Harry Dean doesn’t consider himself a fantasy writer.
The lead vocalist-guitarist for Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys assumed a fictional persona while penning the country-rock trio’s latest single, “Gone By Dawn.”
“For the longest time, I was writing only from my own experiences,” said Dean, who’s based in Grand Rapids, Michigan with guitarist Lee Vanderkolk and drummer Tyler Mazurek.
“One of my favorite writers, Zach Bryan, has multiple songs where he is making up stories about fictional characters, and I thought that was an awesome concept.”
With a concept in mind for “Gone by Dawn,” Dean landed on a man out west who meets a mysterious woman one night. They share a passionate night at a hotel before going their separate ways the next day.
“I never had that one passionate night,” he said. “I have been with my wife since we were juniors in high school and we got married in June of 2023.”
Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys instantly brings that passionate night to life in “Gone by Dawn” through fearless electric guitar, enthusiastic acoustic guitar, driving bass and thumping drums.
Dean sings, “She might look good in my shirt / And I knew this wouldn’t work / But oh it felt so right / That mysterious girl / She might have stolen my world / Even if only for one night.”
“It was a lot of fun for me to step out of my comfort zone and write a story that was pure fantasy to me,” he said. “We are really proud of how this story came along.”
I recently spoke to Dean about his background, the formation of Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys, the band’s 2023 EP and latest single, upcoming live shows and future plans.
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