Songwriter Series: The Dust-Ups + The Milwaukees (duo)
The Dust-Ups blend a down-home country sound with punk rock spirit. While they all call New Jersey home today, The Dust-Ups’ origins span from New Orleans to Quebec, allowing their alt-country signature to resonate as far from regional. Before becoming known for their lively, catchy songs, the outfit was assembled in 2022 after lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ryan Chatelain, a veteran of the New Orleans and New York solo-acoustic scenes, laid down roots in New Jersey and put out the call for musicians on Facebook and Craigslist. Multi-instrumentalist Joe Palmisano answered and expressed a shared fondness of some of Chatelain's biggest influences, including Old 97’s and Uncle Tupelo, and the two then partnered to start what would eventually become known as The Dust-Ups. Shortly after, bassist Stephen Swalsky, formerly of the alt-country bands Coal Palace Kings and Mud, Blood & Beer, and drummer Alek Speck, who toured the world with the indie rock group Run Run Run, completed the lineup. The symbiotic songwriting relationship between Chatelain and Palmisano brings a unique dynamic to The Dust-Ups, who released their eponymous debut album March 8. Now that the polishing touches have been put on the album, The Dust-Ups are endeavoring to continue extending the legacy of alt-country while remaining inspired by country legends and channeling their fervor for the genre into euphonic harmonies and raw, heartfelt lyrics.
The Milwaukees - Fascinated and fired up by the sounds that surrounded him, Clark put his first band together when he was just 12. There was no grand concept behind it—just some school pals getting together to kick out the jams—but then again, lifelong obsessions rarely come with master plans. “Me and my friends were really interested in music, and we just wanted to play,” he recalls. “This was around ’89-’90, and the whole alternative thing was happening, and we just wanted to be a band—it really was that simple. I didn’t think about writing songs at first, but my father said, ‘Don’t waste a lot of time doing other people’s songs. You should try to write your own.’ And when I was 13, that’s what I started doing.” For over two decades now, Clark and Nordstedt have stuck together through shitty van tours, misadventures like getting “banned for life” from Canada, and multiple turnovers in the rhythm section. (Donovan Cain and Austin Faxon now hold things down on the bass and drums, respectively.) If anything, their relationship mirrors the kind of creative partnership and musical telepathy that Tom Petty enjoyed with Mike Campbell; Clark writes and sings the songs, while Nordstedt further refines them with layers of melodic-yet-understated fretwork. “Mike Campbell is my hero,” Nordstedt enthuses. “That dude is so focused in his pursuit of craft, but as a musician he’s also totally happy to play a supporting role, and to excel at it. That’s what I want to do, too.