Having initially started her career as a contestant on the reality show America’s Got Talent, Debbii Dawson decided to take a path less traveled, and craft a new world, away from the dazzle of commercial pop music. Her sound takes on an intentionally slow cinematic pace, and hones in on inner dialogues, creating a space where vulnerability and raw emotion can flourish in a deeply personal way.

As someone who is at the beginning of their artistic career, how did you lean into music as a creative path? and particularly the folk genre.

My parents are immigrants and where they came from, they were only allowed 30 minutes of Western music every week, and it was usually like older country songs, which I then grew up listening to as well. I also listened to a lot of hymns, and that's kind of where I dipped my feet into music for the first time.

Was there any artists that you were particularly connected to when you were young?

Hmm a group called The Gators!

I’ve never heard of them?

It's a whole bunch of old people that will sing, and my dream was to tour with them one day!

When I was young I was obsessed by The Beatles, but I didn't realise they were from the 60s and 70s and just assumed they were current. [laughs]

Yeah! The Gators are still alive. They're probably in their 90s? I thought it'd be really cool to tour and harmonise songs with them at their shows!

Oh that is very cute! Did you have professional training?

No, I didn’t.

So it was more about you connecting and learning by listening to music?

For sure. I was listening and just being around it, you know, coming from a musical family.

Apart from your parents loving music, are they musicians as well?

Yes, they are! They were touring when I was born. Both my parents play multiple instruments and my mother writes as well.

Amazing, did they have a group together?

They traveled all over the US and other countries and yeah, I just grew up completely surrounded by it music.

Sometimes kids like to do whatever their parents are not doing. Why did you follow in their footsteps?

Um, I think any parent who like really feels passionately about something, hopes their child will probably feel similarly. I mean I wouldn't know, I don't have any kids, but they, like, really hoped I would have an interest. I remember they put me in violin lessons, when they were teaching at a school, a music school, and so they could get me in for violin lessons, and I was awful. I was terrible, really bad. [smiles] Do you think they were disappointed?

I don't know, I think they were more like let's kind of leave her be, and then I discovered piano.

So that's your first actual instrument where you were, like, “This is the one for me!”

Yeah the piano, it was pre-guitar!

That’s surprising, considering you are known for playing guitar. Were you always like, making your own music, or were you playing around, or doing covers?

Yeah, I learned how to play from a book of Christmas carols, and I would do that and make up little like instrumental stuff, you know, and write funny songs. I didn’t write more serious stuff until much more recently.

When did it reach a point when you wanted it to go beyond just playing around?

I think I reached that point where everything else wasn't, wasn't this, I guess? I did other things as well, but it just wasn't this! I think I always wanted to do music, and, you know, would convince myself other things were what I was supposed to be doing.

What were your reservations? Was it about making a living from it? Is it realistic?

Yeah all that! I grew up in the Midwest, and coming out and living on the West Coast, it is a real job, and you meet so many people that from, like, everywhere. It doesn't seem like it's an actual thing you can do. It feels so far fetched.

I’ve interviewed a few artists from the Midwest, and they have mentionedhow they felt quite isolated, especially as children of immigrants. Music was a way of expressing themselves, was it similar to you?

Oh, definitely, 100% it was an escape for me! My mother talks about it as well because she grew up in the same town I grew up in the 70s, you know? She was in the only brown family within this entire landscape, you know? When you start playing music, it kind of is this own world you can build up for yourself. Music is a place where you can belong, and I think everybody needs that place.

Exactly! Did you feel like you your friend group expanded? Or did it just make you feel more confident with yourself? Or needing other people?

Mm hmm. I've always been very shy, and into myself. When I moved to the town I grew up in, for the first year, I didn't talk to anybody.

Wow, that makes me sad.

I just didn't have much to say. I didn’t speak until, um, until an end of our talent show. My homeroom teacher kind of pushed me into playing something and singing a song. That was the first time people found out I could really talk. It help open doors and like, help me find a place to be comfortable. You know, a jumping off point. I met people in choir and stuff like that. I'm kind of funny and describe music as a friend, that is so consuming, that I also don't feel the need to go out.

It can really take your life over for both positive and negative ways.

Yeah, that is how I feel.

What was the next step for you?

I wasn't in bands. I would sing at church. I did a couple talent shows with my siblings in school, but I didn't really pursue it as a thing until afterwards, and even stopped playing music entirely after graduating high school, for a few years. I had a period of time in my life where I was, going through some mental health things, and stopped leaving home entirely. I was really struggling with that. Music during that period kind of helped me process and express things that I needed to say that were hard for me to vocalise. I would just sit on it, and then after a while, I started to feel really uncomfortable sitting on it. I believe that music is one of those things that is given to you, but it's not completely for you. I think it's like light, where it's meant to be shared, and until it is, it's not really fulfilling its purpose.

Did that help you push into making it a career choice?

Yes! I really wanted to pursue this, and like we were speaking about earlier, realising I wasn't really happy and fulfilled by doing other things.

What else were you doing?

I was working. I worked as a nanny, I did tutoring, worked with a non-profit. It was good, but it didn't feel like it was for me. There was still something I needed to do.

