Derek Fawcett

"Chicagoan Derek Fawcett presents austere singer-songwriter stuff of surpassing grace. He's a singer who knows his range, performing songs that show off his big instrument. There's been buzz around this dude for a while. Find out why."-Kevin Williams - Chicago Tribune

Derek Fawcett – Feel Better: This Chicago singer-songwriter invested the compassion, emotional gravitas, and variable mood to grab interest and hold it. Those whose songs possess the depth, maturity and easily engaging quality found on Fawcett’s songs are in such short supply these days. - Something Else Reviews

A Conversation with Derek Fawcett

Mike Ragogna: Derek, your new solo album Feel Better is a fresh start for you creatively. Having been the front man for Chicago's popular band Down The Line, what made you decide this was the time to release your own album?

Derek Fawcett: I've never been a hugely prolific songwriter. I kind of write "when the spirit moves me," you know? As I've been playing more and more solo shows, and spending more time in that headspace, I started writing songs that sounded different than anything I've ever written, like a series of previously hamstrung ideas had wrested themselves loose. Between that and the positive responses from my solo live shows, it seemed like a good time to record my solo debut.

MR: What style of music would you call what you're creating?

DF: I used to think that the standard "pop/rock" label was sufficient, but a lot of people keep referring to it as "Americana," and the more I think about it, the more I think they're right. The artists that I think were the biggest influences are people like Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, James Taylor, and Billy Joel...all of whom are mostly considered "pop/rock" stars. But were their signature songs released today, folks might call them "Americana" too -- American stories, told earnestly, passionately, and with melodies that won't let you go.

MR: You collaborated creatively with a few other musicians and artists on this project. What was the evolution of that?

DF: When deciding where to record, I had a couple great options, but I ultimately settled on Nashville, where Cody Fry [Ben Rector, Charlie Peacock, Hunter Hayes] and Niko Xidas [Matt Wertz], were pumped at the prospect of recording with me, while still being very thoughtful and thorough from the beginning of the process. It was extra special for me to work with them, not just because they're both tremendously talented, but they're also both former music students of mine, and we had performed together a bunch already in that context. Working with them on Feel Better was truly a 'everything comes full circle' moment, as I'm sure that I learned a ton from them while we made this album together. Cody and Niko brought on Mark Trussell [Billy Currington] and Stephen Wilder [Steve Moakler], both on "Kinda Like A Love Song I Guess." Getting to work with Tim Marks [Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie, Jewel] on bass was a truly a lucky stroke. We had met once, years ago, through my dear friend Brett Farkas [Rihanna, Lord Huron, Solomon Burke], and when my friend Duncan McMillan [Aretha Franklin, Marcus Belgrave] heard that I'd be in Nashville recording, he instructed me to seek Tim out. We met up for coffee at Portland Brew in East Nashville, talked about our mutual friends, the state of Detroit -- I grew up nearby, and he used to live there -- and our families. At the end of our time together, he offered to play on my album before I could even ask him. I've been one lucky cuss to be able to work with these folks!

MR: Do you feel that you pushed yourself harder with the songwriting and performances on this project, maybe a little beyond your work with Down The Line?

DF: Down The Line was very much a 4-man squad, each guy making his own contribution, but the weight of the band never on any one of us. With Feel Better, the writing, arranging, singing, lots of the keyboard playing...all ultimately fell on my shoulders, though again, thankfully, Cody and Niko were huge contributors here, and the album sounds the way it does because of their fantastic influences. No creative project that I've ever been a part of has drained and stretched me quite like this one...the good news is, the ultimate effect is an album that feels -- to me, anyway -- urgent, pertinent, and compelling.

MR: You being the artist, it would be interesting to get a tour of the album from its creator. Can you give us your thoughts about the album's tracks and maybe some more insight into the themes behind the songs?

DF: "Feel Better" was written in 2011, and is the first song and the title track. Lots of fun ideas followed: gang vocals, stomps, claps, etc. Lyrics here are like lead weights. The just being, "You won't get better until you stop drinking, but in lieu of that, you should go." The start of the chorus always reminds me of an intimate, vulnerable, high-voiced Neil Young moment. "Pick Up" is the first single -- a chaotic, danceable romp of a tune, borne out of a dropped, important, emotional phone call while I was in Nashville working on the album. I feel like "Tongue Tied" by GroupLove is "Pick Up"'s spiky-haired cousin. Listen hard for fun, unorthodox sonic additives. When I sing or think about the 3rd track, "Drive Away Cryin'," I imagine a couple's fiery argument outside some same-signage-since-the-'70s dive bar on Woodward Ave. just outside of Detroit. The guy projects strength, but is actually really torn up. With it's 6/8 feel, it almost feels like a more muscular Nick Drake lament. Instrumentally, Cody and Niko exchange hi-fives throughout this track, great synergy between them).

