“It can be tough to match up to Stevie [Nicks], but we found a key that makes sense and can be versatile for a man’s voice,” Augustana singer Dan Layus says of tackling Fleetwood Mac‘s biggest hit ever, “Dreams,” for this week’s Mondays. Rather than trying to channel Nicks’ distintive rasp, Layus worked with his own golden falsetto, and a three-voice harmony and wash of acoustic guitars to hew the classic song to the band’s sound.
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 Augustana at Billboard |
“Fleetwood Mac is an easy band to gravitate towards, obviously,” Layus says of why Augustana chose to cover the vulnerable “Dreams”, which Fleetwood Mac took to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1977. “I think they’re all inclusive, for all types of music listeners.”
Almost a decade into their own career, Illinois-formed, San Diego-based Augustana may have come into being decades after the London-formed Fleetwood Mac, but the American quintet has seen the heights of a Billboard chart, earning the No. 1 slot on Heatseekers with its debut album “All The Stars and Boulevards.” “Dreams,” of course, came from Fleetwood Mac’s blockbuster 1977 album, “Rumours,” which topped the Billboard 200.
“We definitely take a lot of tips from the classic 60s and 70s bands,” Layus says of Augustana, which just sent its self-titled third album to No. 9 on the Rock Albums chart. “We find a lot of influence from them as far as the way to structure songs — strong choruses with a lot of vocals surrounding it.”
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