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Katelyn Dawn’s “Socially Awkward” Named June “Best Song Of
The Month”
By Dale Kawashima
Katelyn Dawn, 19, a promising, pop/rock singer/songwriter/guitarist
based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, has won the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song
Of The Month” Contest for June, for her song “Socially Awkward.” This song is
featured on Dawn's new 11-song album, The Window, which she released
independently in April (2008).
Katelyn Dawn
“Socially Awkward” is an uptempo, acoustic pop-rock song, in
the musical vein of Jewel or Colbie Caillat. It has an unique title and a very
honest lyric by Dawn, about how she felt as a high school student growing up in
Winnipeg. The song also features a hooky melody, particularly in the chorus.
“Socially Awkward” was skillfully produced Chris Burke-Gaffney (who has
produced & managed Chantal Kreviazuk) and Dale Penner (Nickelback, Holly
McNarland).
Dawn was born in Steinbach, Manitoba, which a small town
near Winnipeg. She grew up in a music environment – her grandfather and other
family members were musicians. Dawn took voice lessons at a young age, and when
she was 14, she learned to play guitar and started writing songs. By age 16,
she had released her first CD called Open Your Eyes, which contained 11
songs which she wrote. Dawn subsequently attended the MIDEM music conference in Cannes, France, where she promoted her album and performed a showcase.
Then in August 2007, Dawn began recording her second CD, The
Window. “For my new album, I worked with two excellent producers, Chris
Burke-Gaffney and Dale Penner,” said Dawn. “I recorded at both their studios
here in Winnipeg. On the album I played acoustic guitar and sang lead &
background vocals; Chris played electric guitar & bass, and Dale was the
engineer.”
Katelyn Dawn performing live.
Dawn discussed how she wrote “Socially Awkward”: “I wrote
this song when I was 17 and in high school. High school was kind of weird and
difficult time for me. I was already focused and serious about building a
career in music, whereas a lot of the kids my age were into other things – they
didn’t know what they wanted to do in life yet. So ‘Socially Awkward’ reflects
how I felt at the time.”
Currently, Dawn is promoting her latest album, and some of
the songs (including the cuts “When The Coffee’s Cold” and “Oxymoron”) are
getting played on the CBC radio network across Canada. She is also performing
live locally (both solo and with a band), and she will be playing shows in Toronto this summer. “I’m excited about promoting my new album in as many ways as possible,”
she said. “Also, my producers are helping me shop for a label deal, and I’m
looking for management.”
Here are the Top Five Songs which were submitted for this month's contest, with the songwriter credits, plus their e-mail and website links. You can listen to the winning songs by double-clicking the music players below.
"Best Song Of The Month" Winner
"Socially Awkward." Written and performed by Katelyn Dawn of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.