
  • Various
  • Great Uncles Of The Revolution
  • Bottleneck (6)
  • Kelly Joe Phelps
  • Don Rooke
  • Bill Runge
  • Geoff Berner With Diona Davies And Wayne Adams (2)
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Joey Wright
  • Kat Danser
  • The Gruff
  • Kelly Joe Phelps
  • Jessie Farrell
  • The Sojourners (3)
  • The Deep Dark Woods
  • Various
  • Joanna Finch
  • Old Man Luedecke
  • Julie Neumark
  • Old Man Luedecke
  • Jill Barber
  • The Marigolds (5)
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Wayne Lavallee
  • Ndidi O*
  • Kelly Joe Phelps
  • Various
  • The Deep Dark Woods
  • Mary Kastle
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Old Man Luedecke
  • Various
  • Linda McRae & Cheerful Lonesome
  • Roxanne Potvin
  • Melissa Rae Barrie
  • Oh My Darling
  • Bettysoo & Doug Cox (3)
  • Christa Couture
  • Wyndham Thiessen
  • Peter Appleyard
  • Kelly Joe Phelps
  • Jim Byrnes
  • JW-Jones
  • Ralph Shaw
  • Kat Danser
  • Levi Cuss
  • Jill Barber
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Split Single
  • Christa Couture
  • Big Dave McLean
  • Ian Janes
  • David Olney
  • Jim Byrnes
  • Birds Of Chicago
  • Matt Patershuk
  • David Olney
  • Liz Cooper & The Stampede
  • Birds Of Chicago
  • Matt Andersen
  • The Small Glories
  • Joe Edwards (16)
  • Joel Plaskett
  • Kat Danser
  • Allison Russell
  • Kim Beggs (2)
  • Denis Dufresne
  • David Essig
  • Maitri (2)
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Jim Byrnes

Languages

  • English

6 Reviews

Endorse Steve Dawson
  1. Review by Avrom G.
    starstarstarstarstar
    check_circleVerified

    Steve delivered some great slide parts! Really elevated the track. Looking forward to working with him again!

  2. Review by Matt Patershuk
    starstarstarstarstar
    by Matt Patershuk

    It’s obvious from a short listen what a talented instrumentalist Steve is. The things that really set him apart from his peers are his exceptional listening skills, and his ability to inspire an artist and a collaborative spirit in a session. He has an uncanny ability to set the table for magic in the studio. ALSO - a great friggin’ guy to boot.

  3. Review by Erin Rosd
    starstarstarstarstar
    by Erin Rosd

    Steve was great to work with. Great player good ears, crafty licks and great ideas from the producers chair as well. The consumate professional

  4. Review by Allen Hayes
    starstarstarstarstar
    by Allen Hayes

    I have worked with Steve on several of my original songs and he exemplifies true musicianship while being a complete professional (and a good human being to boot) It is a absolute honor to make music with Steve and I hope to continue to do so going forward.

  5. Review by Lorne Petersen
    starstarstarstarstar
    by Lorne Petersen

    Steve is an extraordinary talent and genuine good dude. Masterful player, engineer and producer. Erin Ross and I had an amazing experience recording at The Henhouse in Nashville. Steve’s orbit includes the most world class session musicians and the tones he gets are deep and soulful.

  6. Review by Joe Henry
    starstarstarstarstar
    by Joe Henry

    Steve Dawson is an extraordinarily gifted and versatile musician. Being as well a songwriter, engineer, and producer allows Steve a broad and nuanced perspective of any project’s scope; and he is an unfailingly inventive and generous collaborator. I find myself turning to Steve less for any particular instrument he might play, and more for the expanse of his experience and humanity that he brings to the table. And worth noting: beyond his virtuosic ability at so many stations, he’s also willing to play less than almost any great player I know —and that egoless restraint is priceless.

Interview with Steve Dawson

  1. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  2. A: I have been playing professionally for over 25 years, producing albums for 20 years and mixing albums for 15 years.

  3. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  4. A: I work with a lot of singer-songwriters, Americana, roots, country, and blues artists.

  5. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  6. A: I have a fully functional studio space in East Nashville where I produce albums, record sessions, and mix. I run Pro Tools with an API 1608 console and lots of outboard gear, mics, etc.

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Persephone by Allison Russell

I was the Pedal steel player in this production

Terms Of Service

Turnaround usually in 3-4 days, sometimes faster. I usually send 2-3 takes that are comped, aligned and ready to go. I’ll do one revision if necessary.

GenresSounds Like
  • David Lindley
  • Greg Leisz
  • Ry Cooder
Gear Highlights
  • Williams pedal steel
  • many electric guitars
  • many acoustic guitars
  • dobro
  • weissenborn
  • API 1608
  • Neumann M49
  • Coles 4038
More Photos
More SamplesI produced all the songs, mixed and played on most of them.