“When I was a kid, I always tried to play around with my dreams. Sometimes I could control things, sometimes not. But, when I actively tried, I couldn’t anymore. Then I reached a certain age or a certain level of self-awareness, where that ability was switched off.” When singer/songwriter Carey Ott was penning his Dualtone debut release, he had a dream, reminiscent of his childhood that was just as enigmatic as his elusive personality. In it, the Chicago born/Nashville transplanted tunesmith saw a sequence in which he was falling, but instead of hitting the ground, he bounced back gently under a trance of complete weightlessness. Such a fearless ricochet in his sleepy state translated to reality when he awoke, and it became the centerpiece of his latest creation.

“The dream was unique and affected me in a profound way. I woke up feeling so comfortable and unafraid. I had heard somewhere that if you hit the ground in a dream, it means you’ve died, so when I bounced and floated in this one it was strangely reassuring. Like dreams, most of my songs come from the subconscious, so the title seemed to work on a couple of different levels.”

Ott spent years as front man and writer for the windy city based band Torben Floor, an alt rock outfit from the late 90s/early 2000s that frequently toured the local Chicago scene and greater Midwest region. After playing the lauded likes of clubs like Metro, Schubas and DoubleDoor, along with festivals like Austin’s annual SXSW Festival, the guys were courted by many indie and major labels. Though the attention left the players hopeful of hitting the big time, there was a swelling atmosphere of cynicism and doubt lurking in the wings.

“We had a lot of meetings in big offices on the coasts and it became the typical story where label executives were ‘blown away’ one day, then working for a different label the next.” Ott recalls of the tough times. “They would talk about big plans for us, fly us out to L.A. for showcases, spend a bunch of money, and then say they didn’t hear a single. But none of them ever committed to what I was doing, so in between playing the waiting games, I was waiting tables. I became very disillusioned with the whole thing to the point where we finally disbanded the group and I put my dreams of grandeur on hold.”

Luckily for Ott, the continual letdowns weren’t without some solace, found primarily in fellow Chi-town musician/producer Ed Tinley (Ike Reilly Assassination / Liz Phair). The two met through Ott’s time in Torben Floor and clicked creatively to the point of teaming for frequent session work together. Carey’s manager, Gary Taylor, eventually passed a demo Ott and Tinley made for a west coast major onto Nashville producer Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Ron Sexsmith, John Mellencamp), who also expressed interest in working on the project.

“Ray loved it but, more importantly, he understood it. He shared it with Dualtone and they were really excited, as well.” Ott uncovers. “Then the whole courting process began and folks from the label flew out to [the Chicago club] Subterranean to catch my set. They saw enough in me from that night that they wanted to move forward.” And with that, Ott packed up his stuff, drove south to Music City and set up shop with Kennedy and Tinley in the studio to create Lucid Dream the album. The result is a dozen choice cuts characterized by Ott’s engaging vocals, ethereal undertones and sub-conscious confessions that represent various situations taken from his experience and from experiences of those close to him. It’s a perfect project for fans of Elvis Costello, Jeff Buckley, Wilco and the sea of British-based alternative bands, yet there’s something still uncannily original in this scribe’s storytelling through song.

“If I could choose a legacy to leave it would be as a good old-fashioned, working-class songwriter. I’ve worked with and met such great blue-collar people who consistently put in 100 percent and do it with a smile, no matter how menial or thankless the job. That is a gift.”

He explains, “Although what I do musically may be more specialized and a bit more thankful at times, it isn’t any good unless I work hard at it.” And that emphasis on song crafting is exactly what one takes away from an initial spin of Lucid Dream, starting with the delightfully melodic “Daylight,” the acoustic coziness of “Hard to Change” and the insanely infectious “I Wouldn’t Do That To You.” “Am I Just One” takes on a easy going, Brit-pop approach, “Virginia” slides with tenderhearted minimalism, while “It’s Only Love” resounds with anthemic guitar jangles and summertime simplicity. “I was given these antennae in my brain that take in all sorts of information, from what people say to books to films to whatever’s going on in my life. I grab a guitar and subconsciously sculpt all these random thoughts and vibes into something I can enjoy. Then the work begins,” he muses. “I’m thinking of that John Lennon song, ‘a working class hero is something to be.’ I love songs like that. They don’t sugarcoat, they’re not afraid to be honest, but there is some hope in there, too.”

Listen to Wouldn't Do That to You by Carey Ott!!!