The Dubious Battles - A Showcase of Songwriting and Friendship

cross-pol*li*na*tion (n.): The transfer of pollen from one flower to another, producing stronger and more vigorous plants. These genetic diversities often result in the evolution of new species.

The same can be said of music.

Blending the sweet sounds from some of Charleston's rock royalty, The Dubious Battles is evolution at its finest: a homegrown supergroup born from a collaboration among friends. Originally formed during the 2011 charity tour "How the Other Half Gives", The Dubious Battles features Luke Cunningham, Ryan Bonner and Tyler Mechem, each solidly successful with their individual projects but coming together again out of a mutual appreciation for one another's talents.

"We enjoyed being around each other," Cunningham says, "singing each other's songs and playing music together so much that we knew we'd have to get together again and do something collectively."

So when Cunningham was invited to perform at this weekend's Jail Break Festival, he saw it as a golden opportunity for The Dubious Battles.

"I thought that, given Jail Break's focus on art and creativity, it would be the perfect event to showcase this side project that we've been itching to unveil."

The performance will include original songs composed by all three members (they currently have close to twenty in various stages of progress), unreleased solo material and favorite tunes from each of the guy's other projects: the Luke Cunningham Band, Ryan Bonner and the Dearly Beloved, and Crowfield. And while there are no concrete plans to record a full album, The Dubious Battles have been working on ideas for an EP and have released their first single, "Bad Deal (Goodbye, Tuesday)", a nostalgic folk tune with an irresistible cadence and sweeter-than-honey string section, riding the vocal harmonies like a warm summer breeze.

"Luke, Ryan and I have known each other for a long time...but we were always creating our own music, separately," Mechem says. "Now, we're all in it together. No matter who brings the song to the table, we all need to be proud of what we perform. There's a lot of trust that goes into that."

The Dubious Battles take the stage at the Jail Break Festival this Saturday (4.27) at 6pm. For tickets and other festival information, visit www.jailbreakcharleston.com.

To download "Bad Deal (Goodbye, Tuesday)", visit the iTunes Store. 

Band Websites
The Dubious Battles
Luke Cunningham
Ryan Bonner
Tyler Mechem

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