Katie Dauson returns with her latest single, “The Company We Keep” which emerged from a spontaneous moment of inspiration. Dauson had already planned to release three songs in early 2026, but felt something was missing. Known for her fondness for symmetry, every album she has released features an even number of songs; she decided she needed one more track to pair with another for a vinyl single release.
The track draws deeply from 1960s psychedelic rock influences, particularly bands such as Strawberry Alarm Clock, whose adventurous use of instruments and textures defined the era. Lyrically, the song channels a classic psychedelic sensibility. It tells the story of someone who isolates themselves and watches life pass by from a distance. Yet the narrative isn’t without hope. In the final verse, the character retreats to sleep in anticipation of a new day, and notably, the song’s pre-chorus disappears after that moment, a subtle structural shift that Dauson feels hints at the possibility of change.
Initially planning to layer her rhythm guitar with a range of effects pedals to evoke that psychedelic palette, Dauson ultimately chose restraint. Instead, she opted for a cleaner tone using only an overdrive and compressor pedal, allowing the song’s textures to breathe without overwhelming the mix. The rhythm guitar was performed on a left-handed 2012 Gibson SG Standard in Cherry, an instrument whose tonal character and classic look felt perfectly suited to the song’s vintage aesthetic.
The single was engineered, mixed, and mastered by longtime collaborator James Nickle, continuing the creative partnership behind Dauson’s previous releases. Dauson wrote the song’s music and lyrics and performed the rhythm guitar on the recording.
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