Gabe Dixon – ‘Turns to Gold’ (album stream) (premiere)

Once upon a time, Gabe Dixon fronted the Gabe Dixon Band, which he formed back in 1999 while at the University of Miami as a piano-fronted Southern rock band. The band worked with Concord Records and earned comparisons to the Ben Folds Five. Fast forward to 2016 and Dixon is a solo artist with a hot new sophomore solo record, Turns to Gold, releasing Friday. Dixon still employs the rock energy, but he’s very much become an Americana artist now and the genre suits him to a tee, allowing him to get more soulful with his vocals and explore new sounds, while focusing on creating fundamentally craftsman-like songs that tell stories of peoples’ lives.

First single “Holding Her Freedom” is a soulful number loaded with empathy. “It’s a story about a woman who has been burned by love, and she’s afraid to let herself be vulnerable and fall in love again,” Dixon explains. It sets the stage for an excellent Americana album, loaded with top notch songwriting and consummate musicianship. Dixon tells PopMatters that “Turns to Gold” is the warmest sounding, most soulful album I have released. The main focus is on the songs. The lyrics are mostly about having the courage to truly love, and the maturity to let go of selfishness, persevere, and be a more giving person. It’s a personal album, but one I think people will relate to.”

Gabe Dixon‘s Turns to Gold releases April 8th via Rolling Ball Records.