Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Dawson has announced his new album Ghosts is due out June 7 on Pravda Records. The lead single “Time to Let Some Light In” drops on April 19. Dawson is also the lead singer of Americana darlings Dolly Varden. While the band continues to release new material and gig occasionally, he’s also gone on to release a half dozen truly fantastic solo albums, including his last release, 2021’s At The Bottom of a Canyon in the Branches of a Tree.

For those reading this blog that are based in the Chicagoland area, Dawson will play at Simon’s Tavern on April 7. The gig is ostensibly a birthday show and is something of an annual occurrence. This year’s show will feature the likes of Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith, John Abbey and Diane Christensen, all of whom are featured on Dawson’s new album Ghosts. Of those four names Christensen might be the most familiar, as she’s also in Dolly Varden. The show at Simon’s Tavern features no cover charge and is slated to include songs from Ghosts as well as a bevy of country, pop and R+B covers.

Two months later Dawson will host an album release concert for Ghosts at Space on June 16. Buy tickets here. A week after the release show, Dawson will appear in a songwriting retreat at White Oak Savanna Farm from June 21-23. Full information, schedule and reservation information can be found here.

Dawson’s tour dates are pretty slim between those two but there are a select few dates.

On July 19 he’ll appear at Kiki’s House of Righteous Music in Madison, WI. Diane Christensen is also slated to appear. The evening is scheduled to feature songs from all six Dolly Varden albums and all six of Dawson’s solo albums. To reserve seats, send an email to houseofrighteousmusic@gmail.com.

That July house show in Wisconsin will serve as a prelude for a run of house shows scheduled for October via Undertow Music. Diane Christensen is also scheduled to appear during the house shows.