Two years after forming in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2001, neo-folk band The Duhks was nominated for a Juno Award for its debut album, “Your Daughters & Your Sons.” That lead to a contract with Sugar Hill Records, and the next thing the band knew, it was on a bit of a wild music industry ride – tours, agents, managers, festivals, high-budget recording gizmos and a whole new head space.
With intricate picking and a joyful, genre-roaming approach to folk, the band had success; its eponymous second album, produced by Béla Fleck, won a Juno Award, and its third album, produced by Tim O’Brien, was nominated for a Grammy Award. But the hectic pace took its toll.
“Even though we play folk music, we had sort of a Spinal Tap experience with the band,” said band founder and clawhammer banjo player Leonard Podolak. “We flirted with the world of rock and roll, and it beat the crap out of us.”
After the departure of band members and some reorganization, The Duhks went on hiatus. But two summers ago, Podolak got the band back together for a few odd gigs.
“In doing so, we sort of were like gee whiz, this is fun,” he said. “We wound up going, ‘What the heck, maybe we should do another run at this.’”
With original singer Jessee Havey back in the mix, and new members fiddler Rosie Newton, drummer Kevin Garcia and guitarist Colin Savoie-Levac contributing and a new album out, The Duhks have done just that.
The band is bringing its innovative folk music – which blends everything from modern bluegrass sounds to Irish reels, Celtic fiddles, zydeco tunes and Latin percussion – to Fort Lewis College’s Community Concert Hall stage Thursday. Local bluegrass band Running Out of Road will open the concert, which begins at 7 p.m.
The Duhks’ signature eclectic sound is still going strong on its new album, “Beyond the Blue.” Songs blend old-timey string music stylings with French Canadian sounds, Cajun romps and soulful brass instruments.
Podolak said that unlike the band’s early albums, “Beyond the Blue” was made with a stripped-down DIY approach that brought together contributions from all of the people who have been in The Duhks over the years, including nontouring founding members Tania Elizabeth and Jordan McConnell. The band enlisted friends and production team Mike + Ruthy (Mike Merenda and Ruth Unger of The Mammals) to produce the record and launched an Indiegogo crowd-sourcing campaign to help fund it.
The result, he said, is a fresh collection of songs that draws on everything the band has learned over the years.
“It was fun to just hole up with our buds and focus just on the music,” he said. “It was just a really, really good vibe. We did this on our own, this is us.”
Going back to more of a grassroots model has been good for the band, he said, adding that the adventurous spirit of The Duhk’s music has remained intact.
“I think we have an interesting place in the acoustic music scene that isn’t really being visited by many other bands,” he said. “We celebrate what the (folk) styles have in common, as opposed to pointing out the differences. That’s the spirit of the band.”
kklingsporn@durangoherald.com
If you go
The Duhks, with opening act Running Out of Road, will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive. Tickets start at $18 and are available at www.durangoconcerts.com or by calling 247-7657.
