The Duane Bartels Band Takes You On A Cosmic Trip Through The Big Easy On New Video Single ‘Waiting’

Teasing the release of their upcoming LP, Electric Baby Carriage, The Duane Bartels Band blends a soulful Americana sound with New Orleans funky-fresh brass roots in their latest single, “Waiting.” 

“Waiting” was released in the final days of 2022, and with it came a far-out animated music video to further entice listeners with their modern twist on a classic NOLA sound.

In the video, we follow Matthew Duane Bartels and his cartoon cohorts on a smoke-hazed journey through the hauntingly historic Big Easy. Their mission is simple: get to the show on time.

What’s not so simple is fending off the alien abductions.

Much like their musical stylings, the video takes us through the ins and outs of the city, though the historic French Quarter and animated homages to local artists are no match for the alien captors that yank the band into space, as they get duped into walking aboard their spaceship. Instead, the initially reluctant (and stoned) band must perform for the martians of the galaxy and street stragglers that got sucked up along the way. As the song ends with a swell of horns, aliens and audience members alike get down with the band’s funky, electric musical stylings, and cartoonish fun is had by all.

Bartels joined forces with Matthieu (drums), