Five Minutes With: Calgary Alternative Folk Band The Dust Collectors

The Dust Collectors are an alternative folk band from Calgary, Alberta. After years of playing separately in different bands, these long-time friends quickly moved from garage jams to song-writing. By Winter 2018, they were recording demos and playing shows around the local Calgary circuit and haven’t stopped since (except maybe for a pandemic).

The group approaches songwriting as a collaborative effort. With each member coming from different places of influence, the result is a blend of country, folk, blues and rock. What truly sets this band apart is that each member contributes vocally; seamless six-part harmonies have become the signature of their sound. The end product is both bitter and sweet to the listener’s ears, bringing to mind collectives like Fleet Foxes and CSNY.

The Dust Collectors completed work on their first album, recording with Pat Palardy at Public Lunch Studios. The album, titled Outside In, was released on May 2023 through Neon Moon Records. They have released two singles, Take A Dive (2022) and Waiting Game (2023), as well as two EP’s, Filtered Gems and Hanlon’s Razor (both 2023). Their songs have been featured on CKUA, CBC Radio, CJSW and several online radio shows across North America.

The Dust Collectors

Name:

The Dust Collectors

Genre:

Alternative Folk

Founded:

2019

# of Albums:

1

Latest Album:

Outside In

Latest Single:

Waiting Game

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

Willie Nelson

Favourite musician now:

Sierra Ferrell

Guilty pleasure song:

Anything by Abba

Live show ritual:

We have an unsuspected pause in the middle of our opening song to grab the room’s attention. We usually fill the empty space with a bad joke or something and then pick the song up where we left off.

Favourite local musician:

Noeline Hoffman (you heard her name here first)

EP or LP?

LP, and vinyl rather than digital

Early bird or night owl?

We only come out at night

Road or studio?

Nothing beats playing live

Any shows or albums coming up?

A bunch of shows around Alberta coming up over the next few months!

Where can we follow you?

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

***

Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

Deer Head Cafe on Edmonton Trail

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

Music Mile (9 Avenue SE from Inglewood to East Village)

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

Prince’s Island Park, home of Calgary Folk Fest

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

The Ship & Anchor

What is your favourite music store in your city?

Recordland. Also shoutout to Beatnik Bus (mobile record store)

 

About Demian Vernieri 638 Articles
Demian is an Argentinian retired musician, avid gamer and editor for the Montréal Guardian, Toronto Guardian, Calgary Guardian and Vancouver Guardian websites.