Biography

Spokane, Washington-raised artist, dancer, and songwriter Dawn "The Faun" McCarthy formed Faun Fables in 1997. After a self-released debut, 1999's Early Song, her powerful voice, penchant for performance art, and British folk-infused rock with lyrics steeped in pagan imagery attracted the attention of Nils Frykdahl (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum). Frykdahl became a frequent collaborator, appearing on 2001's Mother Twilight. The following year, McCarthy premiered her musical The Transit Rider, with the accompanying soundtrack slated for later release. The duo issued Family Album that same year on Drag City Records, followed by the conceptual soundtrack album The Transit Rider, which finally saw release in 2006, four years after the musical. In 2008, the duo issued the culinary-themed EP A Table Forgotten, the first installment in McCarthy's exploration of women's roles in the home. Just in time for the transition to winter in 2010, Faun Fables released a second ambitious concept album (the first being The Transit Rider), this time reflecting weather and the seasons, entitled Light of a Vaster Dark. The duo then returned in 2016 with their sixth studio effort, Born of the Sun. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi