Singer-songwriter Andrew Duhon on his music and why he keeps coming back to the Word Barn

Grammy nominated New Orleans singer songwriter Andrew Duhon makes his way back to the Word Barn (Meadow) in Exeter on Sunday, Aug. 21 in support of, “Emerald Blue”—his first release in four years. Not unlike Duhon’s past recorded efforts, “Emerald Blue” is full of intention. Wonderfully poignant lyrical content that paints a picture in the listener’s mind. This time around, Duhon sings about slowing down, even if he isn’t quite ready to fully settle in just yet.

Seacoastonline caught up with the musician to discuss the record, the road, and Robert Frost.

Seacoastonline: Let’s talk about your brand-new record, “Emerald Blue.” What were your goals for this release? What have you learned from past recording experiences that helped shape how this album turned out?

Duhon: I’ve used recording projects to expand horizons or something new in the past. This time for me was about known quantities in the form of people I’ve worked with before. Trina Shoemaker as producer is a force, I’m familiar with. The songs and where they came from was the new horizon. I wanted to take time with them in communion with people who already knew me, knew where I was coming from, and I think we were able to make a thoughtful record that way.

Seacoastonline: Is songwriting an easy or arduous process for you? Are you a fly by the seat of your pants kind of writer, or do you actively need to set aside “office hours” to put pen to paper?

Duhon: I wouldn’t say it’s easy. I’d say it’s necessary for me. And I likely wouldn’t be accused of under-editing. I work through drafts of these tunes, put them away and revisit them. The most important thing to me is being a writer, figuring out what it is I have to say. The quarantine was useful in devoting more time than I’ve ever voluntarily given myself to stay off the road and do that. For that reason, “Emerald Blue” is less than half of what came out of that time, and I’m looking forward to overediting the tunes that remain

Seacoastonline: Who or what influences those pen-to-paper moments?

Duhon: Anything that makes time more tactile. Love, longing, loss, things that snap you out of "just another day," and it can be simple, too. I love Robert Frost’s ability to find the infinite in the seemingly simple or mundane, and in elements of nature. “The Mending Wall” and “Nothing Gold Can Stay” are great examples of his for me. But during the pandemic, it was easy to find more overt inspiration. The social justice awakening, the grappling with what is and isn’t important in our daily lives, things stripped away from my touring routine that begged the question of what I need and what I don’t but wasn’t able to pull away from on my own without the quarantine

Seacoastonline: You’re a singer-songwriter from New Orleans. One of the most magical places on earth. The “singer-songwriter” tag isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when people think about the musical output of your town. That said, there isn’t a specific set of rules that applies to New Orleans, so it all makes sense in the end. That said, how do the traditions and history of Nola inform your music? What do you take from your home that you wrap into the inner workings of your craft?

Duhon: New Orleans is haunted and old and underwater. Every creative who lives there is influenced by osmosis. True also that "singer-songwriter" is not top of the tourist pamphlet, but writers are everywhere and the ones in New Orleans have a unique place and experience to write about.

Seacoastonline: Furthering the conversation here, who are your Nola musical heroes? (Or inspirations if heroes is too strong a word.)

Duhon: Allen Toussaint is the soul of Nola to me. Snooks Eaglin was an amazing guitar player and singer and highly under lauded. Danny Barker is another one I could listen to all day.

Seacoastonline: Why music? Why do you seek it? Why do you create it?

Duhon: I like that question. I don’t know why I don’t write short stories or poems instead. But maybe it was the country radio in my Dad’s Dodge Caravan, those 3.5-minute short stories that held a special place in the template of the stories that capture something and then they’re done, leaving space for you to live with them. I want to be a storyteller. For now, songs are what make sense for me to tell my story.

Seacoastonline: What has music provided you with as you’ve navigated this lifelong journey?

Duhon: It’s about connection, being reassured over and over again of the Thoreau line that probably set me on my artistic journey “to believe that what is true for you in your own private heart is true for every man, that is genius.”

Seacoastonline: What do you appreciate about being out in the road sharing this new batch of tunes with folks far and wide? Do you have a new appreciation for touring after having had a forced year (plus) off?

Duhon: Well, I appreciate that the crowds have been the largest we’ve seen. I appreciate folks singing along and acknowledging specific songs as being important to me. That’s the active connecting that fills our sails. And without doubt we don’t take it for granted after the downtime.

Seacoastonline: You’re heading to the Word Barn (Meadow) here in New Hampshire; a place you’re no stranger to. What keeps you coming back year after year?

Duhon: The fact that they named it Word Barn and maintain a focus on the word of poetry and songwriting. That’s a special thing I don’t know too many places have keyed on in the way they have.

Seacoastonline: What excites you about the gig this time around? What can folks expect when they come out to see you play?

Duhon: I’m excited to share these new songs! It’s about being an active writer and storyteller, so sure, I’ll play you old favorites, but also, I want to play you something new. I want to tell you a story you’ve never heard.

Check out andrewduhon.com and thewordbarn.com for more information.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Andrew Duhon to perform at the Word Barn in Exeter NH