Duplomacy
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History
After years of keeping his music under wraps and performing only for his household appliances, Andy Flynn began to unfurl his indie-pop vision to the world under the name Duplomacy.
Years of monastic musical focus paid off. After gathering some of the best results of his home-recordings, Flynn sent them off to TW Walsh, a renowned recording engineer and member of indie favorites Pedro the Lion. Sometimes you get what you hope for, and Walsh’s reaction was immediate and enthusiastic. He loved the music and brought Flynn out to Boston to record Duplomacy’s sparse and stunning self-titled EP in 2004.
Though the EP never really went to press, a few copies were sent to publications and musicians. Reactions were similar to Walsh’s, and feature articles and offers to hop on bills soon arrived. The positive reaction to his first “professional” venture led Flynn to reconsider his one-man-band approach. Old friends quickly hopped onboard to help Duplomacy blossom on stage. Adam Egerdahl started on drums but migrated to his native guitar, being replaced by Judd Hildreth of Valet. With P.A. Corts at the keys, Erik Dahl of The Field joined on bass and things were underway.
The evolution from a one-man to a full band also changed the nature of Duplomacy’s sound, pushing Flynn’s simple melodic style toward the fuller, more dynamic, impacting sound captured on All These Long Drives. Engineered by Jon Tranberry (Dillinger 4, Valet, The Plastic Constellations) in the outer reaches of the Twin Cities at OBT Studios, the record was mixed by Brad Kern (Semisonic, Dan Wilson, The Hang Ups, The Owls), and mastered by Tom Garneau (Mason Jennings, Mike Doughty, The Breeders, Prince, George Clinton).
Impartial Observers Say:
"Last time Tapes 'n Tapes rolled through Dallas, they introduced me to the sounds of their friends and fellow Minnesotans Duplomacy. The band is already getting quite a bit of attention in their home town of Minneapolis, and they felt pretty certain these dudes were set to blow up once they released their new LP, All These Long Drives. Duplomacy makes layered, dreamy, pristine pop, and they've already garnerered comparisons to Pavement, REM, Nada Surf, and pre-suck Death Cab for Cutie (and all of these are actually pretty valid)." -Gorilla vs.Bear
"Act to Watch" -Pioneer Press
Best New Bands of 2005 Showcase -First Avenue & 7th Street Entry
“Duplomacy plays with a rare calm and slow beauty that I have not heard for a long time…(they) play off of each other in an almost orchestral way. The song layering and transitions are reminiscent of the Beatles…While sounding very different, Duplomacy’s songs do have a similar dreamlike introspective beauty to some of REM’s earliest work. And their use of minor keys always gets me.” -howwastheshow.com
“Their formula is deceptively complex: take an already great riff, and build on it until it’s even better. Repeat. Sounds simple, yes, but to be able to pull it off with the consistency and quality they do can only be the result of continuous reworking, until each individual instance of sound and melody is painstakingly soothing...If their upcoming album is anywhere near their instantaneous-approval-inducing live shows, it’s gonna be big.” -Act Up blog
Members
- Andy Flynn (guitar, vocals)
- Adam Egerdahl (guitar)
- Judd Hildreth (drums)
- Erik Dahl (bass)
- P.A. Corts (keys)
Discography
- All These Long Drives (2006, 2024 Records)
- Self-titled EP (self-released)
