“They say that when you work in any field, you’re happiest when you initially get the respect of your peers,” Dave Hause tells American Songwriter. “Thankfully, I’ve had that respect for some time now… but in this situation, these people were not our peers.’”
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While it might be hard to imagine a scenario in which Hause—a celebrated songwriter who’s dabbled in everything from folk to punk—is musically outranked, it’s true that the new work he’s sitting on features some of the finest players on the planet. On July 28, he announced his fifth solo record, Blood Harmony, which is due on October 22 and will feature musicians who’ve played with Sheryl Crow, Carrie Underwood, Sturgill Simpson, Brandi Carlile, Vince Gill, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, the E Street Band and more. On Wednesday, Hause unveiled the first single, “Sandy Sheets.”
“These musicians have operated at the highest level of the music business that is even possible, so to get their respect was so gratifying,” Hause continues. “Their kindness and commitment to making the record great because they liked the songs was tremendous. I keep saying that if anybody else likes the record, that’s icing on the cake because the way we wrote and made it was so wonderful.”
Even beyond these musicians endowing the record with their talents, the entire process of making Blood Harmony has been a life-defining affair for Hause. Produced by Will Hoge and co-written with his younger brother, Tim Hause, his very personhood is invested in the project.
“Writing and recording this album was a lifeline for me and my brother in an otherwise difficult and dark time,” Hause explained. “We worked really hard on it and were really grateful to get to do that work. It’s a record that I hope will make my family proud and bring a little joy to anyone who decides to give it a spin.”
And with references to the images of his youth (like having “‘Hey Jealousy’ on repeat” and “one-dollar ice cream“), “Sandy Sheets” serves as a great encapsulation of Hause’s intimate, transportive style. Instantly sending you to the halcyon days of your past, it’s a mark of fine song craft… and the rest of Blood Harmony is sure to follow suit.
Dave Hause’s new record Blood Harmony is out October 22—listen to the first single, “Sandy Sheets,” below:
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