Shwarock City, home of the Black Grass, and no better example than Cuff The Duke, the alt-country outfit formed in Oshawa at the turn of the millenium, and after decades of playing and a decade off the band are back on home turf with a gig at the Biltmore Theatre Saturday April 5 2025.
Cuff The Duke (co-founders Wayne Petti and Paul Lowman, plus members Andrew Johnson, François Turenne, and Thom Hammerton) are of the Blue Rodeo/ Skydiggers/ Sadies strain of Canadiana - The Band by way of the Sex Pistols - cowpunk; they’re not the first, hopefully not the last and hopefully this new album, ‘Breaking Dawn’ is not the last we hear of Cuff. The album itself, their first in a decade, is a strong statement of intent, the all-out solo sonic assaults are there, the melodies which grab and guide you are there, there is a maturity in the lyrics however, smart word play and solid confrontation of the realities of life this side of being young and on the road. The album was released in September 2024 and the band have been out touring behind it, including an intimate gig at Frere Du Nord in Oshawa October last.
Cuff is roots music and roots are very much part of them too. Although home is no longer Shwarock City it is still home and the album front and back covers reflects their past here. They also call on another Shwarock City kat for the album art, Colin Medley. So yah welcome home, for one night anyway and away with you then on your journey in song.
Slowcity had check-in with Wayne Petti of the band.
Slowcity.ca: Firstly I had a chap come into the shop (where I work) who bought the album because he says he built the wall in the photo on the back cover. :) - he says it was Oshawa - I thought the pics were shot in the Hammer - can you clear that up for me, and also why Colin?
Wayne Petti: “He probably did build it! That’s definitely Oshawa. As is the cover photo. That’s the old K-Mart plaza on Simcoe Street south. Colin took our press photos and when we decided we wanted a photo on the cover I asked Colin if he had anything he thought might work for cover art. He sent us several images and those are the two we chose. The back cover is Ridgeway Ave. in Oshawa.”
SC: Breaking down, breaking dawn - some clever wordplay going on - you've been open about mental health challenges you have been dealing with, talk to me about the cathartic purpose of the record and the cathartic power of music for you
WP: “Thanks! I think once I really started dealing with things my desire to write songs or finish half written songs return. It had been while since I had been in the headspace to want to write songs. Getting together with the guys in the band and recording was great. We were just post Covid so we hadn’t seen much of each other. Music when being made for the write reasons with no regard to financial outcome is incredible. Zero pressure, no deadlines just make something for the sack of making. Not many things more cathartic than that.”
SC: I think the album is up there in the best of CTD, and it's a great sounding album, lovely deep musicality to it - tell me about the production of it, how was it built?
WP: “We’re very proud of it. We made the record over the span of 1.5 years. I laid down acoustic and vocals, to a click track, for a bunch of songs. We narrowed it down to what you hear on the record. Then we went to AJ’s home studio to record drums and bass. Thom recorded all the keys at his home studio. He and I also created the transition pieces. We recorded the guitar at my studio in St. Catharines. Vocals were done at James McKenty’s studio. He engineered all of the sessions. We had never taken so long to make a record. We just took our time until it was done.”
SC: The horns on the Ballad of Breaking Dawn are just uplifting and cinematic - a bit Spaghetti Western, a bit Sally Ann brass - where did they come from?
WP: “My Dad plays a horn. He use to play in marching bands and still plays once a week with a stage band. I’ve always loved big horn sections. I told Thom about the idea and said he could do the arrangements to my melody. Then he suggested Andy Magoffin play ALL the horn parts instead of getting, however, many individual horn players we would we need. I also wanted the vibe of it to be slightly like an old sea shanty. I really like how the whole section and song turned out.”
SC: How has the reception of the album being - (again a great album, I think if you had brought it out ten years ago you could still be riding it but obv needed the interim decade to be what it is ), but how is the release going, and the tour? and are you rethinking the future the future of CTD in any manner.
WP: “People have responded so well to the new record. We’re playing about half the songs on the record live and they have been going over really well. We very lucky to have such great fans. I think we’d all like to keep playing and then think about making another album.”