I’ve spoken with many people about their choices, and it's quite interesting to see, how they vision building their life as an artist. Some are very, how do I describe it? Umm… mathematical, and other just goes go with the flow and see what catches. Did you think about the directions you’d take?

Yeah, I wasa bit of both. I wanted to be very hands off about it. I didn't want to twist the arm of destiny, because I just didn't feel like the outcome would be healthy if I did that. If it's meant to be, it’s meant to be. I'll put myself out there, which is a really big step to take in the first place. However, at the same time, it has to be paired with strategy. I think strategy for me entails getting to know myself and being comfortable with my identity, and then aligning myself with like minded people.

What did you see your vision for Debbii Dawson? Or better question, what do you see it becoming?

I think seeing the end goal for me is, if I was like years from now, I would love to see myself like I see other artists that I really respect, which is, I would love the music to you know, stand the test of time. I loved sitting with my family growing up, and we would just spend time just listening to music, and I love that feeling that I felt in those moments. I would love to provide that feeling to people.

That is a very inspiring driving force. You mentioned earlier how intimate your first songs were to your mental health at the time, what would you describe as your writing process at the moment?

Yeah, I'm constantly learning, you know, I think for my first EP, a lot of that time I had a lot more alone time, and so I could have a lot of time to be like, how do I feel about this? I think life has become a little bit more differently paced now. It’s kind of learning how to think on your feet, kind of be a little, actually be a lot quicker. I took an art class once, and we had like, a sketch class where we had to have like, five minutes to sketch the entire thing, you know? You can only put so much detail on this little foot, but if you, like, miss the whole picture, you're kind of missing the whole picture. I'm a very detailed oriented person, and it's been a process to learn how to do that musically.

That is very cool!

I’m so used to being solo, I’m comfortable with that, so I’m just learning how to have people in the room and they collaborate. So, yeah, just so there's a lot of learning.

I was literally talking about this yesterday. It's a good thing to learn to be flexible and open. To be able to move in flux.

Yeah!

I’ve noticed you have been playing more live shows lately. How comfortable are you now performing considering our conversation regarding your shyness?

I just got off the back of a tour with Orville Peck and that has been amazing. It was so much fun. I've never gone to the tour before, and that was a brand new experience. He's so funny and very talented and just a warm person.

That is a great first tour experience to have. Do you mostly play solo live?

I was playing alone for these shows. I'm looking forward to playing with more people in the future.

It is a little it's different than playing your own shows, in front of your own fans, as opposed to a room where nobody knows like you are. How does it feel playing alone on stage? Were you scared at all?

I was really lucky to play with Orville, just because of the type of artist he is, the people that listen to his music are also, you know, very welcoming and open. And so it was easier to open yourself up, when what you give is kind of reciprocated by those listening. So, yeah, I got really lucky there, but it can be, it can be totally scary, you know?

Definitely. Did starting to playlive shows and moving to Los Angeles influence your writing?

Yeah, I put the first EP out, like over a year ago. I’ve just been writing, and been introducing new sounds, and try and evolve artistically and both in my personal growth. So it's been a fun process.

Is there like underlying themes you’ve set for your music?

Well for the past two EPs were written from the perspective of a recluse, and kind of seeing the world from the inside looking out, and maybe taking a glance from the outset, looking in and kind of examining that whole thing is very introspective. It may touch on topics of what would drive a person to that point, and maybe what would push them out of that zone. The duality is something that is across everything I create. I think it's reflected in the sound and the lyrics, and I think it helps me express what I feel.

As those sister EPS are so internally focused, did you find it difficult to sing those songs in public, and even going into the studio to record in front of other people? Or was it more of a feeling of “I'm letting it go” situation?

I think I'm so lucky that I get to work with I found some people that I'm really comfortable with, and they make it a safe space when I'm creating. It’s still a very vulnerable feeling.

Do you feel a new confidence with yourself, and with the music you are now making? Howdifferent is your headspace?

Um, the things I'm writing have been autobiographical, and so it's all happening in real time. I'll have a say, and I guess life will have a say as well.

So you are writing is more grounded, more colloquial, intimate into the workings of your day-to-day? Maybe similar to a diary?

Yeah, like for instance, I ran into someone on the drive to the studio, and I decided to write about that instead of what I was going into write and record. These are the stories about me. In my first two projects since I was kind of coming out of the blue, I wanted to introduce myself. I felt I did that. It was kind of my way of being like, “Hi, this is who I am!” Currently, I’m very excited to dive deeper into storytelling, because as a writer to kind of wear different shoes and different hats, you know?

Yeah, it must be quite freeing to be able to not confine yourself, and if something connects with you that day, you can just go into the studio and write.

Yeah, it's fun!

Music is fun! Sometimes I feel like people forget that it's like music.

True! [smiles] I’m always looking forward to putting more music out. I’m always excited for people to hear what's next. I get bored of doing the same thing.

How are you changing things up?

To be honest, at the moment, I have a few shows here and there, but I’m here for now, and I plan to be writing a whole bunch, so to me, that’ll be really, really exciting. I'm honestly happy to finally be here!

Interview by Ilirjana Alushaj
Photography by Maggie Shannon
Debbii Dawson wears own clothes