This article is part of SCAD Radio’s SXSW collection, in which some of our radio members visited the music portion of the SXSW Festival and Showcase in Austin, TX.
Genviève Beaudoin, the lead singer of Dead Gowns, would describe herself as an earnest songwriter, “trying to put you, the listener, in a certain place in time. I think every song to me feels like setting the scene,” she explains. Dead Gowns is an alt-country band with a brief pop disco phase. Indie alt-country has been Genviève’s go-to genre since she was a teenager, and pop disco was an experiment. She mentions, “It was a really great break from folk adjacent songwriting style that I had really studied. And working over different rhymes and soundscapes just pushed me into a different zone.” Luke Kalloch, the guitarist in Dead Gowns and Genviève’s partner, said to Genviève when creating music, “We could probably turn this song into a Dead Gowns tune, it’s disco now, but it could be alt-country.” That’s what they’ve been doing since.
In the same motion of experimenting with music, one of Dead Gown’s members, Hamilton Belk, is a pedal steel player. For those who don’t know, pedal steel is a type of guitar that sits flat on a stand with strings that can be altered in pitch through pedals while being pressed with a movable steel bar. Hamilton plays many instruments but has become a premier pedal steel player. Genviève exclaims, “We’re so lucky he moved to Maine and wanted to join our band.” They gave Hamilton free rein and all the lead instrumental parts for this run, whereas they might have separated pedal steel and lead guitar up. Luke plays bass, but usually plays a Barrington guitar. Genviève affirms, “It’s all Hamilton now, so we just gave him free rein to do whatever he wanted to do.”
Dead Gown’s favorite song to perform is “Renter Not a Buyer,” their newest single. Genviève explains that the song came to her while driving in the car. “I just started singing that first verse, ‘fell down the stairs, tried to give you a kiss…’ and throughout that week, I just kept driving with that song and kept trying to build on the story.” It’s a satisfying moment when you go from singing a song in the car to having a whole band behind you as you perform it on stage. It’s the surreal moment where everyone is rocking out and reflecting on how it started and where it is now.
On the topic of songwriting and the single “Renter Not a Buyer,” I asked Genviève what inspired her to write in a story-like manner. She responds, “I think it’s one thing to say how you are feeling, and I think it’s another to try and put the listener in a place where they are in the feeling like they’re in it with you, and they’re going through the same fucked up morning that I’m having in ‘Renter Not a Buyer.’” Genviève feels it’s “an earnest way to try to be inside an emotion rather than just telling you about the emotion.”
In the music industry, unless you’re signed with a major label, it’s tough to obtain health care. In between songs, Genviève revealed being diagnosed with endometriosis; health care is critical to her. In conversation with Genviève, she describes what she must do as a musician in order to have health insurance and deal with endometriosis. “It’s really, really difficult. I have to have health care, I have to have treatment for my endometriosis, and that comes at a cost. Last year, I couldn’t tour necessarily how I wanted to because I had to work to stay on my health insurance to cover my procedure costs,” Genviève confesses. Health care is essential. Genviève is lucky that her employer allows her to work on the road. She’s learned that the easiest way to maintain health insurance is to be employed by a company that offers continual care. At the end of the day, she believes that health care should be accessible to all.
Dead Gowns started in 2018 but paused for a few years while Genviève experimented with pop music. The band became more active in 2021 when they made their EP, “How,” released in 2022. One of their favorite memories was that release show in their hometown. Genviève explains, “It felt like we really had our community around us.” Since that moment, the tour has been incredible; finally, being able to do that is the band’s high point.
In terms of bucket list items, SXSW was on Genviève’s bucket list. The three-week tour that they’re currently on after SXSW was on their bucket list. On the whole, the band follows what they feel is their calling. Dead Gowns plans to continue touring, playing at festivals, and putting out music. Genviève exclaims in continuation, “And it feels really fucking good.”
The nice thing about SXSW and being back in Austin is that Luke lived in Texas for ten years, so they have good friends here. With their friends, they’ve been drinking great coffee and eating great tacos—Luke and Genviève like Pueblo Viejo’s and Veracruz for tacos and Flitch for coffee. Genviève mentions how they go and support their friends where ever they may be performing down here, whether in supermarkets, hotel bars, official showcases, or nonofficial showcases. She reveals, “I wasn’t expecting to find community at SXSW, and it’s great to see friends every day.” The bands support and find each other as a community and friends. Genviève is friends with Izzy Heltai, and when I was talking to Izzy, he mentioned how it is incredible to see your friends from all over the country and everything; and with festivals like SXSW, you have a spot to meet up. Part of being a musician is building community, and I think that is something Dead Gowns and many other bands appreciate when it comes to festivals like SXSW. It’s a place to meet new people and connect with old friends.
Check out Dead Gowns: https://deadgowns.com/
Listen to their latest single: “Renter Not a Buyer” – Spotify
Check out Hamilton Belk’s music: Hamilton Belk – Spotify
