“We wanted this to sound like a classic album,” Dixon tells us from his home in Nashville, Tennessee. “We knew we wanted to record to tape, and to make it sound as earthy as possible. People playing — not overly-produced pop stuff.”
On tracks like “Five More Hours” and “Find My Way,” Dixon channels early Elton John and Billy Joel, with two-fisted piano riffs and instrumental interludes complete with Hammond organ and interwoven guitar parts. On “Disappear,” he wraps piano lines round his vocals in a perfectly orchestrated dance of give and take. Dixon’s songwriting cumen is enhanced by his keen skill as an rranger, not altogether surprising considering the music he came-up around as a kid. The Allman Brothers, Joe Cocker, James Taylor,and early Elton John,” he says. “Great usicians playing together — that’s where I anted to come from with this record.
”Dixon studied music at the University of iami, where he met longtime bandmates, bassist Winston Harrison and drummer Jano ix. It was there that Dixon would begin to arve out his own personal style, rooted in lues-based players like Dr. John and Chuck eavell, as well as fellow Nashville eyboardists Matt Rollings and Reese ynans. “I feel really fortunate to have rown-up in Nashville,” he tells me. “There’s such a rich music scene here. Having lived in other places I realize now how great it is.” The band moved to New York City in 2001 and was quickly signed to Warner Brothers, where they released both a full-length studio album and a live EP. But early into their contract, record company restructuring dashed their hopes for wider acclaim. “The label took away our tour support, so we ended up living in separate states for a while,” Dixon says. “I went back home to Nashville and spent a few years immersing myself in songwriting. After I had written a bunch of material, the band flew down to record some demos. And we had so much fun playing together again that we decided to keep it going. So they both moved to Nashville. It just felt right."
Newly signed to Fantasy Records, the band will head out on a U.S. tour in September. For Dixon, getting back on the road is what it’s all about. “I feel like this is what I’m here to do,” he says “It’s been a while since we toured hardcore, so we’re all ready to get back out there and play.”