Dawes Release Grammys Cover of Randy Newman’s ‘I Love L.A.’ to Benefit Wildfire Relief

A day after performing an all-star version of Randy Newman’s 1983 pop classic “I Love L.A.” to open Sunday’s (Feb. 2) 67th annual Grammy Awards, Dawes announced that they are releasing their version to help with Los Angeles wildfire relief. The proceeds from sales of the song will go to the Recording Academy and MusiCares’ Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to Support Music Professionals.

The band honored the first responders and the communities affected by the deadly fires with the cover of Newman’s beloved song at music’s biggest night. They were joined by a backup band that included Brad Paisley and Brittany Howard on guitar, as well as John Legend on the piano, St. Vincent on keys and Sheryl Crow on bass. They also tweaked the lyrics to the song to reflect the moment, singing, “Look at this city getting back up off its knees/ Look at these firefighters/ Ain’t nothin’ like them nowhere.”

“Recorded this just a few days ago to make sure we could all continue to relive this moment together. Proceeds going to Musicares.org in support of those affected by the LA Fires,” the band wrote on Instagram. “What a wild few days it’s been. Can’t wait to share some thoughts once I catch my breath. I love you all so much. Thanks for showing the love and support the way you always do. And for anyone new here – welcome to the family. It’s pretty tight knit. Hope you all like the new track.”

Dawes also performed their 2011 single “Time Spent in Los Angeles” at last week’s FireAid benefit concert at the Kia Forum in L.A., before teaming up with Stephen Stills and Mike Campbell for Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” They were later joined by Stills’ longtime musical partner Graham Nash for a cover of CSN&Y’s “Teach Your Children.”

Singer Taylor Goldsmith and brother Dawes drummer Griffin Goldsmith were both affected by the fires, with Taylor losing his home studio and much of the band’s musical equipment and Griffin losing his Altadena home in the Eaton fire. Former Dawes bassist Wylie Gelber also lost his home in the fires that killed 29 and destroyed 16,000 homes and structures.