Louque
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | SELF
Music
Press
Louque's knack for combining elements of soul, R&B, hip-hop, dance hall and New Orleans funk with such a subtle touch is hypnotically breathtaking. His smooth yet powerful voice provides the lynchpin that holds together each variation of style. From the languishing ache of "Perique" to the backbeat funk kick of "Kenny the Jet" and all of the flavors in between, Louque serves up a platter full of mighty mean musical gumbo.- Joe Hauler URB - URB Magazine
Louque's knack for combining elements of soul, R&B, hip-hop, dance hall and New Orleans funk with such a subtle touch is hypnotically breathtaking. His smooth yet powerful voice provides the lynchpin that holds together each variation of style. From the languishing ache of "Perique" to the backbeat funk kick of "Kenny the Jet" and all of the flavors in between, Louque serves up a platter full of mighty mean musical gumbo.- Joe Hauler URB - URB Magazine
Louque-pronounced "luke"- offers music with meat on its bones. So Long, the band's debut, is electronic and reggae, alternative and hip-hop, ballad-soft and rock-sure. And it satisfies with every spin. The Brooklynite brings into his tunes all the elements of his native New Orleans-a touch of blasphemy and reverent respect that informs all of So Long-as well as the blues, country and rock & roll. -Marie Elsie - Rolling Stone Magazine
Louque-pronounced "luke"- offers music with meat on its bones. So Long, the band's debut, is electronic and reggae, alternative and hip-hop, ballad-soft and rock-sure. And it satisfies with every spin. The Brooklynite brings into his tunes all the elements of his native New Orleans-a touch of blasphemy and reverent respect that informs all of So Long-as well as the blues, country and rock & roll. -Marie Elsie - Rolling Stone Magazine
Born and raised in Louisiana, frontman Dustan Louque took his Cajun-influenced stylings north to the land of the Strokes and honey-trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
On his debut, So Long, Louque dips his sun-drenched voice into a gumbo of soul, trip-hop, New Orleans funk, and dance hall he's dubbed "Faya". We have no idea what that means, but we like it.
Esquire says, "Sounds like Jack Johnson and Dr. John Bonding over a Best Buy shopping cart's worth of electronics."
Already Bonnaroo-certified, Louque's future looks brightest on the hippie tour circuit, where sharp musicianship and dreamy soundscapes do well. He's also a Neptunes remix away from a massive dance-floor hit. - Esquire Magazine
Born and raised in Louisiana, frontman Dustan Louque took his Cajun-influenced stylings north to the land of the Strokes and honey-trendy Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
On his debut, So Long, Louque dips his sun-drenched voice into a gumbo of soul, trip-hop, New Orleans funk, and dance hall he's dubbed "Faya". We have no idea what that means, but we like it.
Esquire says, "Sounds like Jack Johnson and Dr. John Bonding over a Best Buy shopping cart's worth of electronics."
Already Bonnaroo-certified, Louque's future looks brightest on the hippie tour circuit, where sharp musicianship and dreamy soundscapes do well. He's also a Neptunes remix away from a massive dance-floor hit. - Esquire Magazine
This Cajun-by-way-of-New York combo, led by Louisiana's Dustan Louque, have coined the word "faya" for their unique blend of sounds. The term refers to dancehall flavor and urban funk-the primary styles Louque draws from -as well as healthy doses of dub, folk, Southern soul, and alterna-hip hop. Louque's grainy croons rumble comfortably, giving pace to the slow-moving, blunted Bayou vibe that is the main thrust of So Long. The backwoods/island melange remains laidback while kicking your mood up a few notches. From the nostalgic beats of "Still in Waiting" to the raw yet happy pleas of "Art" and the mind blowing cover of Mazzy Star's "Cry Cry"(on which Louque pays wonderful tribute to that song's original voice, Hope Sandoval), there is a down home quality to So Long that will make you want to curl up with it. -Lily Moayeri - Nylon Magazine
This Cajun-by-way-of-New York combo, led by Louisiana's Dustan Louque, have coined the word "faya" for their unique blend of sounds. The term refers to dancehall flavor and urban funk-the primary styles Louque draws from -as well as healthy doses of dub, folk, Southern soul, and alterna-hip hop. Louque's grainy croons rumble comfortably, giving pace to the slow-moving, blunted Bayou vibe that is the main thrust of So Long. The backwoods/island melange remains laidback while kicking your mood up a few notches. From the nostalgic beats of "Still in Waiting" to the raw yet happy pleas of "Art" and the mind blowing cover of Mazzy Star's "Cry Cry"(on which Louque pays wonderful tribute to that song's original voice, Hope Sandoval), there is a down home quality to So Long that will make you want to curl up with it. -Lily Moayeri - Nylon Magazine
