“This is awesome! This Ottawa-based quintet frequently sounds like a cross between Mumford and Sons and the Pogues ...”
ABOUT
Indie Folk-Pop? Alt-Country Cowpunk? Barnstorm Bluegrass? Roots & Boots Trad? Back-Alley Dustabilly?
Known for rollicking, genre-busting shows that blend authentic connection, a generous sense of community, and toe-tapping, dance-floor-shaking songs – the heart of the Ottawa-based band The Dustbowl Daddies is the old-time, inclusive spirit of using music to bring people together, lift them up, and get them moving.
Fusing lush alt-country harmonies with infectious indie-pop melodies, steel-string twang with poetic lyrical intensity, roots-rock stomp with swinging trumpet – and seasoned with a dash of catchy ska/punk energy, laughter, and progressive political spirit —The Dustbowl Daddies are what you might get if Mumford & Sons, Cake, Billy Bragg, The Strumbellas, Lucinda Williams, Spirit of the West, Taylor Swift, Eliott Brood, The Specials, Woody Guthrie, Tom Waits, REM, The Pogues and The Clash threw a kitchen party.
Surprising facts: The Daddies have several albums to their name including The Longest Day of the Year (2015), More Hurricane Than Rainbow (EP 2019), and Boom and Bust Economies of Love (2021). Their songs have over 50,000 streams on Spotify. They regularly donate a portion of the proceeds from their shows to some of the amazing charitable organizations doing work around Ottawa and have raised more than $5000 over the years for groups like the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, Ottawa Inner City Health, Families of Sisters of Spirit, Ottawa Food Bank, etc. Band members have published almost a dozen books on topics as varied as climate change, humiliation, poetry, corruption, populism, car culture, political communications, 18th century philosophy, and international relations. And while now deeply rooted in Ottawa, they originally hail from across Canada (YYJ, YWG, YYZ, YYB, YOW) and northern England.
BUZZ
“We had the privilege of having the Dustbowl Daddies play at the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs national conference. They were highly entertaining, with an excellent variety to meet the needs to many different listeners. They planned meticulously and were great to work with. As a drummer myself, the group was nice enough to allow me to play a few songs with them. Thank you to great musicians and even better humans.”
“It’s easy to think of folk music as something soft, sparse and gentle and forget just how spirited it can be. How it can ignite a fire in your veins, make you cast all inhibitions aside and make you want to dance and twirl about the room until you’re out of breath. Take ‘Shoulda Let You Down’ for instance ... it’s a rollicking, foot-stomping tour de force. This infectious new number from Canadian folk ensemble The Dustbowl Daddies has something magical about it. Press play, break the seal on this potent little potion, and you’ll find you have the perfect recipe for an instant party ... The frantic mile-a-minute strumming and chaotic sing-along chorus just makes you feel like you can take on the world. It’s a song for feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin after a winter that seemed to last a lifetime and reveling in the thought of brighter days to come.”
“This is winter night fare, the wind howling outside and all of us in awe of your energy doing the same...The clarity in the production is crystal and so it feels like we’re there with them and kicking up a storm, a badass ballad with a party to enliven with all manner of traditional forces. The playing is a force of nature… Music for the soul and the pacemaker.”
“An uptempo extravaganza ... The vocal harmonies are the icing on the cake of the Dustbowl Daddies song craft. Boom and Bust Economies of Love is an revitalizing elixir for these challenging times — save, follow, and get a copy”
“There’s an infectious rhythm and energy here … upbeat tempo full of movement and joy … making for an excellent sound.”
“The Dustbowl Daddies are one of our favourite community partners and your support (and, of course, your immense talent and dazzling wit) always brighten our day! ... Everyone who has had the pleasure of seeing The Dustbowl Daddies play has said that it is such a warm, supportive, friendly experience – not to mention full of fantastic music and dancing! … Thank you again for your generosity, compassion, and dedication to survivors in our community.”
“I love this instrumentation, fan of that straight- up, bluegrass-inspired, upbeat vibe ... great job putting a group synergy together, I like the way you stack the vocals”
“Kicking up clouds of dust with down-home energy is what these fellows do best, as you can hear in this highly polished track, Broken Pieces. Unlike the title, there’s nothing broken or out of place here. Each note is in its place. Have a listen!”
“The Daddies truly charmed the house with their warmth, while their catchy and uplifting original tunes and skilled instrumentals kept our toes tapping and created quite a stir (including resounding applause and cheers). A call back is assured for next years’ winter season, if not before!”
INSTA-DADDIES
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