New orleans new americana
Dusky Waters is the project founded by singer-songwriter Jenn Jeffers. She uses the name Dusky Waters as a nom de plume as well as an expression of her affinity for the magic of twilight hours and the presence of the Mississippi River that has anchored her life from her childhood on the banks of its tributary, the Arkansas River in Little Rock, to her early twenties in the delta of northern Louisiana, to her current crescent city home on the Gulf Coast. Absorbing and exploring the sounds that she uncovered along the way, her songs ultimately uncover what it is to be a Black, Southern, millennial woman, negotiating the 2020s.
In many ways, her music sonically mirrors this life journey; having absorbed elements of gospel, folk, and soul, while still embracing contemporary pop melodies and arrangements. In particular, many of the songs on the new Dusky Waters album, "Pass it On" (2023), were born in the music halls of New Orleans, where a newly-arrived Dusky plied her trade as a solo artist backed only with a loop pedal. The single "Mae" highlighted this process, carrying that patience and gentle building momentum that loop-based performances tend to embrace.
Dusky's songwriting is honest and vulnerable to its core. She writes of love and love lost, of the draw of the South, the echoes of generational decisions, and of the unending quest to find one's truest self. She draws inspiration from musical powerhouses Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, and the Avett Brothers. Dusky performs with musicians Analiese De Saw (viola), Conner McCready (percussion), Dylan James (upright bass), and Tommy Henson (piano/organ).
Dusky has had multiple notable appearances in the last year since releasing her LP, Pass it On, including multiple interviews on New Orleans WWOZ, performances at Fete du Void, Marigny Fest, Great Day Louisiana, and has performed on bills with local greats such as Jon Cleary, Bon Bon Vivant, Lilli Lewis, and Joy Clark and at historic New Orleans venues such as Tipitina's and Chickie Wah Wah, among others. Pass It On caught attention at home and abroad, receiving critical acclaim from WWOZ DJs as well as publications OffBeat Magazine, The Bluegrass Situation, Folk Radio UK, and Amplify Music Magazine. Dusky completed a successful summer tour to celebrate the album, including a performance with indie greats The Octopus Project. The band’s following is consistently growing across the mid-South, with regular streams and well-attended shows. Dusky was nominated for Best Emerging Artist in 2024 by Offbeat Magazine. Dusky is delighted to perform at French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in Spring 2024.
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