Track 4's "Never Here" mirrors what I imagine...not my scene! The euphoria-to-despondency of infidelity feels like, and now has a really dramatic piano arrangement for my solo shows (Tim Marks shines here with his leering bass lines). "Kinda Like A Love Song I Guess" is one of only two 'rays of sunshine' on the album and is probably the most "country" of the tracks. Mark Trussell's dense, layered guitar-work here gives this song a color all its own. Simple story, but lovely in its simplicity. "Romeo And Juliet" reminds me a bit of the vibe in John Hiatt's Crossing Muddy Waters album, which I love -- earthy, earnest, spacious and sad. "Not My Call To Make" is practically the Feel Better story, if written by Tom Petty. "I am admitting and coming to terms with the fact that I have no control over what you do to yourself." Despite the heavy subject matter, the payoff at the end still feels triumphant somehow. "Just In Case" is the 2nd sunshine ray, coyly saying that, "I might be able to find another way without you, but I'd rather not." Imagine James Taylor and Fountains Of Wayne collaborating with Plain White T's when they were recording "Hey There Delilah," The album ends with "Nothing Left To Say," a somber, Jackson Browne-at-the-piano soliloquy with a culminating twist. The musical idea began as an effort to write a song for a friend's wedding, but it took a strange, dark turn early on, so I finished the song and sent her a card instead.

MR: At what point did you realize the album was finished? I imagine it's hard for an artist to finally realize the canvas is complete.

DF: When I arrived in Nashville, I had some writing to do and decisions to make to arrive at 9 songs, which was my relatively arbitrary target. I finished a couple songs, wrote a couple, and got within striking distance, but I knew I was finished when I was sitting at my piano in Chicago -- between Nashville trips -- and came up with the last piece of "Not My Call To Make." It was just this little piece of "glue" that made the rest of the song work -- I had started writing it years ago, but it was always missing something. But I remember feeling like, "Whenever you sit down to write measure #1 of your next album, this section will be the piece of music that you wrote just before that."

MR: Having worked with Tim Marks who's worked with Taylor Swift, I'm sure you have an ear to what's going on in pop music right now. What are your thoughts about the scene these days?

DF: It's tough to boil any facet of music making in 2014 down into a single "scene," even at the local level. In Chicago alone, there are dozens of "scenes." Were I to try to sum it up, I'd say this. The following things are both true now and have been true for a long time... There's a lot of music right now that's very popular that makes a lot of musicians and critics roll their eyes, there are a lot of new musical gems that are getting unfairly overlooked, it's very difficult to make money making original music, it's challenging to make a musical statement that hasn't already been made -- and made better -- by someone else, and the pursuit and creation of making original music is still one of life's great thrills for all who undertake it.

MR: What advice do you have for new artists?

DF: I'll share some advice that I've been trying to adhere to myself since, as a soloist, I'm still somewhat of a "new artist." The most important thing that you can do is to do all you can to make great music. None of the other stuff like promotion, social media, etc., are worth anything if the music isn't arresting. Every musician now competes with every piece of media out there now: every TV show, movie, cat video, and other song. Mathematically, it's unlikely that any of us have a shot a capturing anyone's attention, but that chance goes from infinitesimal to zero if the music isn't genuinely great. To that end -- to borrow some advice from celebrated jazz singer Kurt Elling -- seek out people who are, in one way or another 'better than you' to collaborate with. You'll constantly be striving for something better because you'll need to hustle to keep up with your collaborators.

MR: What does the future hold for both your solo career and Down The Line?

