An Exclusive Interview with The Duhks, An Eco-Conscious Green Band

If the ethos of Intent.com ever were to have a soundtrack, it just might include a track or two from The Duhks, a five-person band that draws its musical influences from bluegrass, folk rock, Afro-Cuban jazz and soul. This musical quintet—formed by siblings Sarah and Christian Dugas, fiddler Tania Elizabeth, guitarist Jordan McConnell and founder/banjo player Leonard Podolak--have already garnered a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Country Vocal Performance category and a Juno award in their native Canada. Not only do The Duhks (pronounced “ducks”) know how to rock it, they are rock stars when it comes to creative, eco-conscious sustainability. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of many musical acts that have the dedication to tour on a bio-diesel van, print their records on recycled paper with soy-based ink, support local organic co-ops, recycle on a full-time basis, wear only eco-conscious clothing—and still manage to find the time to fine-tune their musical craft, which they have been doing for the last seven years. Any progressive band can hop onto the green movement bandwagon and sing a few tunes about saving Mother Earth; this band actually walks the walk, and walks it well. If only more artists were as environmentally conscious as they are. I spoke with fiddler Tania Elizabeth, the founder of The Duhks Sustainability Project, also known as Green Duhks. Tania speaks to Intent about her dream bio-diesel tour bus, the importance of recycling on tour, and of course, why everyone should listen to The Duhks. Their newest album "Fast Paced World" was released just last year by Sugar Hill Records. This is the first in a series of semi-monthly interviews we will be doing with the band, as we follow their triumphs and struggles as eco-conscious musicians who want to do good and play good. INTENT: For people who don’t know about The Duhks, how would you describe your music? TE: Well, if you like good music, you’re likely to like us! We really do a lot of different kinds of music, and diversity is pretty much our specialty. Everyone in the band comes from different (musical) backgrounds, and we’re constantly exposing each other to all those different genres so it’s a constant evolution that is happening. The instrumentation is fiddle, banjo, guitar, vocals and drums. We don’t have a bass player. Our guitar player uses effect pedals and a different kind of set-up on his guitar, which he made himself to produce a bass sound, so he’s more like two players in one. It’s a really unique thing to come see, and I’ve never seen anyone else do anything quite like it. We’re all over North America, Europe, Australia; we’re almost constantly on the road and it’s quite an adventure. I: So at what point did you start The Green Duhks project? TE: The Green Duhks evolved over the course of the seven years the band has been together, but it’s only in the last two years that it’s really started to take flight. With the help of Greg Ching, our sustainability coordinator, we really put into action on a lot of the stuff that we have been dreaming about; printing our new record on recycled paper with soy-based ink, selling sweatshop-free and organic tshirts & hoodies, requesting organic food, recycling on a full-time basis, and fueling our van on bio-diesel whenever possible. Obviously, the advent of cell phones, iPhones and GPS units have really made it much easier for us to travel, and also to seek out the things that we need to be sustainable. I: What do you think was the biggest challenge in adapting these green policies for your band? TE: I think the biggest challenge for us has probably been getting the vehicle to tour in. Being a band and not having a lot of start up money, we had to find a vehicle that was large enough for us, and also one where the owners didn’t mind if we put bio-diesel inside the diesel engine. We were fortunate enough to be able to start that about a year and a half ago. Once we actually had the vehicle, the rest was pretty easy. We have a great team around us to help us achieve our goals, ecological and otherwise. We have a tour manager, and part of his job is make sure that we have the things that we need – seeking out biodiesel, making sure the places we play provide local and organic food, and planning stops where we can stop at local, organic co-ops and support the communities that we are traveling through. I: In doing this Green Duhks project, do you feel that you’ve converted some people, whether other bands or your listeners, to become more conscious of the environment? TE: I don’t think it’s really about conversion for us. Personally, I think it’s really about living with integrity. We’re very privileged as North American citizens and I think we have a responsibility, as everyone does, to look at their life and figure out the steps that they can take to improve the situation, whatever those steps may be. We’re not out to judge or preach; that's not why we’re doing it. We just really enjoy what we have, and this is our way of showing our respect and gratitude for the gifts that we have been given in life. I: So now that you have this Green Duhks project up and running, do you have any big dreams for the future of Green Duhks? TE: I definitely do have some dreams! (laughs) I’ve always fantasized about having the ultimate eco-tour bus with solar panels on the outside, and having it run on bio-diesel or veggie oil. I have this dream of buying a used but somewhat newer tour bus and having it completely redone while still recycling and reusing what you can from the inside. And having (the interiors) done in non-toxic material and sustainable products, having hand-made custom bunks and cabinetry would be amazing. Make it into something that is actually a home, since we spend so much of our lives on the road. In this fantasy, at the completion of this project, we would have Natural Home Magazine do a whole spread on our eco-tour bus! Talk about small homes! I: What is one action step that musicians and other people can do that will really help our environment? TE: It’s hard to say this without sounding judgmental, but I know that if people could cut down on their consumption of animal products, it really would make a big difference. Food is such an emotional thing for people. It’s so intimately tied to things like memories of home and childhood, so to try and suggest that people limit or eliminate certain food groups can cause very emotional reactions. Ultimately though, it’s not about judging, it’s about being realistic. This is one step we might have to take in the next five, ten years in order to actually survive as a species. think it’s time for us to just go okay, if I want my great-grandchildren to breathe clean air and to be able to have enough food to eat, these are the steps that I need to take. On a less controversial note, I would say that recycling is a fantastic step that people can take. Most places in the country support recycling. I think its so great to get your kids involved, and really educate them about where things come from and where they go after you’re done with them. Buying organic food is also incredibly beneficial - even if you do choose to buy meat right now, buying organic meat and free range makes a difference. I think it is the responsibility of human beings to ask themselves “what are significant changes I feel I can adopt long-term?” I think that people know within themselves when they’ve made the right decision. I: What big events are The Duhks doing right now? TE: We just got back from a three-week tour, and we are about to start another one. We’re doing a lot of folk festivals this spring, summer and fall. Please come and visit us at our website, www.duhks.com. From there you can see a listing of pretty much everything that is officially on the horizon for the band. There’s always something and we’re constantly coming to new towns and playing for people. I: Any last words before we end the interview? TE: Come check out our website www.greenduhks.com. Come and check out our music; we got some videos on YouTube, and some great free stuff. Are you a Southern Californian resident? The Duhks are playing at the Acoustic Music San Diego on February 28. For more information on upcoming shows, visit their Myspace page.