Band: Dave Hause
Album: Kick
VÖ: 12.04.2019
Label: Rise Records / BMG / ADA / Warner
Website: http://www.davehause.com
Life is a struggle. Even when things go our way, it’s a constant swim against the tide, kicking against the current in the hope we’ll eventually find the shore.
That’s the premise behind Dave Hause’s new album titled Kick that will be released on Friday, April 12 through Rise Records. Kicking was the first thing he saw his newborn twins do and it’s something he himself has been doing all his life. His career as a musician has spanned two decades, and his songs have always been a quest for personal survival – about pushing through against the odds – but his perspective shifted dramatically after the November 2016 election. Like many Americans, Hause believed the 2016 election divided people to create an “Us Vs. Them” mentality, but if you look closer, it’s just really people trying to survive. He felt it was important to write about the things that were happening to the people “who have to get up and go to work everyday.” That, Hause says, is when he and his brother and bandmate Tim Hause, really dug in.
Conflicting internal feelings sparked some deep, soul-searching conversations between Hause and Tim over numerous FaceTime sessions, voice notes and countless phone calls, which led to a cross-country songwriting relationship that would eventually lead to the album’s purpose and focus. There is a sense of hope and defiance that permeates this record from beginning to end. “Saboteurs” takes issue with the systems in place that value profits over well-being, while “Warpaint” serves as both a tribute to the women in Hause's life as well as a moody call-to-arms.
Additionally, the tragic passing of friend and musical inspiration Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit prompted the brothers to write about finding – and coming back to – a sense of meaning and purpose again after going through their own battles. Understandably, the album’s themes of finding the will to stick it out and make the best of where you are quickly became a major keystone of the new LP.
“I think those ideas show up in almost every song in some capacity. Beyond the personal lyrics, the concept of ‘If I can’t make it out of this ditch, I better make a home of it’ can be applied universally.”
Kick doesn’t sugarcoat either the personal problems or the global challenges at its center. At the core of this record there remains a vivid humanity and a hope that things can – and will – get better, even if it seems like the odds are stacked against us. When the only alternative is to drown, the first step towards survival is to kick. “There is comfort in desperation when you know that other people experience it too, and together you can both sing it and sing through it,“ Hause continues. ”As I listen back, I hope the album offers more comfort than desperation. I hope we got that balance right.”
