Preview: The Duhks at the Newton Theatre, Oct. 14
Interview with lead singer Sarah Dugas NEWTON The Duhks are a Winnipeg, Manitoba, based band playing the Newton Theatre this Friday, Oct. 14. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Local country favorite Rachel Allyn will be opening. Tickets are $24 in advance and $29 the day of the concert. College students with ID can purchase tickets for $10. For more information call the Newton Theatre box office at 973-343-7688. The Duhks are one of those bands that are hard to place in any one genre. Their music is a blend of folk, country, world beat and soul. Sarah Dugas provides the vocals and wrote the lyrics for about half of the new record, Fast Paced World. Her brother, Christian Dugas, plays drums. Tania Elizabeth plays the fiddle, with Jordan McConnell on guitar and founder Leonard Podolak playing the banjo. The Township Journal reached lead singer Sarah Dugas while the band was en route to a gig in Washington, D.C. How is the tour so far? Dugas : “It’s been going really good. We started out in Newton, North Carolina. The following night we played at the Pisgah Brewery in Black Mountain, NC, and we just did the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival. It’s our first tour in just under two years. We’ve been having a total blast, getting back together and doing shows and hopping in the van together like old times.” How would you characterize The Duhks’ music? Dugas : “I think we would say something along the lines of roots/world beat/soul. Everyone in the band comes from a completely different background so it really is a fusion. Everyone brings something different to the table which really makes for a particular sound that is specific to this band. That’s kind of the charm about it. What are your perceptions of The Duhks’ fan base in the U.S.? Dugas : “The Duhks have primarily been in the U.S. throughout the whole band’s career. It’s something that’s grown throughout the years and the reason being is that the whole infrastructure for the band has been in the U.S. almost since the beginning. Record labels, managers, agents have all been [in the U.S.]. In my time in the band, about 95 percent of our time was spent in the U.S. and we love it out here, there’s just so many great festivals and I think people really appreciate music of all kinds and we really have a connection with the fan base that comes out to our shows and we have a lot of fun with them. We really love touring the U.S. and connecting with the people out here.” What can concert-goers expect this Friday night? Dugas : “We provide a high-energy show that has dynamic to it as well. Sometimes it’s an instrumental song which is really just about having a good time and other times we talk about social issues. There’s movement within it; emotionally, rhythmically and musically.”