The Dawn Key Shotguns

The Dawn Key Shotguns, a West Columbia, SC duo, is a collaborative project between lyric singer-songwriters Brodie Porterfield and Tonya Tyner. After meeting briefly in 2009 at Bentz Kirby’s well-known Right Bank Rails Open Mic and sharing the stage at a songwriter showcase that summer, they stayed mostly out of touch for the next five years. Reunited by a summer gig in 2014, their mutual passion for songwriting made their partnering inevitable. Although their Folk Rock style reflects the Carolinian backdrop of their childhoods, their separate travels over the past 10+ years have taken them ‘there and back again’ covering Ohio, California, Wyoming, Virginia and Texas between them. These more diverse experiences have shaped their individual artistic approaches, and the duo converges them all in a harmonic package. At the center of their collective sound is an emphasis on the songwriting craft. While each writer brings an extensive catalog of solo work, the spirit of this project reconciles their nearly disparate creative processes, albeit through occasional hand-to-hand combat and at the expense of a little bloodshed. With each ceasefire, they are building a new body of work from a shared perspective and with a fresh voice. Their musical fusion boasts Porterfield’s mesh of American finger-style guitar concepts decorating the pluck of Tyner’s steady-rocking rhythms. Often syncopated and full of variety, their songs feature both electric and acoustic elements weaving tradition with something altogether unconventional. Equally impressive are their voices. Porterfield’s rich and subtle vibrato and Tyner’s clear, bright vocal tone easily bring chills to the listener when delivered each alone. Together, their blending, alternating, and overlapping euphony will damn near make you weep. Drawing from physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual landscapes, they aim to turn their experiences into music that deeply and sincerely connects with others. Expect themes of memory, fear, promise, hope, and anticipation all set against the physical, tactile, and natural world in the form of sea shanties, lullabies and hotrod anthems. Don’t be surprised if you tap your toes and find The Dawn Key Shotguns right on target. ##

West Columbia, SC