DF: The Down The Line guys continue to be 3 of my best friends -- all three will stand up in my wedding in January -- and our music together continues to inform the music I'm making today. As for Feel Better, it comes out on October 7th, and I'll be touring extensively thereafter. "Pick Up" has started getting played on about a dozen radio stations across the country, and I'll also be performing live-in-the-studio for WRRW in Virginia Beach and on the Fox 2 Morning Show in St. Louis. Most of these shows will be solo performances, and I'll be getting to a lot of my tour destinations via Megabus, so I'm anticipating a lot of songwriting, photography, and "reports from the road" between shows, be encouraged to follow along! - Huffington Post

When Derek Fawcett's band (Chicago's Down The Line) started out without a drummer, he taught himself to play the djembe (hand drum) he bought in Africa, and it became a staple of the band's signature sound. When the group needed help booking gigs, he took the reins, ultimately landing performances with Ben Folds, Peter Frampton, Lifehouse, America, Pat Benatar, Colin Hay, Gin Blossoms, and many more over their hundreds-of-thrilling-shows, 11-year, 5-album tenure. Time and again, Fawcett went to extraordinary lengths for his music, though many of those efforts were far from the spotlight. With the October 7th release of his solo debut FEEL BETTER, the breadth of Fawcett's talents are thrust where they belong: Front and center.
As with other artists who forge out on their own after supporting roles (see Dave Grohl & George Harrison), Fawcett's solo debut is highly anticipated, showcases the strengths of his previous work, but boasts a full-throated, exuberant musical voice like none we've ever heard before. "If you loved Down The Line's singing, songwriting, and playing, you'll find a lot to love in this album," he explains. "Where it departs is that I've put down the djembe in favor of the piano, my songs go in some new stylistic directions, and there are more moments of musical chaos and disorder." Fawcett's new songs are cut from a darker cloth (with a couple rays of sunshine), and the emotional weight and impact will chill (and thrill) longtime and newfound fans alike.

Fawcett's all-star cast of collaborators represent extraordinary twists of fate that speak further to the engaging and overwhelmingly collaborative energy he exudes. A friend connected him with celebrated bass player Tim Marks (Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie, Jewel, Will Kimbrough), and Marks enjoyed Fawcett's company over coffee so much that he offered to play on the album before Fawcett could even get up the nerve to ask him.

Even more remarkable, FEEL BETTER producers and performers Cody Fry (Hunter Hayes, Ben Rector, Charlie Peacock) and Niko Xidas (Matt Wertz) are actually Fawcett's former music students. "Niko and Cody were such strong musicians early on that I had them play with me to accompany other students. The vibe was so good even back then, that when I was figuring out who to work with on this album, I thought 'I'd love to play with those guys again!'"

Through 'digging deep' in his songwriting, he has pushed his limits vocally, as well, with stunning results. "Unwittingly, I kinda kicked my own butt with how challenging some of these songs are to sing and play," he admits. "When we finished the vocal sessions, I felt lucky to have made it out alive!" Influences on display include the contemplative playing and singing of Jackson Browne, the angst and power of Billy Joel and Tom Petty, the chaotic energy of Imagine Dragons, and the mournful warmth of James Taylor and Bruce Springsteen.

Fawcett's take on the future sounds like that of a pragmatic, hard-nosed performer who's focus is rooted in the road ahead. "We're all constantly striving, in one way or another, to be understood," he says. "The songs on this album tell compelling, unique stories that are likely to resonate with just about anyone. My hope is that all who listen to this album will hear something that speaks to them, to the extent that it brings them joy, solace, solidarity...and hopefully, even encourages them to sing along for awhile."

He will tour nationally this fall to support FEEL BETTER's October 7th release. Follow along at www.derekfawcett.com . - New Jersey Stage

‘Feel Better’
Derek Fawcett (self-released)
3.5 stars out of 5

During his decade-plus with Chicago acoustic folk-pop outfit Down the Line, Derek Fawcett rarely spent any time in the spotlight. He helped anchor the band’s sound with his African djembe hand drum, but left the primary songwriting and singing duties to Dan Myers and Dave Rothkopf.

With the release of his excellent “Feel Better” solo debut, Fawcett shows that he’s much more than a supporting player. The nine-track release shows Fawcett to be a talented songwriter and a capable vocalist over the course of 37 enjoyable minutes.

“If you loved Down the Line’s singing, songwriting and playing, you’ll find a lot to love in this album,” Fawcett says. “Where it departs is that I’ve put down the djembe in favor of the piano, my songs go in some new stylistic directions, and there are more moments of musical chaos and disorder.”

