Dualtone Music Group Celebrates Two Decades Of Hits With New Album
Dualtone Music Group is celebrating its 20th anniversary with the release of brand new album Amerikinda: 20 Years Of Dualtone. Due out Aug. 6, the album features Dualtone artists and alumni including The Lumineers, Brett Dennen, Gregory Alan Isakov, Mt. Joy, Shovels & Rope, and Langhorne Slim covering each other’s songs in celebration of the label’s landmark birthday.
Known for its roster of artists straddling the line between roots and AAA, Dualtone was founded in 2001 by Scott Robinson and Dan Herrington, and joined soon after by Paul Roper, who quickly established the company as a label that would change the paradigm of what a successful indie model could be. Based around a co-operative approach built on fair, transparent partnerships, Dualtone bred a family atmosphere where artists could effectively build and grow with the label.
Inaugural releases from Dualtone included David Ball’s Amigo as well as the pivotal June Carter Cash Grammy-winning album Wildwood Flower. As the label grew, they continued to bring in elder statesmen like Guy Clark and Bobby Bare, while also branching out with younger artists such as Drew Holcomb, Noah Gundersen, The Felice Brothers, Delta Spirit, Shakey Graves, Wild Child, Amos Lee, Robert Earl Keen, The Lone Bellow and Kathleen Edwards.
Even after a tumultuous 2020, which saw the Dualtone headquarters in East Nashville leveled by a tornado and a global pandemic hitting within weeks of each other, the label reports that it is thriving, posting some of its all-time best sales and streaming numbers to date.
“From the very start, we’ve tried to build this safe, encouraging space for artists to experiment and create,” said Robinson, “and it’s just so cool to see how deeply these bands have connected with each other and to hear the influences and friendships that stretch across the whole history of the label. At the end of the day, there’s something special about the energy of Dualtone, and it’s not because of me or Paul or any other individual. It’s because of the way that everyone, artists and staff alike, come together as a community.”
2) Mt. Joy – “Ain’t No Reason” (Brett Dennen)
3) The Wild Reeds – “Younger Days” (Mt. Joy)
4) Gregory Alan Isakov – “Salt And The Sea” (The Lumineers)
5) The Lumineers – “Caves” (Gregory Alan Isakov)
6) Angie McMahon – “Tea, Milk & Honey” (Oh Pep!)
7) Langhorne Slim – “Stubborn Love” (The Lumineeres)
8) Brett Dennen – “Life Is Confusing” (Langhorne Slim)
9) Drew & Ellie Holcomb – “Keep On The Sunny Side” (June Carter Cash)
10) Ivan & Alyosha – “Let Your Heart Hold Fast” (Fort Atlantic)
11) The Lone Bellow – “O’ Be Joyful” (Shovels & Rope)
12) Shakey Graves – “Cheers” (The Wild Reeds)
13) Shovels & Rope – “Dearly Departed” (Shakey Graves)
14) Hayes Carll – “Worry B Gone” (Guy Clark)
15) Radney Foster – “Riding With Private Malone” (David Ball)
