I Am Hologram releases “Dagmar’s Sorrow”
Notes on a modern song carrying the weight of a 19th-century Arizona tragedy—
This horrendous tale doesn’t start with a melody. It begins with a casual answer to a sarcastic question. A few years ago, after months on the road, I came home for a gig at Bone Haus Brewing in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Bone Haus is known for printing macabre tales on every beer can, authored by owner Keith Chapman. I asked the bar manager, DJ, what was the latest on tap. “Dagmar’s Sorrow,” he replied in that ringmaster cadence of his. “Who is Dagmar, and what is their sorrow?”
I jested.
I wasn’t prepared for the answer.
Dagmar was the wife of Samuel Haught. Together, they had four children and lived on a ranch in Rye, Arizona called “The Last Roundup.” One day a stranger arrived, dehydrated and emaciated. The Haughts took him in, fed him, and let him drink from their well. Little did they know it what followed behind him was hell. Within weeks, a sickness tore through their family. All four of their children died. Dagmar was so overcome with sorrow that she eventually divorced Samuel and fell into obscurity.
“There’s a sorrow within me the good lord could never set free… there’s a darkness within me that heaven could never appease.” The song is written from Dagmar’s perspective. Her grief must have felt like an anchor chained to the ribs. Nothing was going to pull her back from that void. I wanted her voice to be heard. A songwriter’s job is to tell the stories that need telling, and Dagmar’s story needed to be told. This is the first historical song I’ve written, true Arizona folklore.
At Lava Lake Studio in Phoenix, Ari Leopold rolled tape while I tried to put myself in Dagmar’s headspace. After a few false starts, I took a deep breath, let it out with a sigh. Then it was as if someone pressed play in my brain and I was no longer in control. I consider it one of the most powerful vocal performances I’ve ever recorded.
Keith Chapman: “Darkness can destroy or create based on viewpoint of the observer… acknowledging the darkness of life in the right way… that can bring you to the light. That is what I Am Hologram has done with this sorrowful story.”
If you want the beer that started it all, Bone Haus has the story and details here: https://www.bonehausbrewing.com/beers/dagmarssorrow
You can find “Dagmar’s Sorrow” on Bandcamp: https://iamhologram.bandcamp.com/album/dagmars-sorrow-single
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/i-am-hologram/1046823939
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0txisDG7HbUS1do4OKWlgE
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VhhOGHIbfc