Art rock singer-songwriter Elliott Dawson shares his perfect weekend playlist.

It’s nighttime in the world of Pōneke-based musician Elliott Dawson, the perfect period for introspection, stargazing and letting the singer serenade you in dim light. “I’m talking about that 20-30 minute period after the sun has gone below the horizon but it’s not fully dark yet and you get shades of blue/grey in the sky that can never really be captured properly in a photograph or painting,” Dawson says. “The post-sunset twilight when it feels as though time pauses.”

In Dawson’s eyes, this is period in which his music exists. In his latest release ‘Calling Time’, Dawson is reaching through the darkness of the post-Covid years to “[speak] directly to the homies” who had filtered out of Aotearoa and “trying to come to terms with the nothingness in the most objective fashion I can”.

‘Calling Time’ precedes the release of Dawson’s second album Certain Death, due April 2025, a record containing the singer’s reflections on the pandemic hangover and the experience of coming of age in one of the strangest and loneliest times most of us will ever experience. “I  had this strange sense throughout the back end of 2022 and almost all of 2023 where I felt like, well, this is it, we’re calling it on this phase of being alive and now we get to step into the abyss of whatever comes next, and now I have no friends in the same city/country to experience that with,” he says.

While the light’s still out, Dawson already has the vision for his perfect weekend: a trip to the Kāpiti Coast with Wiri Donna bandmate Bianca Bailey, where the two will stay across from the beach with their records, and drink and play music and Scrabble all weekend. “We’ll pack up on a Friday night in Wellington and head to somewhere like Paekākāriki, Raumati or Waikawa Beach and pair the sound of the West Coast with negronis, vinyl, and whatever show one or both of us is currently bingeing,” Dawson says. “Double points if there’s no reception or wifi”.

Driving is kind of a funny thing for Dawson – a nighttime cruise is another scenario in which he believes his sound thrives best, but it’s also one of those places that makes him feel a bit brooding. “I don’t know what it is about that but if there was a location ranking of the places that I’ve cried the most because of music – alone in the car would be at the top,” he says.

To soundtrack a drive to the Kāpiti Coast and your other weekend activities (hopefully not crying alone in your car), Dawson has collated ten song from records physically owned by himself and Bailey to create his perfect weekend playlist.

Lianne La Havas – ‘Sour Flower’

This song has the most infectious sense of inner peace I’ve ever heard. This is how I want to feel when I’m on holiday/at the weekend. It’s also insane how relaxed she makes a 5/4 groove feel. Really nice sonic metaphor. 

Louisa Nicklin – ‘Can’t See’

This has to go in here because I can’t stop listening to or shutting up about this album. I have the vinyl, hoodie, and socks and I am wearing them all at the beach while I am listening to the record. 

Sampha – ‘Dancing Circles 2.0’

This song is a bit of a cheat from me because I don’t actually have the deluxe version of this album in a physical copy but to me this version is the real version. I saw him on the Process tour at the Powerstation in 2017 during a pretty rough period of my life and he propped up six years later with another record that matches where I’m at now. Another one I can’t stop listening to. 

Anthonie Tonnon – ‘Entertainment’

This bloke is just such a good songwriter. This is one of those songs that I will cry to in the car. I don’t even know why. 

MUNA – ‘Runner’s High’

MUNA is one of our favourite bands. If we’re going anywhere in the car outside of Wellington this album gets played and this is my favourite song on it. 

Chelsea Jade – ‘Laugh It Off’

Personal Best is a top five NZ album of all time in my opinion. I think a hallmark of a great song is one that you can both dance and cry to. I’ve done both. Whenever I’m listening to it I try to hit the “oowoooo” backing vocals that pop up in some of the chorus transitions, unfortunately I don’t sound like Chelsea but boy does it feel good.

Jaala – ‘Horn’

Jaala has been a huge inspiration for me for so long and I’ve never understood why they aren’t massive, because they were putting out the best dramatic math rock in the world years before Black Midi was a speck on the horizon. I’ve been trying to internalise it since 2016. ‘Horn’ is always on heavy rotation.

Puma Blue – ‘Gates (Wait For Me)’

This album is genuinely one of my most prized possessions. My mum brought it back for me from the UK (shoutout) because it was otherwise going to cost me like $200 to get a copy. This song just pairs really well with a stormy west coast beach.

Harvey Sutherland – ‘Jouissance’

This song makes me feel nice. Begging someone to bring his full band set up to Wellington. 

David Bowie – ‘Lazarus’

I feel like people who have listened to my music will understand why I love this song. It has everything I love in it and was a constant reference point for James Goldsmith and I when recording and producing Certain Death. Thematically also pretty on point. Bowie’s last laugh.