Nick Duane
Indie / Rock / Synthpop / Atmospheric
"You make your music regardless of a recording contract or a live band or any of the arbitrary rules. These days I like to think of writing music as an idea without boundaries, only opportunities."
In March of 20012 the album 'Before The Storm' was released, Nick's first recording of new music in over a decade. On March of 2013 at the Limelight Magazine Music Awards show Nick was presented with the Singer-Songwriter of the Year (Runner Up) award.
Nick Duane is a veteran American musician born in Rhode Island.
He has played guitar and bass with several New England regional acts including.....................................................................
Axis, Backslap Blue Band, Monolith, Section Eight , DC Tenz and Confessions.
Being a music connoisseur with an appreciation of different styles of music explain the involvement and extremes, as being one of the founders of the Backslap Blues Band.................. (the first band to appear at the now legendary nightclub, Lupos Heartbreak Hotel), to his participation with WBRU battle of the bands winner , 'DC Tenz'.
He has recorded the solo albums, 'Confessions','When We Said Goodbye' and 'Before TheStorm'
While still in High School Nick first took up bass guitar and joined with ex 'Glaciers' members, James Vierra (Guitar) and Jay Kieffer (Drums) to form the Rock band 'Axis'. The band played mostly in Providence, R.I. and its outlaying areas at talent contests and local dances.
After 'Axis', Nick (Bass) and Jay (Drums) were part of the back up band that supported 'Planet Records' artist Mike Asquino just before Mike left Rhode Island and relocated to New York.
Later in that same year, Nick (Bass) and Jay (Drums) joined forces with Bob Soiot (Vocals & Harmonica),Rob Nelson (Guitar) and Mike Federowicz (Guitar).
" Back in high school I had these friends:
On one side of the equation Jay Kieffer ( Drummer) had a friend George (Guitarist), on the other side was a classmate of mine Bob Soiot. Bob and I had started a friendship based on our musical tastes & we had decided to form a band. The first practice was at my parents house, it went ok.
Soon after practice Jay informed me that George was moving on. I told Bob the next day at school and he said he knew a guitarist named Rob Nelson. Our second practice (the first) with Rob really took off & we knew we were on to something.''
The Band was named "Backslap Blues Band" by Bob Soiot after a James Cotton song 'Backslap'.
'Backslap Blues Band' became a long time evolving force in the Providence / New England music scene. During the bands early incarnation they played mostly in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. After a couple of years Nick left the band, he later returned briefly playing a few odd club dates with Bob Soiot and Rob Nelson and their supporting cast before departing for good to persue different musical avenues.
.
The next couple of years were spent either playing in jam sessions or attempted band formations both in Rhode Island mostly with drummer / guitarist Jim Hall
(The Outpatients) and in Californinia with a group that included an original guitarist from the band 'Strawberry Alarm Clock'. It was during this time that Nick started playing guitar along with bass and continued to get involved with recording.
Eventually returning to R.I. he joined 'Monolith' with 'Mike Langlois' (Vocals), 'Bill Natusch' (Guitar) and 'Mark Feinstein' (Drums).
A brief stint in a band ''Trips' with 'Bill Natusch' (Guitar & Vocals), 'Mark Dudick' (Drums) and 'Steve Smith' (Vocals & keyboards) followed.
Nick took an audition with 'Rick Bellaire' (Guitar & Vocals) and was invited to join his band to play bass along with Carl Eggert (Drums) and Claude Day (Guitar). For the next 18 months Nick, along with Carl played and recorded in different band formations that Rick had and were represented by 'Lewis & Weiner Enterprises'.
The Indie band 'Section 8' which Nick (Guitar & vocals) formed with Nelson DeCoteau
(Vocals), along with Angelo Fandetti (Bass) and Richard DeCoteau (Drums) played and recorded mostly in and around the Providence R.I. area.
The band stayed together for a year and a half until it had run its course. Just as things with 'Section 8' had ended an invitation from Carlotta Christy (Guitar & vocals) joined Nick (Bass) and his old neighborhood friend Skip Powers (Drums) for Nick's stint with 'DC Tenz', who were busy playing dates thru out New England..........................................
After the 'DC Tenz', Nick took an extended break from bands while continuing to occasionally write and record. There were a couple of failed attempts to get involved with other musicians but nothing that was of interest enough to pan out.
One day at a jam session a few years later in Providence, R.I. a set of chance circumstances had Nick and Angelo meeting up with one another for the first time in years. Angelo approached Nick with an idea of putting another band / recording project together.
The early version of this project started with acoustic guitar and bass working out songs and song parts. Not immediately wanting to start a band they chose the recording approach and when it was time to record a song, Nick turned to his long time friend, engineer and producer, Henry Gauvin. Henry suggested drummer Richard Assanti who happened to be at the studio recording a drum track. Richard sat in for the track, 'Dreaming', soon after it was completed they started rehearsing songs together. After a month of rehearsals it was decided that a different direction was needed, that direction was made with the addition of drummer Mike Stein who was more adapt at playing 'live' in comparison to Richard who was more suited for Studio recording.
The new band started playing and recording and were getting decent reviews as they appeared at local clubs but then things changed when Mike was forced to bow out as personal issues would force him to relocate to Colorado.
Nick and Angelo would reform the band another 2 times over the next couple of years adding and subtracting guitarists and drummers. They recorded and played at clubs but with the departure of Mike the bands momentum had been lost. Fortunately some of the music remains and can be heard on Nick's, 'Confessions' CD along with a live track on 'When We Said Goodbye' CD.
.jpg)
Produced by Henry Gauvin and Nick Duane
Recorded at... SUMMER LIGHTNING/ COLD WORLD MUSIC
Engineered and mixed by Henry Gauvin.
