New Orleans singer-songwriter Andrew Duhon will introduce his latest record, False River, during an album release party Sunday at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club in Mobile.
Duhon has turned the downtown Mobile venue into a regular stop since the 2010 release of his debut, Songs I Wrote Before I Knew You. Even after earning a Grammy nomination for his 2013 album The Moorings, he kept returning to the Azalea City to reconnect with the audience he has built along the Gulf Coast.
A homecoming on Old Government Street
“Callaghan’s being the only place that I play in Mobile, it feels like a neighborhood bar and family at this point,” Duhon said. “It’s going to feel like coming home and giving friends and fans what we’ve all been looking forward to all this time.”
The show marks his return to Mobile with what he describes as “fresh fuel in the tank” after completing False River. The record extends his reputation for cerebral, literate songwriting — folk rooted in the Big Easy with a tinge of blues.
Finding the right producer
Bringing False River to life took time. Duhon said choosing a producer was as challenging as writing the songs themselves, with hours spent studying the production qualities of albums that inspired him.
A chance conversation at a Nashville bar connected him with producer Eric Masse — known for work with Miranda Lambert and Rayland Baxter — and Masse’s studio. Duhon said the partnership felt like a leap of faith made on an independent artist’s budget.
The title is a metaphor built on the idea of anastomosis, the way rivers and blood vessels branch and diverge. Duhon said life follows a similar path: an event can send a person down a tangent, while the main current keeps moving and changing.
“When you’re in a plane and look over a meandering river and see all those elements that have broken off in time, we’re only a blip in the timeline, but Mother Nature is constantly moving,” he said.
Show details
The album release party is set for Sunday, May 13, at 8 p.m. at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, 916 Charleston St. Tickets are $15 and available at the venue. Most tables will be cleared for the mostly standing-room show, so early arrival is recommended. A limited run of False River pressed on what Duhon is calling “Callaghan’s Green” vinyl will be available at the merchandise table.