Dawn and Nash

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- In the tradition of artists such as Cher, Bono and Aaliyah, the married couple comprising Nashville country-pop duo Dawn and Nash (aka Tawny River) go by one-word names only. In this case, it's the singer/songwriters' given appellations, Dawn and Nash.

"We don't advertise our last names," Dawn says with a laugh. When reached for this late-December phone interview, she and Nash were in their Toyota Solara, driving to a gig in Mounteagle, Tenn.

The curlicue harmonies and parlor-strum arrangements in Tawny River's material – such as the wistful "Revolution" and the glam-culture-slamming "Hollywood" - reveals the influence of artists such as Alison Krauss and Paul Simon.

On Jan. 3, Tawny River will play a free 9 p.m. show at Copper Top Bar & Grill, located at 200 Oakwood Ave. N.E.

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For the last 18 months or so, Dawn and Nash have volunteered at Room In The Inn, a Nashville nonprofit dedicated to helping the homeless get back on their feet. "I actually started off serving coffee in the cafe," Dawn says, "and that evolved into Nash and I spending our Friday mornings singing for an hour, then afterwards we and teach an hour-long songwriting class, and that's been pretty amazing, in itself."

Dawn and Nash's experience volunteering at Room In The Inn shows up in "Look At Me Now," a tune imbued with sunny melancholy and phrases including "it's a short fall when your knees hit the ground," "this is one lesson you never want to learn" and "please don't look down on me because it's not what you think."

2014

Tawny Nash is prepping a compilation album featuring numbers written and co-written with students from their Room In The Inn songwriting classes, planned for a 2014 release Dawn says. "All of the proceeds are going to go to the Room in the Inn. There's going to a couple songs Nash and I will perform on, but what we're trying to do is pairing up with hit songwriter friends in Nashville. For instance, Bernie Nelson, he's got a zillion songs on the radio and he has agreed to be part of this. So if he finishes one of the songs, he'll sing on the song and the co-writer to finish the song up."

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In February, Dawn and Nash will have been married for four years.

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Dawn and Nash first met about eight years ago at a songwriters' get-together at sibling country music trio The Harters' house. "I had just broken up with somebody that I'd found out was cheating on me," Dawn says, "and I was driving over to The Harters' and having a conversation with God: 'Dear Lord, please stop bringing me these guys. If you're going to bring someone into my life, make sure it's someone on the same wavelength as me and someone who wants to walk this path of music with me. I want a partner.' When I walked through the door and the guys introduced me to Nash, the first thought that popped in my head was, 'I didn't mean today.'"

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Since Tawny River's bio describes their sound as "a lot like Sting taking Patsy Cline to tea with French music playing in the background," I ask Nash what Sting and Cline would've talked about if they'd ever had such an encounter.

"They'd talk about what happened to music over the last 50 years," he says. "And I think they'd be spiking the tea. They'd be a little discouraged. Sting is my biggest influence of all. When he comes out with something, it's something you've never heard before. And every time you listen to Patsy Cline, it's like a fresh experience. It's just that good." - By Matt Wake, AL Entertainment

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. -- The AEDC Woman’s Club will hold their next meeting Oct. 4 at the Arnold Lakeside Center.

Dawn & Nash, from Nashville, will provide musical entertainment.
What do you get when you cross Island Music, Hippie Jam and Gypsy Pop genres together? The sonic styling of Dawn & Nash. It’s chemistry and harmony, a real life love story.

A country singer from the west coast (Seattle) met a gypsy soul from the great north (Quebec, Canada) in Nashville 10 years ago at a friend’s house for some co-writing. They wrote a song, then another, then another. They’ve been working on telling their story through songs ever since.

Dawn and Nash married six years ago. People who see them live say “Unique, refreshing, inspiring…every time I see them they make me happy and the love just bounces off of them.”

True love is possible. To see for yourself, catch the next show. - Barbara McGuire, AEDC Women's Club