Remastered by Christine DiFonzo Lilley / Celebration Sound
film at eleven music
Released on CD 1996 , re released 2011
Available @ itunes. amazon.com, CDBaby
'When We Said Goodbye'
Long out of print but re released with 2 bonus tracks.
'' Not so long ago I attended a benefit fund raiser and saw groups of people I hadn't seen in years.
I was surprised by how many had inquired, what I was doing musically? I told them ,"its a, life kinda happens when your busy making other plans thing".
Days later I found myself asking the same question.
I still liked to drive in my car with the radio off making up song parts and melodies, music, etc.
The only real difference was that I had stopped writing down or recording the songs that enter into my brain.
So I've decided to do just that for some of the music that will often visit me.
The 14 songs from the album 'Before The Storm' are some of the recent ones that I hear during my daily commutes.
If you get time check them out. Hope you enjoy the ride ..........."
Nick Duane’s new album “Before The Storm” is out and it is jam packed with guitars, strings, synthesizers, loops, pianos and special effects and is equally divided between instrumental and vocal tracks.
“Willett Avenue” opens the album at a midtempo crawl, with the music banging out a devious acoustic rhythm and Nick’s vocals snaking through it dreamily. The album’s peaks include the wickedly loopy “Tightrope”, which veers between psych verses and crazy circus chorus parts over a percolating bass and hard nosed rhythm guitar, and “Blabber Mouth”, a bristling dance track led by a nasty, fuzzed-out wah-wah guitar.
“Down To You” pairs nicely with “When We Dream”, to showcase Nick’s motormouth vocals which sound uncannily similar to Simple Minds’ Jim Kerr.
The approach is more refined on “Windmills” and “ G Whizz”, but still maintains it’s experimental tendencies, and is the album’s best predicator of Nick’s musical future.
“Several Years Away”, “No Wages” and “Rain On Tuesday” beautifully brandishes Nick Duane’s slower, elaborated orchestral arrangements, on an album which is nevertheless dominated by a triumvirate of propulsive rock songs that break up the medium pacing.
“Blink Of An Eye” moves along on the ever present acoustic guitar rhythm, bumping bass, and rolling drumbeat. “Butterfly” is a dissonant epic of collapsing reverb and recurring keyboard rhythms under a harmonic vocal delivery. While the Teutonic and chaotic electric guitar interchanges and overlays of “Before The Storm” make a strange mix, but work nicely under Duane’s twitchy singing.
Nick Duane’s “Before The Storm” album is hard to pin down in any one musical genre. As Nick moves from guitar-based rock to orchestrated keyboard electronica from one track to another. So it’s like a hybrid mix, between early Roxy Music and latter day Simple Minds. Or more precisely Phil Manzanera meets Jim Kerr in Wyoming…
“Before The Storm”…that is!
Peter Burns
ReviewIndie
Crazy Pellas Music Community
Glasgow, Scotland Interview with Nick Duane
Nick Duane has just released his new album 'Before The Storm', so we caught up and interviewed him. Nick describes his music as sounding like...
Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Nick can you tell us a bit about your new album, I see its your third release.
"Greetings from the US.
My new album is titled,'Before The Storm'. Its all new material that I've recently composed.
It was my intention to present a body of work best suited to be heard in its entirety
as a full listening experience from the opening track to the end track.Its a bit different than my first 2 albums which at times the writing reflected band members . On this release its much more a solo effort being that I had to only answer to myself."
Its a little hard to pin down which Genre it falls under.
"The songs are divided between instrumental and vocal tracks, whatever mood struck. I followed the muse to where it took me and used different approaches to the song writing on each track.
I remember years ago listening to albums, getting excited and thinking there were many possibilities......
For this project I wanted ideas without boundaries, only opportunities, tried to make things interesting by sometimes using different combanations. One song has a strong Mellotron sound which I backed with reggae style drumming. At other times I wouldn't make the obvious choice which lent the music experimental tendencies , to move it in a different path, at times less predictable."
MUSIC
Is there a story behind the albums name?
"Well there is a song 'Before The Storm' on the album 'Before The Storm'.
The song is about a time, long ago when I found myself playing bass in a trio, one of the members Skip, was an old friend from high school days.
In retrospect it wasn't that long after the demise of said band that everyones, (bandmembers) lives would drastically change."
I've noticed that particular track has an unusual sound.
"I tried a couple of different mix and settled for the one on the album.
It was my intention that the sound should try and convey in part the feeling of being in the middle of a storm, the chaos of it and that the worst could still be on its way.
What/who inspires your music?
"I grew up with Rock and Pop, collected records, for me it was my version of a History class / going to church, all wrapped up and waiting to be discovered.
Loved the original 60's Garage bands,almost anything British,R&B,Blues,Soul,Punk,etc.
I like music from the 50's thru the 90's the most."
What one tip would you give to other aspiring Artists?
"Don't be put off by others indifference."
INTERNET
Do you feel like the internet is helping you as an underground artist?
"Yes of course, without the internet options would be limited, for both artists and consumer. I think it really helps anyone operating outside the mainstream.It helps give alternative outlets a voice."
How do you think social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have affected the music industry?
"I think it provides easy fan interacton and connection and upload and share can offer unique promotional opportunities".
Where can we hear your music online?
http://www.reverbnation.com/nickduane
IN CLOSING
What projects are you working on at the moment?
"At present I am a non touring musician concentrating on writing and I'm also promoting my Indie album, 'Before The Storm' which you can find @ Amazon.com, iTunes & CDBaby."
Thanks again Nick Duane for doing this interview.