Delaware-based music collective ‘Dutchman’ is excited to announce the release of their highly anticipated double single, featuring the captivating tracks “I Need You Now” and “In Your Heart,” both out now.
With a fresh yet evocative sound, the band continues to solidify their place in the music scene, building on their previous successes, including being featured in The Washington Post and having acquired thousands of international streams.
Dutchman is fronted by singer/songwriter Connor Johnson, who has been present since the band’s inception in 2017, and has benefitted from the dedicated efforts of Guitarist, Garrett Gravatt, who initially joined in 2020 and has notably served as a pivotal role in helping Johnson to engineer and produce their sound.
Dutchman embodies a vintage-revivalist spirit, while of course forging their own unique identity. Their latest creations emerged from a transformative trek that the duo, Johnson & Gravatt, started from Delaware, leading up to the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ in Cleveland, Ohio, then onto Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee, before finally returning home to Delaware. This journey immersed them in the musical heritage that has influenced their artistic stride.
open.spotify.com/track/3H84dr2rz1Xr6l2RAf8bVV
“Ever since our trip, we’ve been inspired to explore a more laid-back sound that feels like home,” says Gravatt. “These songs reflect the music we grew up listening to, stuff as old as our parents, and we hope to carry forward the spirit of history's most cherished songs.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s been as long as it has, starting this band as 18-year-old kids to now being fully established adults almost in our 30s. Our growth is evident in the music. ‘I Need You Now’ and ‘In Your Heart’ are a testament to our newfound age and our journey here. It’s truly been a long, strange trip,” shares Connor Johnson.
The A-side single, “I Need You Now,” is an acoustic-driven ballad that Connor wrote for his wife. The song features choir and string arrangements, with Franco Solarzano recording a beautifully crafted piano solo for all to appreciate. "I Need You Now," for me, required the most creative effort of the two songs because I had to create a heartfelt piano solo with a memorable orchestral accompaniment. It took a significant amount of time. In fact, I remember being half asleep when the final take of "I Need You Now" was captured, but in the end, I take much pride in how the song turned out. Moreover, It was genuinely a privilege to be a co-songwriter with Connor Johnson. His lyrics and musical structure, combined with my instrumental arrangements, are something I can't wait to share with the world. I believe these songs will capture hearts and resonate with many.”
Gravatt, who engineered the final product, states, “From my shoes, it wasn’t that hard to do given the musicians’ performances caught on record. I give much respect to my bandmates for how well we can craft something from nothing.”
The B-side single, “In Your Heart,” showcases Johnson on a 1962 Gretsch electric guitar, with Gravatt playing the foundational acoustic. The band brought in studio musician Connor O'Malley for slide guitar, reminiscent to the sounds of Joe Walsh, and The Allman Brothers Band. O’Malley goes on to state “Connor (Johnson) and I go way back to Middle School, we even had a band together back in the day and I gotta say, working together again, it was like we never skipped a beat. It was truly inspirational coming in to lay down my recordings given that there were so many tools at our disposal. Also having the concepts of a song and developing it as we went along enabled for a creative flow I hadn’t really felt before.
Additionally, they hired lap steel guitarist Hayden Chance to overlay a lap steel part, with Johnson directing Chance to refer to the works done on Graham Nash’s solo records.
Chance expressed his excitement, saying, “Being a songwriter/producer from Delaware, When I was asked by Connor and the guys in Dutchman to play some steel guitar on a track, I was excited and honored. Dutchman does a great job highlighting the sounds of 60s/70s rock as well as adding their own unique approach to the genre. I’m all about it. Connor sent over the track, and I went straight to work in my home studio in Wilmington, DE. I really wanted to add that classic country steel ‘crying’ sound as well as some swells to add to the emotions of the piece. I’m looking forward to hearing the final number.”
To which Solarzano added, "As for "In Your Heart," I would say this song underwent the most revisions of the two. I remember recording the piano part at ‘Electric Fossil Studio’ and going through several different arrangements for the song over the course of about a year before landing on the final version. It was a long process, but I think the extra effort really paid off in capturing the emotion we wanted.”
“In Your Heart” is said to be aimed at the traditional country music audience, which remains vibrant and engaged. However, it also addresses the listeners who feel as if they have been searching for elements in the genre that have been lacking in recent years.
These two singles serve as a prelude to Dutchman’s upcoming full-length LP, set to be released in 2025, further establishing their commitment to crafting timeless music that resonates with their audience for years to come.
