A veteran of the progressive roots scene, Dustin Arbuckle (formerly of Moreland and Arbuckle) continues kicking up dust with Dustin Arbuckle & The Damnations. A musician of vast appetites, he’s long held an appreciation for traditional American music in the vein of Charley Patton as well as the cross-pollinated sounds of The Band or Stax-style soul. His work with The Damnations allows for that along with occasionally forays into deep country and even jazz.

The Kansas native marks hearing the Leadbelly classic “Gallows Pole” as his earliest music memory, becoming an astute devotee of the blues by the time he’d reached his teens. “That turned out to be a jumping off point, though,” he says. “I always loved Howlin' Wolf, but as I got older and started opening my mind to a wider range of music, I'd turn around and listen to the Allman Brothers Band, then Johnny Cash, Sam & Dave, or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. I hope you’ll hear some of that reach with The Damnations.”

Arbuckle, who also fronts the Kansas-based acoustic group Haymakers, will release a live Damnations EP in March 2019, recorded at Minneapolis’ Hook & Ladder Theater & Lounge, while laying the foundation for the outfit’s first full-length studio LP. (The group released its self-titled debut EP in 2017.)

Arbuckle says fans will hear an evolution in the new music with feet planted firmly in the world of roots music he’s known for. “When I formed this group in 2016, I really believed anything could happen, from a musical standpoint,” he offers. “What we’ve done since then has gone beyond my own expectations and I really can’t wait to see what we do next.” **Inactive as of 5/11/24