The Dodge Brothers are a skiffle-and-blues band producing ‘tunes of proven merit’ – new songs written and performed in the old style, harking back to the days of jug-band blues and early rock’n’roll.
I have been fortunate enough to document a large part of their musical journey since 2018, and for that I thank them. At the bottom of this thread are a selection of photos representing the last 5 years.
The band are: Mike Hammond (guitars, lead vocals, banjo); Aly Hirji (guitars, mandolin, vocals); Mark Kermode (bass, harmonica, vocals), and Alex Hammond (washboard, snare drum, percussion). The Dodge Brothers’ music has an authentically American tang – lead guitarist/vocalist Mike Hammond was raised in Alabama and his youthful musical travels took him all over the southern and western USA – but with a strong British perspective.
The Dodge Brothers’ first album Louisa and the Devil showcased songs about transport, heartbreak and homicide, with tales of strong women, bad men and lonesome railroads. Their second album The Sun Set was recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis, using authentically old-fashioned recording techniques to recapture the spirit of a bygone age (A BBC Radio 2 Documentary was made following the band on this journey)
The Dodge Brothers’ latest album DriveTrain was recorded in May & June 2018 at Active Music studio in Poole, and will be released on Sept 20th 2018.
As a live act The Dodge Brothers have played everywhere from The Roundhouse to the Royal Albert Hall, from the 100 Club to the Cropredy festival. At the Jazz Café, they played with rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson, and they regularly sell-out gigs at the Borderline and the Blues Kitchen in London..
Film and cinematic landscapes come together when The Dodge Brothers join forces with composer/TV presenter Neil Brand to provide live music for films like Beggars of Life and Hell’s Hinges. In 2014, The Dodge Brothers became the first band to accompany a silent movie at Glastonbury. Their film performances have taken them from The BFI Southbank to Arctic Circle, performing to sell-out audiences in Finnish Lapland & Tromsø, Norway.
In 2015, Grammy award winning producer, Steve Levine, called upon the band to record & film three skiffle tracks for the Liverpool Music Festival, as part of a presentation demonstrating how American blues sparked the British Rock’n’Roll scene.
The Dodge Brothers have supported Jools Holland live (as well as guesting on his BBC Radio 2 Show) and have been championed by music broadcasting legend Bob Harris.
Text taken from The Dodge Brothers Website
Click images to enlarge.
