Duke & Goldie To Play NXNE on June 13, 2024 at The Cameron House
Walking the line between warm folk storytelling and an upbeat mystical country twang are Vancouver-based duo Duke & Goldie.
The musical partnership of Jena “Goldie” Gogo and Eric “The Duke” Duquette, each longtime members of the roots rock band Blue Sky Miners, has produced an exciting new sound said to “revive the charm of the 60’s and 70’s Laurel Canyon music scene”.
Their debut self-titled EP, released May 12th, 2023 has been met with glowing reviews and we called it “a masterpiece that skilfully balances folk and country elements while showcasing the duo’s exceptional vocal abilities.”
On stage, the pair weave their cascading vocal harmonies over acoustic guitar-laden arrangements to tell stories that roam from rocky mountain highs to mysterious remote deserts, while navigating their roles as settlers in this land. At the heart of it all, Duke & Goldie’s magnetic chemistry on stage is what continues to captivate audiences wherever they go.
Catch Duke & Goldie live at NXNE on June 13, 2024, at The Cameron House, with Lauren Carson, Aaron Ball Band, and Mallory Chipman.
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Eric Duquette, and I play guitar, sing, and co-write songs together with my bandmate Jena Gogo as Vancouver roots band Duke & Goldie. We play ’70s-inspired folk & country rock grounded in conscious storytelling and dreamy vocal harmonies.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
Our debut self-titled EP, “Duke & Goldie” was released on May 12th, 2023. Recorded in Toronto with producer and pedal steel ace Aaron Goldstein (Julianna Riolino, Daniel Romano) the six original songs chart out landscapes and stories from thrilling rocky mountain highs, to mysterious remote deserts while walking the line between warm-folk storytelling and mystical country twang.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
I like to write first thing in the morning, with a nice hot cup of coffee and fresh air pouring into the open window next to our writing desk. Jena will get melody, lyric, and riff ideas all throughout the day, and I will frequently see her duck into a quiet corner to record lines into her phone. We typically write out these initial ideas for our songs separately, then we’ll come together to play them for each other and flesh them out as a duo.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
We are very excited to be playing a run of shows in New Brunswick and Ontario leading up to performing at this year’s North By Northeast Music Festival at The Cameron House on June 13th at 9 pm!
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
Releasing our debut EP and completing a country-wide tour where we got to play our songs at some bucket list venues such as The Trailside Music Hall (Charlottetown), The Carleton (Halifax), The Cameron House (Toronto), The Dream Cafe (Penticton) and The Butchart Gardens (Victoria). Playing our songs that we mostly wrote in isolation during the pandemic to rooms full of folks singing along has been truly fulfilling. See you out there!