Album Notes

Leonard's Lair -
...her singing style is effortless and relaxed, yet clear and resonant, a little like Luscious Jackson’s Jill Cunniff. ...On ‘Big Emotion’ her voice enters a natural huskiness that is most becoming, as a grungy hook unravels into a fine chorus. ...this is an excellent record, full of concise and imaginative little indie pop tunes that has the all-important addictive qualities to make it an album to return to in the future.

NPR 2nd Stage feature from 'All Songs Considered' -
...lo-fi, uniquely structured songs ...she keeps everything personal while capturing ideas that are spontaneous.

Americana UK -
...a virtual one woman band Dineen is hard to pigeonhole...despite recording most of this album in a bedroom there is an almost lush ambience to it with lashings of keyboards, prominent bass and some fine guitar stylings...hypnotic modality that is reminiscent of some of David Crosby's work... organic sounding tapestry...

On Tap Magazine -
...with her fourth album, “The Ghostly Apple Tree,” Dawn Dineen manages to create her own unique sound... her voice is both soothing yet haunting at the same time... Dineen plays most of the instruments on this album, including guitar, bass, drums and keyboard. Stand out tracks include “Tomboys (You’re oh so fine),” “Ladybug” and “Picasso in the Air.” The Ghostly Apple Tree is released on Dineen’s own record label, Yarner Records, which is based in DC.

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I come from a kind of Ouija Board school of thought on music-making. I have always simply put my hands on instruments and let what happens, happen. I am in love with many different kinds of music.

I also love the art of recording and record all my own stuff in addition to the music of others. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that a recording can be a kind of documentary in sound, an audio snapshot of an exact moment in time. When I was six, I started walking around with a tape recorder, interviewing my family members, singing songs and reading stories. On one of the recordings I relayed a tale of a séance to my grandmother. I ended up using that old analog cassette for the vocals on the song called “Séance”, writing and playing all the music over my six-year old voice. I think that’s the closest one can come to traveling in a time machine!

"The Ghostly Apple Tree" was borne out of a dream I had about my grandmother who passed away 15 years ago. In the dream we stood beside an old apple tree. She picked an apple, broke it in half and showed me the seeds. The imagery had a lot of meaning for me which lead me to write the title track and leant inspiration to the completion of the whole project. It took 3 years because I recorded most of this record in a spare bedroom in a totally fun lo-fi way. I am a lo-fi samurai!

I didn't perform live for 4 years because being an artist in your bones is sometimes a costly recipe for fear and delay. I have since grabbed my bootstraps with giant fists and begun to hit the stage again and am touring with my band Dawn Dineen & The Cue in October of 2007 to promote these songs... check the MySpace page for show dates. Come out to support original music, share the love and feel the ROCK!