"Old Magnolia" Bookended by blistering guitar riffs and sharp songcraft, the richly layered
track melds the grit of Southern rock with the hazy expansiveness of psychedelia and
broody post-grunge. Recorded at yellow DOG Studios in San Marcos, TX, the self-
penned song was produced by Grammy Award-winner David Percefull.

Old Magnolia

This is an autobiographical love story. It begins with self-reflection, as our narrator recognizes the need to get his life in order as he pursues the love of his life. Earning her faith isn’t easy, but he holds on tight and pushes through to her heart with assurances of his devotion and the promise of a beautiful new future together. 

My Fortune Is You

Shortly after the passing of my mother-in-law, Jane, my wife and I drove out to the West Texas desert to explore a new landscape and exhale some of our grief. Many times during the trip, I had a keen sense Jane was with us. When I returned home, I came across T.S. Elliot’s “The Waste Land” and was struck by his notion of a “third” who walks beside us. “Who is the third who walks always beside you? / When I count, there are only you and I together / But when I look ahead up the white road / There is always another one walking beside you.”  I believe Jane was there beside us, showing us the way forward through our heartache and onto life’s road ahead. 

Desert Passenger

Singer-songwriter Dakota Gallivan has announced the release of his debut album, Life Is For The Living, out on May 16. The album’s title and overarching message was inspired by a Langston Hughes poem: “Life is for the living/Death is for the dead/Let life be like music/And death a note unsaid.” Together, the songs represent Gallivan’s embrace of life in all its forms and phases, telling stories of love and betrayal, grief and ghosts, taking leaps and saying goodbye. They’re told through high energy rock with diverse arrangements, sweeping instrumentation, honest, vulnerable lyrics, and melodic hooks that stay with you. 

Written by Gallivan and recorded at yellow DOG Studios in San Marcos, TX, this ten-song collection was produced by Grammy Award-winner David Percefull and features a bevy of notable Texas musicians, including Geoff Queen on slide guitar and resonator, Carter Arrington on lead guitar, and Phil Hook on drums. Indie rock stalwart Bob D’Amico (Sebadoh, No Chief, The Fiery Furnaces) was also a key collaborator. 

Dakota Gallivan

Popular tracks