Dukes of Windsor
You’re probably already familiar with at least a couple of songs by Dukes of Windsor. Their quirky anthem ‘The Others’ was remixed by TV Rock and subsequently re-remixed by DJs across the country, making its way onto numerous dance compilations and embedding those trademark vocals into our minds for months and indeed years to come.
Can’t recall it? See if these lines ring any bells: “Boys looking for love, a young man needs violence, licking guitars, a little desperate…”
It was the title track from their debut album of 2006, an independently released full-length record. Speaking from his home in the Melbourne suburb of Windsor, singer Jack Weaving explains how the Dukes managed to fund such a major release so early in their career.
“Our manager hooked up a sponsorship deal with iRiver, and they gave us a wad of cash to do the album. In return they just used a couple of images of the band in some posters. It was like having a record deal without having any input from anyone. That was cool, and I guess that’s the way the music industry may develop in the future,” he says.
The debut attracted the attention of major labels, and the band signed with Universal to release their follow-up album, ‘Minus’, in 2008. The first single, ‘It’s a War’, pushed the group beyond one-hit wonder status and firmly established them as one of Australia’s premier upcoming bands.
Now, prior to heading overseas and recording a new album, Dukes of Windsor are teaming up with Trial Kennedy and upcoming NZ rock act Midnight Youth for an Australia-wide tour. Jack is excited about bringing audiences a show full of variety and new songs.
“I wouldn’t in my wildest dreams put us in the same bag as Trial Kennedy or Midnight Youth, but I guess that’s the whole point to the tour. The three bands are going to throw some ideas out there and experiment a bit … We’re all testing out a whole lot of new material, and lots of different styles. We’re certainly not in the same bracket as those guys but it will be damn good fun,” he says.
While the Dukes are certainly on their way up, they’re still very much in touch with their Oz rock roots. In other words, they still have day jobs, and they still do all the driving.
“I’ve got a job that’s four and half hours a week at this café called Yellow Bird in Windsor. It’s owned by the drummer from Something for Kate and it’s just a ridiculous sort of rock & roll hang out, and everybody who’s nobody is there,” says Jack.
“Everyone dresses like a rock-star and it’s fucking hilarious, because I’m the only one who doesn’t look like they should be there. It’s great, because if you ever need a bit of extra cash when you’ve got to go touring, who’s going to understand more than the guys from Something for Kate?”
Life at home seems pretty good for Jack and the rest of Dukes of Windsor, but like many successful young Australian bands they are answering the call of the hungry European music scene by relocating to Berlin later this year.
“It just seem to have this magnetism for artistic culture and we just thought that would be the perfect spot to base ourselves, and then we could travel pretty easily across any part of Europe … The truth of the matter is that we started a band so that we could see the world,” says Jack.
But fear not; we fans back on home turf won’t be losing the boys forever. Like a cute little Qantas choir-boy, Jack will still call Australia home.
“Over there it’s like starting again, so it will be a pleasure to be back here and play to big crowds. You can’t forget about home.”
Dukes of Windsor will be playing at the Annandale Hotel on the 14th of August with Trial Kennedy and Midnight Youth, as part of the THETRILOGYTOUR.COM . For a full list of dates visit their MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/dukesofwindsor