Fawcett shines brightest on keepers “Feel Better,” “Drive Away Cryin’,” personal favorite “Kinda Like a Love Song I Guess,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “Nothing Left to Say.” He’s opening an exciting new chapter in his career and I’m eager to go along for the ride. (Jeffrey Sisk) - Pittsburgh In Tune

Singer/songwriter Derek Fawcett is currently on his first extensive solo tour of the United States and Canada, promoting the release of his debut solo album Feel Better, which was released on Oct. 7. He spoke to News-Press the day after performing his entire new album at an intimate set in his hometown of Chicago.

“I had some really great shows in Toronto, Minneapolis and Nashville and had a cool TV opportunity in St. Louis,” Fawcett said. “This is my first real extensive back-to-back-shows tour as a soloist, so there’s kind of an element of ‘Well, we’ll see how this goes,’ but it’s been a real thrill so far.”

For Fawcett, one of the most noticeable differences between touring as a soloist and touring as part of a band (he played djembe for Chicago’s Down the Line for 11 years) is that he’s taking charter busses to tour dates instead of the seven-passenger vans that his band used to rent for touring. He recounted his experience traveling to Minneapolis for a recent show as an example.

“It’s a little rough because some of these routes are overnight and, if you’ve ever been on a Megabus, trying to sleep can sometimes be a comedic challenge,” he said. “But, if I was in a larger, nationally-touring band where we had a large Prevost tour bus like sleeping overnight on the road, that’s how it would be. So, it’s kind of the same thing, except the bus isn’t mine and I’m riding with 50 – 60 other strangers.”

Fawcett is coming to Washington, D.C. next Thursday, Nov. 6, to perform at the Tree House Lounge. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. He said that while touring as a solo act is solitary, getting to visit and stay with friends and family in the different cities he travels to has been really cool. “That’s kind of how it was with Down the Line, too. You feel like you’re getting connected to this larger, nationwide community,” he said. “It’s one of the things I love about touring.”

Reaching out to community and old acquaintances was part of the process of the making and release of Feel Better. Fawcett, a former high school music teacher and current music professor at Columbia College in Chicago, enlisted the talents of Cody Fry and Niko Xidas, who are two of Fawcett’s former music students.

And, in order to raise funds of the pressing, release and promotion of his new album, he created a Kickstarter campaign that received over $34,000 in donations.

“The Kickstarter process was fascinating, exhilarating and terrifying and it totally did everything – if you read about what Kickstarter does for you – it totally did all that,” Fawcett said. “I’ve got these people now that are super excited about this project, in part because they invested in it.”

He said that the making of the album was hard work, but that he doesn’t think he’s worked harder on anything in the last five years than he did on the Kickstarter campaign. The product of his work is his ability to tour and promote his nine-track album, which features songs that may or may not be about him, but are certainly close to his heart.

The title track “Feel Better” is about struggling with someone who has an addiction problem, Fawcett said. “There’s a sense when you’re dealing with someone who has an addiction problem that there’s something you can do that can change that situation. There’s a tendency to believe that,” he said.

“And what ends up happening lots of times is no, you can’t do anything. It’s an illusion that you’ve created for yourself that you can actually do something about that and that tune is about someone who recognizes that and says ‘There’s nothing I can do. I sincerely wish you’d put the bottle down because it’s not doing anything for you, but now I kind of wish you’d stop being around me because there’s no scenario where you being around me is going to make me feel better’.”

He said that when people started hearing the song that they mistook it to mean that he was depressed. “I’m a relatively up guy. I’m not sad, depressed guy that’s sitting in the corner. I’m a pretty up, outgoing dude,” Fawcett said. “Well the album has a lot of pretty heavy songs on there…it ended up being this kind of exploration into sadness that isn’t mine, but the way that I would perceive it.”

For more information about Derek Fawcett, visit derekfawcett.com. - Falls Church News-Press

Derek Fawcett has embarked on a solo venture following the end of Chicago-based Down The Line and will perform Friday, Oct. 24, at Aster Cafe. Fawcett released Feel Better Oct. 7, and we chatted in between his shows in Canada and Indiana about the unexpected weightiness of the album.

“It felt like exploration because I’m typically an upbeat person. I didn’t set out to make a heavy album, but I tried to think, ‘why did it turn out this way?’ Maybe some residual sadness from Down the Line coming to an end. And also the passing of my kid brother at a young age.”

