Miranda Dawn

Miranda Dawn is an Austin-raised singer-songwriter whose music weaves threads of folk and Americana with poetic storytelling. With deep roots in Texas and a heritage spanning Mexican-Cajun traditions, she crafts songs that honor resilience, love, and the stories passed down through generations.

One half of the duo Dawn & Hawkes, Miranda Dawn is a Billboard-charting songwriter and Kerrville New Folk Finalist. She continues to carve a place in the Texas songwriting tradition with songs like Wild and Free, honoring her grandmother’s ranchera spirit. Miranda Dawn’s father, an Austin musician who helped shape her earliest influences, now joins her onstage alongside her husband, making each performance a family celebration.

Beyond the stage, Miranda Dawn is a psychotherapist and life coach, blending her passion for music and healing through her songwriting therapy method, helping others find their voice and process life’s challenges through song. She has shared stages with Alison Krauss, Patty Griffin, and Robert Earl Keen, bringing audiences an intimate and heartfelt experience.

Her latest album with Dawn & Hawkes, Light Inside (2024), recorded at Arlyn Studios, shines with raw emotion and unfiltered truth—an invitation for listeners to embrace their inner voice and find the courage to share their own stories.

For Miranda Dawn, music is more than performance—it’s a way to process, memorialize, and heal. She describes songwriting as a practice of “catching songs like fireflies,” embracing the mystery of creativity and capturing moments as they flicker into being. Playing in a family band with her husband, father, and friends- she sees music as both a collaborative tradition and a shared gift. Her work extends to co-creating children’s media as the voice behind songs about emotions… happy, sad, grumpy, scared, silly, love… on the beloved series StoryBots, where she helps young audiences understand and process big feelings.

Behind the Music: The Story of Miranda Dawn

Miranda Dawn’s journey isn’t just about music—it’s about connection. Raised in Austin in a musical community, with a father who played with local legends, she absorbed rhythm and melody like a second language. Her Mexican-American-Cajun roots run deep, shaping the soul and storytelling in her songs. From living room jam sessions to playing ACL Fest and earning recognition as a Kerrville New Folk Festival Finalist, she’s carved a space where past and present, tradition and intuition, meet.

But music isn’t her only calling. As a therapist and life coach for teens and young adults, she developed the Songwriting Therapy Method—a powerful blend of songwriting and emotional expression that helps individuals and families navigate life, loss, and love.

Before she had the words to describe her emotions, melodies carried them for her. Honest and simple yet undeniably heart-stirring storytelling became her thread—woven through song, poetry, and the wisdom passed around family tables. Her father, an Austin musician, who played withThe Derailers, The Iguanas, The Tailgators, and Miss Lavelle White among others, unknowingly set the foundation for her own musical path. Raised on a steady rotation of blues, folk, and rock records, the sounds of her Mexi-Cajun roots intertwined with the rhythms of the city around her.

Her music is deeply personal yet universally resonant. Songs like Wild and Free capture the untamed spirit of her grandmother’s ranchera days, while Father’s House reflects on growing up surrounded by music. But more than melody shaped Miranda—it was resilience. Her own journey through loss, health struggles, and personal transformation deepened her understanding of the healing power of storytelling.

Before music became her full-time career, Miranda worked extensively in youth empowerment. As Program Director at Girls Empowerment Network and founder of CampSHE, she spent years guiding young women toward confidence, self-expression, and resilience. These experiences laid the groundwork for what would later become her collaborative coaching initiative, Co-Love—short for "Collective Love"—aimed at fostering the support systems young people need now more than ever.

Her work in music and coaching is all about creating space for healing and growth. Whether guiding a teenager through self-doubt, helping a family rebuild communication, or writing a song about her own experiences, the goal remains the same: to transform emotions into something tangible, something that resonates.

