Anthony da Costa is no stranger to the music world. At age 13, he started writing songs and playing out anywhere he could, and his career as a singer/songwriter never really stopped. In the last decade, he’s lived in New York City, Austin, TX, and most recently, Nashville, TN— all of which have shaped him as a musician and led him to countless opportunities and collaborations.

da Costa has released many albums over the course of his career, most recently a solo LP (da Costa), a collaboration with Norah Jones guitarist Adam Levy (Neighbors) in 2017, and an EP (Shadow Love) in 2019.

For the last several years, he’s also been consistently touring, sharing bills with bands such as Big Thief, The Milk Carton Kids and Loretta Lynn, and sharing stages with Joy Williams (The Civil Wars), Sarah Jarosz, Molly Tuttle, and Yola, just to name a few.

During his time as a sideman, da Costa’s desire to write and release songs of his own remained steady. Last year he met up with long-time friend and producer Kenneth Pattengale (The Milk Carton Kids), and made what will be his next solo record, Feet on the Dashboard. Engineered by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price) and featuring personnel such as bassist Owen Biddle (The Roots), Feet on the Dashboard is a collection of songs set to be a deliberate reintroduction to who da Costa is, and who he has always been: an earnest songwriter and an artist on his own merit.

The Big Takeover is pleased to host the premiere of “Not Every Lover,” the latest single from Feet on the Dashboard, which will be available everywhere on March 27th.

The soulful indie folk track swings with bright organ waver (that occasionally blast out with fervor) and a thumping drum beat. Softly strummed to lightly growling guitar lines cycle, while da Costa’s gentle, engaging vocals provide uplift to the tune’s bittersweet lyrics.

da Costa gives a detailed and deeply personal explanation of what the song is about, stating, ““Not Every Lover” is a song about taking a fling too seriously…which is something I’ve done many a time. The song was initially inspired by a short-lived relationship that I had a few years back. The woman I was seeing drew my curiosity instantly, as both a very impressive musician and also just a strange and fascinating person. When she “chose” me, I was flattered and entranced. Looking back, the whole thing was always meant to be what it really was: light, silly, momentarily fun, and then over. But something about her challenged me and made me want more. I wanted to figure out how to fit myself into her life, and vice versa. I made grand gestures. I traveled all over the country to see her. I sold merch for her band. I even once bought her a portable bread proofer so that she could make tempeh and other fermented goodies on the go (the tempeh we made together was disgusting). The first weekend where we became romantic was at this festival up in the northeast that she had invited me to when we were drunk. We were hanging out with mutual friends after a show she had played, and I was due to fly home in the morning. She convinced me to change my flight and drive up into the woods with her instead. I did it in a heartbeat. Literally days later, while sitting around a campfire, she would admit to me that she had no recollection of inviting me to the festival. I was hurt, confused, and somehow even more attracted to the situation. Since, I’ve had a chance to look back and see what relationships of mine were more chance encounters that should’ve been kept concise. What do they say again, “You live and you learn?”

When asked about the writing and producing process for the track, da Costa replies, “I started writing this song backstage at a festival in Pittsburgh the following year. I was playing it on an acoustic guitar in an open tuning. I enjoyed the way the words played and the melody bounced…but it would be a few months later during a writing session with producer Kenneth Pattengale that the song would take more permanent shape. We recorded it very similarly to how I play the song live with my band: fun and playful at times, but hitting hard just when it needs to. It’s one of my more enjoyable songs to play live, because I believe it’s a song about self-awareness and being able to laugh at your own missteps in the realm of love and relationships.”

FULL TOUR DATES:
(co-bill tour w/ Austin Plaine) ***
^^ (supporting Maya de Vitry)

3/27 – The Blue Light – Dallas, TX
3/28 – Mohawk – Austin, TX
3/31 – Last Exit Live – Phoenix, AZ
4/3 – The Hotel Cafe – Hollywood, CA
4/4 – Neck Of The Woods – San Francisco, CA
4/7 – McMenamins White Eagle Saloon – Portland, OR
4/8 – Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA
4/9 – Brewminatti – Prosser, WA
4/10 – WildCraft Cider Works – Eugene, OR
4/11 – Brickroom Gathering House – Ashland, OR
4/15 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
4/17 – The Riot Room – Kansas City, MO
4/18- Evangeline’s – St. Louis, MO ***
5/6 – Zoetropolis – Lancaster, PA ^^
5/9 – Folk All Y’all – Memphis, TN
5/30 – Drkmttr – Nashville, TN

Tour Dates with Dylan LeBlanc
Wed, Apr 22, 2020 Boot & Saddle Philadelphia, PA
Thu, Apr 23, 2020 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY
Fri, Apr 24, 2020 The Saint Asbury Park, NJ
Sat, Apr 25, 2020 Pie Shop Washington, DC
Sun, Apr 26, 2020 Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall Pittsburgh, PA

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