As dark as this may sound, anyone could find a way to relate to Fawcett’s honesty and storytelling, and I feel there’s a balance between light and dark on the album. “Kinda Like A Love Song I Guess” and “Just In Case” are like a warm hug and “Never Here” will have your toes tapping. In regards to traveling and performing solo, he said he’s enjoyed the change: “I always thought it was cool to be totally self contained. When you travel by yourself, you’re naturally more observant,” and he went on to say that he spends time considering where other people may be coming from and attempts to put himself in their shoes.

hope countryThese observations have likely played a role in the songs that are a departure from his natural demeanor. However, songs like his single “Pick Up” are firsthand experience – frustration from a dropped call at a pivotal point in a conversation; who hasn’t had that happen?

What you will hear from Fawcett Friday night will perfectly complement the music of Hope Country’s Brent Johnson—who will also perform at the show. Hope Country released Water, Land and Sky Aug. 26 which peaked at #8 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart. Johnson has natural likeability and you’ll find his songs sweet and sincere with an edge of rock ala Tom Petty.

I asked Fawcett if he has spent time in the Twin Cities and he said Down the Line performed at Fine Line Music Cafe and 400 Bar.

“I think Minneapolis is freaking awesome. It’s so unfortunately far away; every time I’ve been there it just knocks me out. It’s so clear that it’s a musical place and a cultural place. I’m looking forward to a dose.” Fawcett hits the nail on the head in regards to music and culture, and I think it’s safe to say that we’re looking forward to getting a dose of him as well.

Aster Cafe is located at 125 SE Main Street in Minneapolis and offers flatbreads, sandwiches, salads and small plates along with wine, beer, cocktails and coffee. Cover is $9 and music will run from 9-11pm Friday, October 24th. - Red Current

Chicago-based singer/songwriter Derek Fawcett fondly remembers his days in the Dalton Center's Rehearsal Room C at Western Michigan University, where he studied vocal and keyboard music. He took what he learned from teachers Craig Arnold, Diana Spradling, David Little, Sunny Wilkinson, and Steve Zegree, among others, and formed a successful band, Down The Line, with which he recorded five albums over a decade.

Now the leader of his own project, Derek Fawcett talked about his latest solo release, FEEL BETTER, in an interview at WMUK before his October 14th concert at Western. Bullock Performance Institute associate director Mark Niskanen joined him to discuss his life as a creative artist, the process of making the album, and the diaspora of WMU musicians with whom he still performs. - NPR affiliate WMUK 102.1 FM

Derek Fawcett presents his solo debut, but fans of his previous band, Down the Line, should find plenty to love here. “Where it departs is that I've put down the djembe in favor of the piano, my songs go in some new stylistic directions, and there are more moments of musical chaos and disorder."

“The songs on this album tell compelling, unique stories that are likely to resonate with just about anyone. My hope is that all who listen to this album will hear something that speaks to them, to the extent that it brings them joy, solace, solidarity...and hopefully, even encourages them to sing along for awhile." - Critical Blast

DEREK FAWCETT/Feel Better: A member of a crew of Chicago folk rockers that bubbled under for 11 years but never really broke through, Fawcett, who always took things into his own hands, took things into his own hands again ringing up contacts and contacts of contacts to make an accomplished solo debut funded by the fan base already there via Kickstarter. Here’s wishing him the best because the dues paying shows here in ways real muso fans will appreciate. Not straying far from his folky roots, Fawcett crafts the kind of singer/songwriter set you’re always glad to trip over. Thoughtful stuff that hits hard and often. Fawcett has it all on the ball this time around. Well done. - Midwest Record

Derek Fawcett has worn a lot of hats in the music industry. He filled vacancies as drummer and booking agent for his band Down The Line, and recently branched out into a solo side project as well. He knows how to connect with a broad fan base.

Being a touring musician, I get to see parts of the world up close that lots of people don't get to see, so I try to share that with my fans as much as possible. Pictures from stage in London posted to Instagram, video of a live performance from Hotel Café in Los Angeles posted to my Facebook artist page, and tweeting my gratitude toward newfound fans in Cape Town are just a few examples. If I do my job right, people who might never even see me perform still feel invested (and interested) in what I'm doing. - Derek Fawcett (@Derek_Fawcett)

Fans like to come backstage because it’s exciting to see what the industry is all about from an insider’s perspective: You can give that to your audience by “lifting the curtain” using social media, that keeps them connected to your band. - Musician's Friend