DETAILS

The Duhks with Michael Bernard Fitzgerald
Gateway
Thursday, November 20 - Thursday, November 20

More in: Folk / Country

Acclaimed worldwide for their broad melodic horizons and fun loving nature, Winnipeg’s The Duhks (pronounced like “ducks”) have a penchant for adding their own unique flavours to the melting-pot genre known as world music. Somehow, in the talented hands of these five players, an unlikely mix of styles and sounds (including traditional North American folk, country and gospel, plus zydeco, soul, world beat, Celtic dance music and even some Brazilian samba thrown in for good measure) translates into one beautiful roots-fuelled conflagration that has had fans and critics flocking to their camp.

“A lot of those musical styles are just branches of a larger musical tree,” explains founder and banjo hustler Leonard Podolak. “They’re musical cousins, but each has its own distinct attributes. For centuries people have been migrating around the globe, and they take their music with them. As each generation carries on the traditions, the encyclopedia of music that we can draw from for our material just gets thicker and thicker.“

Enthusiastic about new technologies that make sharing music and ideas across the globe easier than ever before, Podolak senses a full-fledged folk revival is just around the corner. To pursue what they consider to be one of the noblest human endeavours, The Duhks are aiming to make the business of making and sharing music reflect their own down-to-earth sensibilities. Launched in October 2007, The Green Duhks Project (www.greenduhks.com) brings the band’s desire to be as environmentally friendly as possible to the forefront. Touring in a biodiesel vehicle, supporting local organic farmers and using eco-conscious products wherever and whenever they can, they hope to reduce their carbon footprint and raise awareness at the same time.

“The biggest impact the Green Duhks has had is that it has put us in contact with a lot of like-minded people,” Podolak says. “We don’t travel as much as we used to, because we’re concerned about the impact that has on the planet, so we have to limit ourselves and pick and choose our tour dates carefully. For example, we just played an Earth Day benefit in Nederland, Colorado, and it was amazing. “

Even with their Earth-friendly discretion, The Duhks have met with nothing but success. From their independent 2003 album Your Daughters & Your Sons to their self-titled 2005 release and 2006’s Migrations, The Duhks have proved their staying power. Their most significant change occurred in July of 2007, when singer Sarah Dugas signed on for that summer’s tour, later recruiting her equally talented brother Christian into their ranks. Bringing a lifetime of musical experience to the group, the siblings, who replaced original members Scott Senior and Jesse Harvey, make the Juno- and Grammy-nominated group feel more like a family affair than ever.

“Going down to Nashville to record our latest album, Fast Paced World, was so easy,” says Podolak. “The Duhks feel right at home there, and I think it helps that we’ve got the strongest group of musicians in the band to date. We all brought new material to the table this time — it was like the stars aligned. We wood-shedded in a Winnipeg basement five hours a day, five days a week for five weeks, and when we finally got to Nashville, it all flowed into a cohesive story. We weren’t just talking theory, we jived. It was awesome — as if that’s exactly what we were put on the Earth to do.”