Recording Light Inside

In the heart of South Austin, where creativity and community intertwine, Dawn & Hawkes recorded their latest album, Light Inside, at the legendary Arlyn Studios. Known for its warm, analog magic, the studio provided the perfect backdrop for an album steeped in raw emotion, storytelling, and connection.

For this record, Miranda Dawn and Chris Hawkes brought their family into the studio. Her father, Chico Oropeza, lends his talents on drums and mandolin, and longtime friend and collaborator Zeke Benenate holds down the bass. Their family-band dynamic breathes life into every track, adding interplay, authenticity, and unfiltered joy. Even “Momma Polly” plays a role, managing merchandise and keeping spirits high on the road. And, of course, their dog Roadie—ever the show-stealer—makes the occasional stage cameo, sporting his signature cowboy bandana.

Miranda describes the songwriting process as “catching a shooting star or pausing long enough to see the fireflies”—fleeting moments of beauty, captured and shared before they fade. The album carries themes of resilience, love, and transformation, threading life’s highs and lows into melodies that illuminate darkness with hope.

Critics have praised Light Inside for its introspective depth and ability to balance vulnerability with joy, with rBeatz calling it "a collection of tracks that could soothe the soul of even the most savage of beasts."

Songs like Even the Darkness showcase the delicate balance of strength and fragility, while Father’s House is a heartfelt tribute to timeless traditions and family ties. Wild and Free captures a slow-dance intimacy, reminiscent of the masters of indie folk, blending warmth and nostalgia with a raw, emotional edge.

Q&A: Behind the Songs and Stage Moments

Q: How did your family influence your music?
A: My dad’s drumming and steady album rotation, dancing with my momma in the kitchen with red beans and rice on the stove, my grandma’s garden and stories—"te quiero mucho, mija"—the sounds of Austin—everything I heard growing up shaped my sound. Even now, with my dad and Chris by my side onstage, music still feels like home.

Q: What do you hope people take away from your songs?
A: That they’re not alone. That their stories matter. That even in the darkest moments, there’s light to be found. It’s always darkest just before the dawn, right? Sometimes there’s a breakdown before the breakthrough. I see it in therapy sessions all the time, and I think music expresses that emotional clarity in a way no other form can.

Q: Your music has been described as deeply personal yet universally relatable. How do you balance vulnerability with connection?
A: The more personal a song is, the more universal it becomes. When I write about something universally real—love, grief, hope—someone else out there is feeling the same thing. I try to let my walls down, trust that honesty will resonate, and remember that this song is for a stranger I just haven’t met yet.

Q: You’ve shared stages with incredible artists like Alison Krauss and Patty Griffin. What’s one lesson you’ve learned from them?
A: That quiet confidence speaks volumes. Watching them perform, you realize it’s not about trying to impress—it’s about showing up as yourself and trusting the song to shine. Alison and Patty—holy cow—I still can’t believe I got to share shows with them! After one show, I watched Patty slip off her heeled boots and into fuzzy house shoes, a ritual I’ve since adopted for every show. Backstage, Alison Krauss and I talked about taking more time to just lay in the grass and look at the sky. We discussed vocal health, self-care, and how precious our instruments are—not just our voices, but ourselves.

These women offer more than musical enlightenment; they embody soft and strong, small but mighty, grace and grit. They are creative giants who have experienced, overcome, created, and contributed so much to our collective experience. To stand in their presence is to witness the power of artistry fused with humanity.

A Light That Lasts

With Light Inside, Miranda Dawn continues her mission—to share music that resonates and offers solace, joy, and a sense of belonging. Whether through songwriting, coaching, or storytelling, she remains dedicated to the idea that music is not just healing sound—it’s a bridge. A way to connect. A light in the dark.

🎶 Hear the new album: HTTPS://VIBE.TO/LIGHTINSIDE
🎥 See the making of Light Inside: HTTPS://YOUTUBE.COM/DAWNANDHAWKES

For booking please email: dawnandhawkes@gmail.com