The explosive, vibrant and polished Pennsylvania-based
singer/songwriter/guitarist has all of those ingredients. And more. And
on his debut CD, “Black Skies and Starlight,” he flexes his musical
muscle with both power and grace.
“This music is a mix of big
guitars, with pop-laced hooks and an alternative attitude,” says
Douglas, who performs with his band, Dustin Douglas & The Electric
Gentleman. “And the live show can sometimes even have a bit of a jam
element to it, because we’re not scared to go off and do our thing.”
Douglas, though only 28 (in 2016), is a veteran of the Northeastern
Pennsylvania music scene, which has produced national acts such as
modern-rockers Breaking Benjamin and roots-rockers The Badlees. He began
wowing audiences when he was only 12 with his virtuoso playing, gripping
vocals and onstage charisma. His previous project, Lemongelli, released
two critically acclaimed albums and Douglas also spent five years
performing and recording with The Badlees. His debut CD was produced by
Bret Alexander (The Badlees/Breaking Benjamin) and he names Jack White,
Dave Grohl, The Beatles, Josh Homme, Gary Clark Jr., Led Zeppelin, Jimi
Hendrix and Elvis Presley as influences. He says this is the record he’s
always longed to make.
For me, this was all about the songs,”
says Douglas. “The songwriting was the most important part. For me, I
wanted to be known for more than just a guitar solo. And with this
record, a catchy chorus was just as or even more important than a guitar
tone. Lyrically, it’s a lot more biographical than anything I’ve done
before. I’m putting myself out there, but I think everybody can relate
to the songs.”
|
