Durham County Poets are glad to be Back At The Groove Shack in their latest single and video — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
While we all hunkered down for the long haul of COVID, DCP lead vocalist and songwriter Kevin Harvey knew that the time was right to get working on new music that could have the power to uplift and inspire just when we all perhaps need it the most. “The idea was for it to be a positive, uplifting experience for all involved — creators and listeners,” notes Harvey.
The result of this experience? The band’s fifth album Out of the Woods, produced by Bill Garrett. From the one-word vocal intro of “alright”, the album takes us down a path heading straight for the light at the end of the tunnel. Along the way, there’s continuous, rhythmic reassurance that everything is indeed going to be alright.
“The number one inspiration for the single Out of the Woods was my mother,” says Harvey. “She has always been a rock and the kind of mom that has the ability to set you straight! Get me off my high horse and or kick my behind if I start feeling sorry for myself, and always with love.”
DCP scored a 2020 Juno nomination for Best Blues Album of the Year for their fourth record Hand Me Down Blues. The album also received two Maple Blues Awards nominations and a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination for Harvey.
While he is the voice out front, Durham County Poets are a band in the truest sense of the word. “Every member writes and arranges and brings something unique to the table,” says Harvey. “You’ll hear a variety of genres and a broad range of styles.” DCP’.s members include David Whyte on guitar and backing vocals, Neil Elsmore on guitar and backing vocals, Carl Rufh on bass and backing vocals, and Rob Couture on drums.
“The guys in the band wrote songs that bolster that positive uplifting vibe, it’s peppered all over the album,” Harvey continues. “Even when the content is somewhat sobering and can be a tad weighty, the end result is relevance and beauty, and a bit of humour never hurt nobody either.”
Positivity, forward-thinking, and passion are the key drivers for bandleader Harvey, who has been in a wheelchair since 1981 after what he calls a “stupid accident.“ He sees it as just one experience among many in his life and will not allow it to define or confine him. With the grace of God, the collective power of the band, and the slowly changing views of society towards the disabled, DCP has been able to realize some of the hopes and aspirations they all have as musicians. Harvey sums it up with his personal motto, “Music is a precious gift too important not to be shared.”
In the coming months, the Durham County Poets will share that spirit with enthralling performances increasing their usual five members to seven with a horn section. They’ll be hitting stages throughout Québec and Ontario and in the U.S. in New England and New York State in support of Out of the Woods. Visit durhamcountypoets.com for dates.
Watch Back At The Groove Shack above, sample Out of the Woods below, and find the Durham Country Poets at their website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
