The Dudes Are Proud Calgarians

Few Canadian bands are as criminally underappreciated as The Dudes.

The Calgary outfit have been churning out likable, no-nonsense rock 'n' roll to a smart, stable following for over a decade. While their tunes could easily be envisioned blaring out of a car stereo or on modern rock radio, the band have somehow remained an unplucked gem for much of their career.

Time will tell if the band's new full-length, Blood Guts Bruises Cuts, changes the equation, but either way, it's safe to say Dan Vacon and his fellow Dudes will be just fine.

"I seriously doubt we're going to alienate anybody with this album, in spite of the name," Vacon said during a recent interview. "Most of the tunes were written during happy times — when we were out on tour and playing good shows and everyone was getting along really well.

"When I'm feeling good, I get in this incredibly productive zone where I can whip out an entire song in a few minutes. It's only afterwards when I go back and try to fix up the lyrics that things ever stall."

The Dudes have always been a decent draw in most Canadian cities and regularly flog their wares at Toronto's North By Northeast Music Festival and Pop Montreal and have completed several cross-Canada tours in between. But the inevitable "industry push" that many Canadian bands get never came to pass.

The closest semblance may have been when the band's "Dropkick Queen Of The Weekend" was featured in a TV commercial for Rogers Mobility. But in spite of the mainstream blip, Vacon says the band have never seriously considering uprooting their Calgary base.

"There was some talk really early on when we started to get a following, but really, Calgary always seemed to make more sense whatever way we approached it.

"Our friends are here, our families are here, we know all the bartenders — I'd much rather establish a strong reputation in a city like Calgary than move to Toronto or Vancouver and be just another band."

The Dudes music has also been featured in a number of TV shows and feature films, which adds some much needed coin to The Dudes' coffers and really allows the band to be an ongoing concern. Like many other indie bands circa now, these partnerships help give the band an additional revenue stream and if it allows the band the freedom to continue making their music, it's something they'll never ignore.

"Now more than ever, there really isn't that stigma about 'selling out' or any of that crap," Vacon confirms. "The reality is that most musicians want to make a living off their music, so if having your songs in a few commercials or TV shows is part of that price, so be it.

"I know that Rogers commercial alone bought me close to a year to really concentrate on the music and tour and generally be productive. What musician wouldn't want that!"

The Dudes will do their thing on the following Canadian tour dates:

June 17 Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
June 20 Toronto, ON @ Reverb (NXNE)
June 26 Saskatchewan, SK @ Amigos Cantina
Aug. 6 Calgary, AB @ Lakes Of Kastynstone (Drenched Festival)