Discography
So Long-2004
Louque The Drifter-2007
Royal Vagabonds "For the King's Court"-2008
St. Roch's Campo Santo-2012
Film:Disturbia(Dreamworks), Into the Blue, Make it Happen, Heights, NY Foundation of the Arts (Emmy Nomination)
BAM/Sundance-Nouvelle Orleans
TV: Alias, One Tree Hill, Everwood, Veronica Mars
Audio Books by Oliver Jeffers:
The Huey's
The Great Paper Caper
Photos
Bio
Dustan Paul Louque, also known as Louque, is an American singer/songwriter and often called Zelig's musical son. He describes his sound as somewhere between Mod & Rocker. During his childhood years growing up in Grande Pointe, Louisiana, he heard an old speech on the radio by Huey P. Long and believed himself to be a king. Just when the crown was getting too heavy and "The Kingfish's" words were fading, tragedy struck his family. He was forever changed and vowed to never take off the crown no matter what.
A native of the Mississippi River Ruhr Valley in St. James Parish Louisiana, Louque loved Fats Domino, Hank Williams, Sr. and Prince. In his formative years he discovered the British sounds of The Smiths, Depeche Mode and New Order at the Gold Mine Saloon in New Orleans. This music had a hold on him and sent him down a path of unlimited possibility. On his first trip to New York while in college, he was overcome with an extreme desire to play the piano. Upon returning to the campus of Mississippi State, Louque begged the staff to let him in a class. It wasn't long before he stole the key to the music building so he can play through the night. He loved to play Chopin Nocturnes and Beethoven but soon discovered guitar and a singing voice.
After living in New Orleans for two years, Louque moved to New York in 1997 to attend The Stella Adler Conseratory of Acting. This proved to be fertile ground for him as he began to write songs for the first time. Having to constantly perform on the spot in class everyday gave him a confidence in his creative powers. He spent his nights alone with a four track his Williamsburg, Brooklyn apartment. After three years of trial and error with collaborators Seth Gold and Donovan Guidry, "So Long" was born.
So Long was a trip hop and folk record soaked in the MPC beats of Guidry and the melancholy chords of Gold. The first half of the record was made at Good and Evil studio with Chris Kelly and Danny Blume as producers. The record was then finished at Headgear studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with Dan Long and Alex Lipsen as producers. Louque was the first artist to record at the now famed Headgear Studio.
Louque's very first show was performed downtown for what seemed like the leftover Warhol crew at Budman Studio in SoHo. They christened him an artist and things quickly changed for Louque. He signed with Atlantic Records and released his first record having played one show. After two years of touring and licensing songs to films such as "Into the Blue" and "Disturbia", he chose to walk away from his deal, sighting lameness, and a lack of creative time for his departure. On tour, he visited the record shops and his records weren't on the shelves because they didn't know where to put him. He was placed on the counter, unclassified. In one year of touring, Louque shared the stage with Steel Pulse, Bob Marley's sons, Jack Johnson, Twista, Devendra Banhart, Coco Rosie and a slew of pop stars.
In 2007, Louque drifted. He lived in Louisiana, Paris, New York, Canada and Jamaica. He traveled with a doctors bag full of recording equipment and made "Louque the Drifter". This sound was a mix of freak folk, reggae and outlaw country. Immediately following this , he began working on the "Royal Vagabonds" debut record with collaborators Josh Werner and Dave Burnett. "For the King's Court" is an Americana record and his first attempt at an all guitar record. This was the first band experience for him and one of his favorite projects.
In order to protect his creative well, Louque began to work a job and considered not playing music again but beat and melody followed him everywhere. Artist and friend, Mac Premo, commissioned him to record a piece of music for an animation an it earned him a nomination for a New York Emmy in 2010. He dusted off his crown.
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