Combining British pop and American roots rock, Julian Dawson first gained prominence in Europe with a single on Rough Trade Records in the mid-'80s. He then released two albums on Polydor Records. He also recorded two albums with Ian Matthews' band, Plainsong. His first domestic release, Live on the Radio, appeared in 1990 on Watermelon Records. Dawson then recorded Fragile as China the following year for BMG/Ariola. The first single, "How Can I Sleep Without You," reached the charts. 1994 brought a greatest-hits album, How Human Hearts Behave, which included a re-recording of "How Can I Sleep Without You" with Lucinda Williams. The next year, Travel On was issued, again on Watermelon Records. It featured collaborations with Nicky Hopkins, Jules Shear, and Willie Nile; the Roches and Curtis Stigers contributed vocals. Move Over Darling followed in 1997, and two years later Dawson returned with both Spark and Under the Sun. ~ John Bush