By DAN ARMONAITIS
Brooks Dixon has played some livestream concerts in the last few weeks, and the Greenville-based singer-songwriter has also enjoyed watching such performances by others in the Upstate music community and beyond.
“It’s been nice to see people play, but (it’s) definitely not the same,” Dixon said. “I love and miss interacting with musicians the most — just hearing stories — and the energy isn’t quite the same on a livestream.
“That being said, the accessibility is really neat. I’ve had friends chime in (who) moved away from Greenville, and I think the cool side of it is they have said it’s like a little slice of home.”
Other than one livestream in which he was accompanied by vocalist Sara Middleton on the stage of Smiley’s Acoustic Cafe, Dixon hasn’t had the opportunity to perform with any of his bandmates in the Brooks Dixon Band since the full group played a show on March 13 at Chicora Alley. That was the weekend before social distancing measures related to the coronavirus pandemic forced the temporary closure of area music venues to the public.
Needless to say, he’s become a little stir-crazy, even admitting to having felt “a little lethargic at times.” Of course, Dixon realizes he’s not the only one experiencing such emotions, and thus was born a new song, “Not in This Alone,” which he released as a solo single on April 14.
“I just think it’s easy to feel alone in this time, and while everyone’s circumstance is different in this time, universally we have to stand together for this whole business to work,” Dixon said. “And if we make it a discussion about privilege and inequality, it can be hard to feel like we’re all doing our part. I just wanted a message to encourage unity, but to also call out the unity that I have personally seen in all this.”
The song begins with the lines, “home might feel like the last place you want to be, but something’s missing out on these empty streets, a little bit of hope seems to be out of reach,” before reassuring the listener with words found in the title.
The songwriting “method was really just based around a single phrase, which was ‘not in this alone,'” Dixon said. “With a simple and core central theme like that, I was really just trying to use the song to paint a central message.
“It was a bit of a faster process than it usually is; I like to feel a song out live quite a bit before recording. But I felt just the timing was an integral part of the song itself. … There are certain messages that are universal, but, in this unique time we’re living in, it was essential to capture a feeling in the moment.”
Dixon said he pretty much wrote the song on a Friday night and spent all day Saturday refining it, working out phrasing and fine tuning guitar parts. Then, on Sunday, he recorded the song in his home studio with nothing but his voice and acoustic guitar.
As minimalist as that might seem, the recording has a warm texture and actually sounds sonically complete. Dixon enlisted his longtime producer Ryan Youmans to mix and master the single for him remotely in Nashville.
“He’s a great professional and someone I’ve worked well with before,” Dixon said of Youmans. “I have acquired some decent home equipment over the years and did some DIY acoustic treatments to make sure I had a nice sound, which included covering the mic in a light blanket and putting a shag carpet on the wall. (It) probably looked pretty silly, but whatever gets a nice sound.”
While Dixon misses being able to make music with his band, he’s pleased with how “Not in This Alone” turned out and the fact that he’s been able to stay creative while sheltering at home with his wife and their dog.
“It’s been nice to be able to play and not feel some of the usual time constraints I usually have,” Dixon said. “I feel like I can learn and play just for myself, which isn’t always the case at live gigs. I also have definitely been playing a lot more around my house, and my wife hasn’t complained yet, so that has been nice.”
Dixon had recently begun curating a top-notch concert series at Swanson’s Warehouse in Greenville when social distancing measures started to take effect.
“We had some good momentum with shows and were starting to find a bit of a rhythm as far as bookings and what we wanted to do,” Dixon said. “We had to cancel a lot of shows and we’re trying to take it easy coming back on.
“But whenever we do get to live a normal life again, I believe the Brooks Dixon Band is going to have a Swanson’s grand re-opening party. Time will tell, but it will be a grand ole time.”
In the meantime, Dixon encourages Upstate music fans to continue showing support for local musicians as much as they possibly can.
“It’s tricky. A lot of people need support, and unfortunately most of what we can do right now is very devalued in the streaming era,” he said. “So, I’d just say buy merch and share the stuff you love. Obviously more than just musicians are hurting.
“It’s just a weird time, and I think it’s going to be weird for a while. But I think something will give one way or the other; some things won’t probably ever be exactly the same.”
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