Do you like this song? #886
Yes I like it, I already know it
Yes I like it, first time listening
No I don't like it, I already know it
No I don't like it, first time listening
Dan Tyminski - Southern Gothic 2017
Dan Tyminski is an American bluegrass singer-songwriter and musician. He is a former member of Alison Krauss's band Union Station, and has released four solo albums. He is known for his updated version of the song "I Am Man of Constant Sorrow" (poll #26), which was featured in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?. In total, he has won 14 Grammy Awards for solo and collaborative projects. In 2013, he was the vocalist on Avicii's international hit "Hey Brother" (poll #164). Tyminski received the Bluegrass Star Award from the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation of Dallas, Texas, in 2021. The award is bestowed upon bluegrass artists who do an exemplary job of advancing traditional bluegrass music while preserving its character and heritage.
Tyminski says the "Southern Gothic" theme, which emerges in both the lyrics and the music, came about by accident. "I remember the day we came up with that song. We started at 11 at night and worked later into the night. We decided to evaluate it, and we realized we were trying to dress up a turd. We were either going to quit or start something different. Jesse [Frasure] played some different music to change things up, and he played the bones of what would become 'Southern Gothic'. The first thing that struck me was that it was creepy and dark." Someone in the studio said, "It's kind of Gothic." Frasure responded, "If Dan is going to sing it, it has to be Southern Gothic." The guys then all Googled Southern Gothic to see just what the term meant.
"What laid in front of us was a wealth of material you could have written 10 complete albums about," says Tyminski. "We picked and choosed the parts we thought would help us make the song we were trying to make. I really wasn't familiar with the literature until that day. It's interesting how it unfolded. I didn't expect this record to come along the way it did, but after I realized that I had this opportunity, I've had to honor that and that's carried through into the band I hired and the shows we played. We're playing this record as it sounds; we're not doing bluegrass music. It's been amazing to play with this much energy — it's pretty far left for me."
"Southern Gothic" received a total of 48,3% yes votes. Previous Dan Tyminski polls: #26 "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow", #164 "Hey Brother".