In 2022, Steve Dawson and legendary sideman Fats Kaplin decided to team up and channel their love of Pre-WW2 Hawaiian music into a new band called The Volcano Brothers. With Steve on National steel guitar and Fats on ukulele, longtime John Prine bassist Dave Jacques stepped up to the plate to round out the trio. When Fats’ schedule got too intense with touring he was doing, Richard Bennett, also a Hawaiian music junkie, joined the band on ukulele. Richard has spent years playing guitar for Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler and many others. Fats later returned from his year-long stint with Mitski and jumped back into the fold creating a 2-uke powerhouse rhythm section. Guests like Dobro legend Rob Ickes and horn virtuoso Jim Hoke often join in on the proceedings.

This is sophisticated string band music played on metal-bodied steel guitars, ukulele, and upright bass that is more akin to the hot jazz of the 1920’s and ‘30’s than what comes to mind when most people think of Hawaiian music today. The band brings old classics to life with renditions of tunes by the likes of Sol Hoopii, Roy Smeck, King Bennie Nawahi, Jim and Bob (The Genial Hawaiians), Irene West’s Royal Hawaiians, The Kalama Quartet and more. For now, the Volcano Brothers are play regularly around their hometown of Nashville, but who knows what the future may hold...

Check the Tour page for upcoming dates. (Volcano Brothers shows are marked accordingly in Steve’s upcoming tour dates)

Want to book the Volcano Brothers for a gig, event or festival?
Feel free to reach out here and let’s make it happen!