DUFF FERGUSON

I love vocally driven bands. So that's why I cringed when I realized that this absolutely fantastic outfit resides nowhere near me -- all the way over in the Bay Area. [Editor's Note: actually, Duff is based in LA, but he's close!] So if you live in that area and haven't seen Duff (not to be confused with Homer Simpson's favorite beer) yet, you're missing out on quite possibly one of the most magnificent rock outfits this side of pop-rock's biggest chart-toppers. Duff boasts not just a beautiful tenor voice but can even strum the guitar and hit the skins. The music is catchy pop with nodes of blues-rock and indie. But what bridges it all together is the outrageously deceptively perfect vocals. Please tour and come to Northern Virginia or Washington DC! (February 2005) - Smother.net

'You Can Try': Catchy intro! The vocals had me definitely hooked after hearing the first line. Real fun song, but the beatle-esque harmonies really bring it up to seriously great stuff! Loved it, would love to hear this on the radio (head and shoulders over and above 99% of what's on radio now). Overall rating: 5/5... (February 2005) - broadjam.com

Sigh: This was really unique!! Parts of it reminded me of Bob Dylan and other parts reminded me of John Lennon. The instrumentation was simple, but effective. The lyrics were EXCELLENT. Great hook - if you asked me next week about the songs I heard today, I'd remember this one. This was the perfect vocalist for this message. (December 2004) - broadjam.com

Caught Duff (The band) at The Pitcher House Thursday night and they ROCKED the place. The three piece band is one of the tightest groups that I've seen this year. I wish I could say the same for the house sound man... After ten minutes of feedback, he finally managed to lower all the vocals until you could barely hear them, but by the last song he corrected his mistakes. Overall it was a great show! See www.allduff.com for their next show. They're definitely worth seeing... (July 2004)
- South Bay Music Scene

Another performer of note: Duff. Kind of a "Donovan picnics with Country Bear Jamboree whilst being sodomized by Beck" feel. But regardless, he has talent. Great, catchy songwriting. Like most folks, I'm a sucker for pop hooks, and Duff weaves them into layered songs and closes the deal with a very likable, earnest stage presence. Yep. Really good songs. And that, in music, is what it all boils down to... (July 2004) - PopGoesLethal.com

Duff delivers a polished combination of crafty pop and straight-forward rock that sounds like a mix between The Replacements and Wilco. Although there are only 5 tracks on this CD, the songs bear repeated listening simply by the quality of the songs and the performances. A great representation of Duff and makes you look forward to a full-length release. Rating 3.75 out of 5! (February 2005) - Ear Candy Magazine

The DUFF band, which originates from the heart of New York City, specializes in EPs. 400 Miles is already its fifth. Perhaps they can better focus themselves when limited to 5 or 6 numbers? 400 Miles contains five country-tinged pop-rock songs and betrays a lot of talent. Duff knows how to write great vocal tunes. There is the wonderful pop folk country led by a cheerful organ as with "Suddenly," driving rockers like "Adrenaline" and "You Can Try," and beguiling fragility as in the title track. The record ends with the folkish contemplation of "Sigh." All killer, no fillers! (7/05) - SwissRecords.com

SINGER/SONGWRITER RETURNS TO NASHVILLE IN A NEW FASHION

Though he's played here before as a guitarist and feels a special affinity for Nashville audiences, Los Angeles singer/songwriter Duff has never headlined a show locally. His Saturday night date at Cafe Coco is among several dates that Duff is doing in anticipation of a new CD coming out later this summer produced by Rick Boston (well known for his work with Rickie Lee Jones). The CD will also represent the latest in a string of independent label releases (previously 2-9 cut solo and band EPs) that have established him as both a first-rate vocalist and someone whose approach cuts across many genres.

'I guess there aren't many people around who enjoy both alt.country and disposable pop music,' Duff acknowledged. 'For me, when you talk about people like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, they were not only great songwriters and very much in the country tradition, they were conscious that you had to be a real performer on stage. I've always been very attracted to their music, yet I can also appreciate the most radio-friendly type of pop, something many people in this business immediately reject. But writing songs with good hooks, or melodies where the audience gets hooked into a line and really falls in love with a phrase, is also an art form. What's unfortunately happened to a lot of pop music is that there's a fake aspect to it, and that's something that I completely reject.'

Part of Duff's emphasis on musical and performance reality dates back to his years in New York, where he sang in church choirs and performed in school musicals before turning to guitar playing as a teen. He spent lots of time in Manhattan, alternating between going to jazz clubs and closely studying the playing techniques of musicians like Bill Frisell, and studying songwriting and acting. Since relocating to San Francisco in 2000, Duff has cut a series of duo recordings with acoustic bassist Hans Glawischnig, and also served as lead guitarist with the group Single and the Rich McCulley Band.

His travels with McCulley, which have included a couple of Nashville visits, profoundly affected Duff's views on music, and he's carried over some of the things he witnessed to his current recording sessions.

'When Rich and I came to Nashville, we'd go into the honky-tonks and see these bands there whose members often had just been introduced to each other before the set. Then someone would out a request from the audience, and the leader would count it down and they'd just rip right through it like they'd rehearsed all day. That reinforced for me the importance of being able to play and sing, instead of relying on studio devices and production techniques. Rick and I have been adding a lot of instruments on different songs and trying all types of things, but the most important thing is having an organic, real sound to the music. That's the great lesson you learn in Nashville, because there are so many fantastic players who do that every night.'"
-- Ron Wynn (May 2006) - Nashville City Paper

Some folk fans seek solace in traditional music, not unlike classical fans who revere only dead composers. Others are reveling in the newest expression of new folk / post-folk / third-wave Americana, or call it simply the Acoustic Renaissance. Some of LA's best Acoustic Renaissance musicians, in no particular order, are Kat Parsons, Sean Wiggins, Rick Shea, Marina V, Pete Hopkins, Kelly Fitzgerald, Anny Celsi, James Hurley, Denise Vasquez, Ashley Maher, Vertigo Road, Matthew Lee, Sally Zito, VOCO, Brian Joseph, Julie Gribble, Hunter Payne, Lily Wilson, Duff, Al Polito, and Garret Swayne. Most fit the title of Samantha Murphy's new CD, Somewhere Between Starving and Stardom.... (8/05) - Folkworks Magazine

December 2005 -- Music Connection names "400 Miles" to its list of the top 25 records released by unsigned bands in 2005!

The original record review from July 2005 reads as follows: "Duff Ferguson's confident, honeysweet tenor really resonates on this well-recorded EP. "Suddenly," "Adrenaline" and "400 Miles" are all relationship songs put forth with a romantic, femme-friendly vibe. While it's familiar stuff, this performer and his backup players have a good grip on the fast numbers and a sensitive touch on the ballads. Music publishers and music supervisors, especially, will want to check out this commercial-sounding EP." - Music Connection Magazine