New London, CT outfit My Druthers puts a 21st century spin on sea shanties of olde with their recent album Coming Up 3’s.
It features ten classic songs plus five originals, which flow as seamlessly as waves on the great open ocean. Honestly, the only one I would have picked out as an original is “Christopher” because it’s about Christopher Columbus being a jerk (which was perhaps not a shanty topic on the whaling boats of yore).
I’ve seen My Druthers live several times and they put on a great show, with a sparse but energetic vibe that encourages lots of crowd participation. Hearing a recording of their music — for the first time! They didn’t have recordings online — was a different but equally positive experience. Their sound is fleshed out with added instruments and sound effects. “Born Twice, Died Once” and the title track sound like a party, and when you hear that hammer clanging on a railroad spike, you’re right there with “Old Moke.” Another favorite track is “John Kanaka” — my preschoolers love it so much that we often listen to it several times in a row. Just make sure to skip “Fvck ‘Em All” if you’re rocking out with the younger set!
Using the wonders of the internet, I asked frontman Stuart Fensom why he thought this old-timey music had such a following, as evidenced by some packed-house Wednesday night shows I’d attended.
He said,
“I think it’s the crowd participation aspect. People want to sing! And I think they also want to sing together. When a whole room full of people are hollerin’ the same lyrics, it breaks down a lot of barriers…barriers between the band and the audience, barriers between the audience members themselves. And it gives people more confidence in their own voices because they aren’t all of a sudden onstage under the spotlight doin a vocal solo or some shit, that would terrify most folks.
We try to make it very clear that we don’t give a damn whether or not you have a good voice, just sing with us! You think a crew of sailors a couple hundred years ago all had pretty voices? HELL NO. Those were some gritty sumbitches, god bless ‘em.
The group singing also just makes you feel like you are a part of something, and it’s happening in real time and somewhat spontaneously. It gives people a very real sense of community and I think most people want that, even if they don’t realize it. Also, beer helps.”
Overall, My Druthers navigates the difficult task of bringing old music to a modern audience without sounding corny or changing it too much. The themes of working together and fighting oppression are especially relevant in today’s divisive climate.
My Druthers have played all over the world — literally just this year, they’ve been to Southeast Asia, England, and France as well as the exotic locales of Florida, Louisiana, and New Hampshire. Luckily for us Yankees, they have two October shows in Connecticut to celebrate their new release.
10/4 – 33 Golden Street in New London with A Former Friend and Cvm Rats
10/11 – Cherry Street Station in Wallingford with Jesse Ahern, Cvm Rats, and TBA
If you get a chance to see My Druthers, don’t miss it! It’s impossible not to sing along and have a good time. You might not even need a beer!
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