Dolly Varden

 DOLLY VARDEN is built around the singing and songwriting of husband and wife Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen, the melodic and soulful guitar playing of Mark Balletto, and the solid rhythm section of Matt Thobe on drums and Mike Bradburn on bass. Remarkably the line-up has stayed the same through 15 years, five albums, and shows all over the USA and Europe. Though the band's name suggests a euphonious connection to a certain country singer, it is actually derived from a rare and beautiful species of trout, which in turn was named after a character in Charles Dickens' short novel Barnaby Rudge. Strange, but true: Dawson and Christiansen both had fathers who were avid fishermen who dreamt of one day catching the elusive Dolly Varden in an icy Alaskan lake. 15 Years ago, in the Spring of 1995, Chicago quintet Dolly Varden recorded their debut album, Mouthful Of Lies, on a 4-track cassette machine in their Wicker Park practice space. The CD drew enthusiasm from Chicago press and radio and Mouthful of Lies took on a life of its own - as word spread the band began touring the Midwest and building a steady following. In 1997 the group signed with Evil Teen records and released The Thrill of Gravity (1998), which led to Dolly Varden's first full-scale touring and national press. For The Dumbest Magnets (2000), the group traveled to Nashville to record with Brad Jones (Josh Rouse, Chuck Prophet). Glowing reviews for Magnets from Rolling Stone, No Depression, Uncut and others, along with national radio play, significantly expanded Dolly Varden's fanbase and touring started to pay off. The band traveled coast-to-coast sharing stages with Ryan Adams / Whiskeytown, Andrew Bird, Jay Bennett and Edward Burch, Alejandro Escovedo and others. In 2001 Flying Sparks (UK) and Fargo Records (Europe) licensed The Dumbest Magnets for release and BBC Radio 2 called it 'one of the best albums of the last 10 years'. This led to the first of what would become regular visits to Paris, Great Britain and the Netherlands. Dolly Varden returned to Brad Jones' studio in Nashville and to record Forgiven Now (2002). The album was released in the U.S. on Undertow Records, and in Europe on Flying Sparks. Dolly Varden continued their US touring through that year and made two more overseas trips, gathering rave reviews and devoted fans along the way. The band's reputation and momentum were at a peak, but at the end of the year they were exhausted and, like everyone, shocked and wondering how to proceed in the wake of September 11th. They decided to take some time off to see their families and eat some home-cooked meals. Over the next 3 years the band members spent time raising babies and working on side projects: Dawson and Christiansen released a limited-edition acoustic disc, Duets (2003), Balletto recorded a guitar-pop album with Jay Bennett producing called My Record Player (2004), Christiansen had a one-woman show of her artwork at Gescheidle gallery in Chicago, and Dawson released a soul-inspired solo disc called Sweet Is The Anchor (2005). Dolly Varden began writing and recording what would become The Panic Bell (2007) in 2005 with a renewed energy and sense of purpose. Again on Undertow the album has a slightly harder sonic and lyric edge, drawing comparisons to Crazy Horse and the Beatles' White Album. At the same time it features the melodic songs, heartfelt singing and haunting guitar lines Dolly Varden has become known for. 2010 marks the 15th anniversary of the recording and release of Mouthful Of Lies. It is both a triumphant milestone and a cause for celebration for Dolly Varden.

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