Dawn Coulshed

Dawn Coulshed is a Scottish vocalist, songwriter, pianist and multi-instrumentalist, drawing on influences from folk, jazz and classical music with a keen interest in improvisation. Her music combines songwriting with an exploratory approach to voice, piano and collaborative performance.

Originally from the Highlands, Dawn studied classical piano in Edinburgh before moving to London, where she began developing her work as a songwriter and performer. She returned to Scotland to study jazz voice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, deepening her interest in improvisation and collaborative approaches to making music. Since then, she has performed with a range of musicians and ensembles, as well as collaborating across art forms, including work with dancers and visual artists.

Alongside her own music, Dawn works as a community musician and educator, and is interested in creating spaces where people can explore music collaboratively and with freedom from expectation.

Her Pyrofon debut, Shelter, is a collection of songs recorded live with Joanna Stark and captured by engineer Daudi Matsiko in a small practice studio in Glasgow's West End. Written around the studio's upright piano and shaped by Dawn and Joanna's shared practice of improvisation, the recordings capture a particular space, time and group of musicians.