Ahead of the new album, Dave Hause releases a late summer, deck-party performance of ‘Surfboard‘.
Man, wouldn’t it be good to be there? Dave Hause and his brother Tim play a sunset show as part of The Lower Deck Sessions, in Encino, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. With Dave playing mandolin and Tim on acoustic, it’s a pretty stripped-down set, but the fabulous location is evenly matched by their effervescent performance. Even with LA traffic, they could be on the beach in half-an-hour, so that seems as good an excuse as any to play, ‘Surfboard‘, another great song from the forthcoming album, ‘Blood Harmony’.
He might be a long way from his hometown of Philadelphia, but Hause has been getting around these days. He recently headed to Nashville to make this new album, seeking out celebrated Americana singer-songwriter Will Hoge to produce, and then lined up the considerable talents of some first-class musicians, including members of The E Street Band, and some of Nashville’s best session players. This clip, however, sees Hause getting back to the basics, playing acoustic instruments with his brother at his side.
‘Surfboard‘ might seem uncharacteristically light-hearted for Hause, but beneath the good humour there’s a wry look at how working men and women in contemporary America are struggling to stay afloat. “I’ve been finding myself praying, have you seen the shape I’m in? // I’ve been cleaning up my act after a weekend’s worth of sin // This past year I got let go and then the rent got hard to pay // So I’m finding myself kneeling down to pray… // Like Dear Lord I need a surfboard // Cause I can’t figure out how to not drown in these waves.”
The chop of Dave’s mandolin keeps the rhythm steady, while Tim’s guitar fills out the sound as he adds a layer of soft harmony over his brother’s main vocal. Add in the sun slowly setting behind the Santa Monica Mountains in the background and you’ve got about all you need for the perfect, little outdoor gig. Yep, it would be good to be there…
