Ducky & the Vintage
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Carson Daly has suggested for some time that there would be a contestant many of these people would regret not picking -- and Ducky may be that guy. - examiner.com
“The Voice” format definitely works against Ducky, because he has a mesmerizing mustache that definitely could have distracted the judges from his mediocre voice. Sure enough, Adam admires Ducky’s “sweet” facial hair and Blake admits he may regret not choosing Ducky for his team. “We’re definitely looking for the best,” says Cee Lo, implying that Ducky is not the best. - The Washington Post
The musical journey of Ducky Duke goes on.
"The Voice" might not have Lower Paxton Township musician Ducky Duke on its roster anymore, but he will still be on TV. The lead singer of Ducky and the Vintage is slated to perform on NBC late-night talk show, "Last Call with Carson Daly."
Matt Schmohl, who prefers to go by Matt Ryan or Ducky Duke, participated in the blind auditions of NBC singing competition series "The Voice." While he did not earn a spot on the show, he did leave an impression with host Carson Daly.
Daly began a Twitter trend revolving around Schmohl the next day, with people tweeting #whattheheckhappenedtoducky. He also invited Twitter users to send him their thoughts on Schmohl's performance.
"People tweeted at him saying 'You should have [Ducky] on your show,'" Schmohl said. It was a suggestion Daly took his Twitter followers up on.
Schmohl, who grew up in Carlisle, is going to Los Angeles next week to film his segment for "Last Call with Carson Daly." He does not know yet when his appearance will be aired.
Schmohl credits "The Voice" with getting his name out there and helping him build a fan base.
"I was happy with [the audition], and, obviously, it's been a catalyst for a lot of social media right now," he said. "I'm getting a lot of hits and things are sort of blowing up."
Schmohl has not come up with a concrete plan with how to deal with his newfound fame, aside from taking every opportunity as it arises.
"I'm sort of just winging it right now to see what happens," Schmohl said. "It's in God's hands at this point."
While Schmohl might not have mapped out his route to fame, he recognizes "Last Call with Carson Daly" as another platform to share his music.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I'm just psyched about it. It's really cool to get the exposure and just rock," he said. "That's really all I want to do — just play my music."
DETAILS: "Last Call with Carson Daly" airs Monday-Friday at 1:35 a.m. on NBC. - pennlive.com
Ducky has the kind of mustache you can twirl, and his pallor and fedora make him look like a silent movie cowboy villain. During his "Tighten Up," the judges argue over who should take him. Nobody does. They can't seem to admit this is on purpose, though. "We wish we'd have pushed our button," Xtina says.
- rollingstone.com
Discography
Flowers EP - released May 2012
Photos
Bio
One could describe the music of Harrisburg, PA's DUCKY AND THE VINTAGE in many ways as there are a lot of elements in one indie rock package. The dark but upbeat songs would be perfectly at home on the soundtrack for HBO's True Blood, but, perhaps the best way to describe it, is to get it straight from the Duck's mouth:
"My music is basically a rock 'n roll, bluesy country, soulful vibe with some pop infused," explains frontman/songwriter Matt 'Ducky Duke' Ryan. "I think the songs put across a vintage sound coupled with a more modern approach and they really sum up everything that I am as a person and a musician. It's just rock 'n roll in my own way."
To those who think the name Ducky is a shout out to Pretty In Pink, Ryan's stage moniker is simply a high school nickname that never quite went away. Says Ryan: "My best friend gave me that nickname after winning a stuffed duck out of a crane machine at a diner when we were in high school and it has just sort of stuck. I don't take myself too seriously, and therefore I think it suits me... most people tend to agree."
Ryan - self described as "quirky" and "very ADD" - might not take himself too seriously (meet him at a show and ask him to do his Speak-And-Spell impression), but his music is anything but whimsical. 'Take Our Souls Back' is a dark pop gem with a robotic drumbeat that envelopes the listener as Ryan's soulful vocals open with the lines "I didn't even think love was gonna be easy, but I didn't think I'd have to break your heart for you need me"
'Days of The Walking Dead' starts off sounding like Ryan might be taking a cue from FRANZ FERDINAND before breaking into a hook laden chorus for a track that inexplicably sounds upbeat and eerie at the same time. Says Ryan: "The song is about understanding what is to come and preparing for it - taking the good with the bad and the bad with the good. It's about the days where just getting out of bed can feel like a zombie wandering around looking for brains."
Fortunately, when it comes to the music of DUCKY AND THE VINTAGE, there's not a lot of bad to have to take with the good.
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