Country rock act Dushane Band talks about their new EP, touring, and why they should be in the next Cracker Barrel commercial.
The Dushane Band knows all about being on the road. The Pittsburgh four-piece country rock band has built a grassroots following through extensive touring from Pittsburgh to Nashville to Texas, including morning show performances on major tv networks and radio station interviews. Their upbeat single “Texas” hit 70k streams on Spotify. And there is so much more on the way for the band.
During a phone interview, I talked with DuShane (Lead Vocals, Guitar) and Brian Stashak (Bass Guitar, Background vocals). We had a great conversation about their new EP, touring, and why they should be in the next Cracker Barrel commercial.
The band includes: DuShane (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Brian Stashak (Bass Guitar, Background Vocals), Justin Page (Drums, Percussion), Scott Hogben (Acoustic Guitar).
Forming the Dushane Band/their single “Texas”
Josh: So how long has the Dushane Band been around?
Dushane: This band has been together for 4 to 5 years. We have a single out right now called “Texas” and it’s trending heavily on Spotify. Our manager wants us to do a bunch of dates in Texas. We’ve signed a kind of deal with this company called RSTL which is AMG and Universal.
J: Congratulations. That’s huge.
D: Yeah, it’s what we’re kind of focusing on now. We have a second record that we have finished already called “Gators and Lovers.” “Texas” to our surprise—we put it on Spotify just for the heck of it—and we’ve reached almost 70,000 hits in the last couple of weeks.
J: That’s amazing. Did you write it while you were touring in Texas?
D: Yeah, pretty much. We’ve toured a lot in Texas, met a lot of people from Texas, and it created a vibe for that song.
Music Influences
J: Did you have any musical influences growing up?
D: No, not really. I don’t have any major influences. I just like listening to music, period. My pops was a musician. One of the songs we did is one that my father wrote way back when my brother was born. And that one is called “Santa Please.” I totally redid the song with a country vibe to it. And of course, you know, the band is just so great that they were able to, you know, transform the song into a great song.
J: So Brian, how long have you been playing bass?
Brian: Oh, man, I started when I was 13 years old.
D: Brian actually plays a double bass.
B: Yeah, I play the upright bass every once in a while. I still have the very first one that my dad bought for me when I was 13.
J: I can relate to having an instrument for a while. I’ve had the same telecaster since 2002 and it’s still great to me.
D: You can’t beat a telecaster. That’s the best guitar.
J: Oh yeah, I love the telecaster sound.
Dushane Band Live Shows
J: So what’s it like at a Dushane Band show?
D: The crowds are very receptive. When you play out in Pittsburgh, you have to do an enormous amount of time. So we do 75, 80 songs a gig. We pepper the set with a lot of our songs then we throw in a couple of covers. I’ve personally noticed that people vibe to our songs a lot more than the covers. We were playing out in Nashville, and we had to do 5 hours. Me and Brian, we were writing songs on the stage. I just remember the guys over at the pool table were all dancing to it.
J: That’s great.
B: I was like, ‘This is a good sign.’
J: (Laughs) You know that’s a good sign when people by the pool table are dancing.
B: We were playing some place outside and this guy pulled up in his car with “Alabama Rain” playing. I was like ‘Wow, this is very, very cool’.
J: That has to make you feel good.
D: Yeah, it just makes you think maybe you’re doing something right. Because there’s just so much music out there nowadays. The hardest thing about this is that we’re a band. A lot of artists out there are solo artists that are trying to make it as a solo act. We’re trying to do a band. It’s like a hockey team. You have a position to play and you go in and you win every event by being a band. Everybody has their thing you know.
J: That’s an interesting point. I think people miss having actual bands where they know all the members.
D: Our drummer is a big guy. I mean, he’s like 6’5 or something. He could have been a hockey player. His name is Justin Page, and he is one heck of a drummer. He makes everything look easy when he gets behind there, he’s like a scientist of drums.
Life on the Road with the Dushane Band
J: Are there any fun stories from being on the road?
D: (Laughs) Me and Brian always travel together. We got a million stories.
J: Is that going to be in a book?
B: (Laughs) Yeah, I think we could write a book just on the things that we’ve seen and done.
D: For us, we’re a big endorser of the Cracker Barrel.
B: DuShane probably has, well, not probably, he has a t-shirt from every Cracker Barrel between Pittsburgh and Alabama, right? That’s our go to.
J: Oh, you guys gotta be featured in their next commercial or something.
D: That’s what I’ve always said! We should walk into a Cracker Barrel and hear them playing one of our songs.
New Dushane Band EP
J: So the Dushane Band have finished an album, but your label wants you to release an EP?
D: Yeah, so the EP has all the remixes from the “Rise” record. It’s called “Rise 2025”, the new record.
J: Let’s talk about the song “Top Down.” That stood out to me. Was it written in rehearsals or in the studio?
D: I think it was a statement that maybe we should drive around with the top down today. Perfect for the summer. Yeah, I think that’s where it came from.
B: Yeah, and then it just kind of wrote itself at that point.
J: I also liked the song “Jody.” Do you guys play that during the show?
B: Yeah, that’s our opening song for most shows.
J: I love the guitars on “Forever for Now.”
B: Oh thanks, it’s classic rock all the way on those guitar riffs.
D: We’re so focused on the Dushane Band. Everybody in this band is a strong player. This is probably in my lifetime, the strongest playing band that I’ve ever been in as far as talent. Pittsburgh people in general are just amazing people. And just the professional attitude, it’s just like a joy. Every time we get together.
J: Do you guys have a favorite song to play live at your shows?
D: My favorite song is probably “Rodeo,” I think.
B: Mine is “Alabama Rain.” I love the story behind it.
J: What’s the story behind “Alabama Rain”?
D: It was Fleet Week in New York City and I was on Bleecker Street. I was sitting at a bar. I think it was Kenny’s Castaways. And this guy walked in. He was enlisted. And he was from Alabama. He lost his job. And he was telling me the story about how he had to enlist because there was no work. And he told me that they had a little steel mill over there and it shut down. And then he enlisted because he had another kid on the way. So he was kind of pouring his heart out. I was like, ‘it’s like Alabama rain,’ you know, and it was like, there it was.
J: That’s amazing.
D: It’s important to listen to someone tell their story if you’re gonna write something. I wanted to hear his whole story. It’s good to have your pen and paper ready.
J: When the band is traveling, which band member controls the music?
B: I don’t know if everybody listens to music when we’re together. So we talk about hockey. That might sound odd. I don’t think we play anything.
What’s Next?
J: What’s next for the Dushane Band?
D: I think it’s more of the same in our eyes. I think we really just want to get the word out more and play more shows. Pittsburgh is the greatest place in the United States to live. There is no place better and I’ve lived in so many different places. This is my favorite place to be.
J: I’ll have to come to a show and hang out. We can go to Cracker Barrel.
D: Yeah, now you’re talking.
Upcoming shows and keeping up with the Dushane Band
- 5/17 Lincoln Avenue Brewery
- 5/25 Paradise Island Bowl & Beach (Neville Island)
- 6/21 Bigham Tavern (Bridgewater)
- 6/27 Paradise Island Bowl & Beach
- 6/28 Wolf’s Camping Resort (Knox, PA)
- 7/19 High Water Pub (Leechburg, PA)
- 7/25 Paradise Island Bowl & Beach
- 7/26 Patrick’s Pub & Grille (Moon Twp)
You can find their single “Texas” on Spotify and Apple Music! Keep up with the band on their Facebook (Dushane PA) and YouTube (DuShane-band). Visit their website for more information www.dushaneband.com.*
*DuShane plays in a local Pittsburgh ice hockey league. A well known player in the league recently passed suddenly of cancer, leaving behind a wife and two kids. You can help donate to the family on the Dushane Band website.
Check out the April Artist of the Month here!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
