Folk duo to play Dana Point show

Photo credit: DANIELLE SUPOLA

Please note; this is an extended version of my story published earlier today on the Orange County Register Web site.

Though Andrew "Dawson" Heringer and Marlana "Marie" Sheetz both attended UC Irvine, the musical pair known as Dawson & Marie rarely performs in Orange County.

That will change Friday night (April 30) when the eclectic folk duo performs in Dana Point as part of the Lord of the Strings concert series.

"We are based out of Sacramento at this point," said Heringer, a theater major who earned his bachelor's degree at UCI in 2007. He responded to a series of questions I posed via email earlier this month. "We both grew up in a small town in the Sierra Nevada foothills ... called Placerville (home of the 1849 Gold Rush), although Marie and I didn't meet there. We met through mutual friends at UC Irvine."

Dawson & Marie are on tour in support of their superb debut album, "Months Vol. 1," a collection of seven original songs, six of which feature months in the title.

"When we started writing together, we wanted to create something that stood out from each of our solo projects," Heringer said. "We knew we wanted a concept but couldn't decide on anything. One day I sent her a text message after playing music at a cold and windy wedding on Pismo Beach saying, 'It feels like December at the beach,' to which she responded, 'Wait, I've got it; our CD should be songs about the months of the year.'"

There is little secret, but plenty of magic about the sound that Dawson & Marie create together. They write great songs and their distinctive voices sound great when singing those songs. Their soundscape is a blend of traditional Americana and indie folk styles ideally suited to the intelligent and artful selections featured on “Months Vol. 1.”

"With some songs (on the album), we wanted to capture the mood of the month for the song. 'August' is a great example of this. I think 'May, It's Raining' also does a great job of capturing the vibe of an unusually wet late-spring day. Other songs (notably 'July') were more about a particular story that came up for us."

In addition to their original material, Dawson & Marie also play a few reworkings of material from the likes of Kings of Leon ("Use Somebody") and Iron & Wine ("Naked As We Came") popularized via YouTube.

But when the duo performs in Dana Point on Friday, it’s likely that it will be the duo’s original songs from “Months Vol. 1” that will be the most compelling songs of the night.

“Most of the time, people are very enthusiastic about the month of their birthday,” Heringer noted. “Before performing these songs live, neither of us had any idea people took so much pride in their birthday month.”




DAWSON & MARIE


Where:Dana Point Community House, 24642 San Juan Ave.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 30, 2010

How much: $15

Phone: 949-842-2227

Online: www.LordOfTheStringsConcerts.com