Warn The Duke emerged in 2014 from one of the worst New York City winters on record. Like many of the artistic products to come out of the northeast, the songwriting is a product of a mind shut-in from the world during the darkest months of the year. Mirroring the weather, Warn The Duke’s brand of throat-y nihilistic garage-punk is bleak, desperate and harsh on the outside, with a hopeful underbelly of overcoming, warmth, and self-generated energy and movement that will throw your fist up in defiance.
The lineup consists of New England punk rock veterans who somehow transplanted themselves into the big apple: former River City Rebels lead vocalist Dan McCool on vocals and guitar, and Derek Davis of Big D and The Kids Table/Toasters on drums.
Having played several NYC shows and festivals (Northside, Gigawatts), WTD are set to release their debut LP “Ghost Be Gone” Oct 16 (recorded, mixed and mastered by Jay Maas of Defeater). Leading to the release, people are taking notice. In July, WTD was the Deli Magazine “NYC Artist of the Month.” Punkanormal Activity calls the debut record “a masterful product…relentless and original.” The Ruckus says that WTD “take cues from bands like The Replacements and Kid Dynamite to create a melodic, riff-heavy, sound, that has always seems destined to produce anthems. ‘Coastline’ [the album’s opening track] is the kind of track that just oozes positivity and, with a healthy dose of whiskey soaked vocals to scream along with, Warn The Duke are off to a good start with this one.” And Gigawatts Magazine says: “Warn the Duke’s sound is similar to that of early Social Distortion, Rancid, Bad Religion…what bands like Chumped and Jeff Rosenstock are doing for Pop Punk/Emo right now, Warn the Duke is doing for that late 80s/90s alt/punk sound.”
With some solid press, a debut album that has something to prove to even the most jaded punk rock fan, and a ferocious, loud-as-fuck live show, Warn The Duke is set to take center stage in what is increasingly looking like a punk rock revival of the 2010s.
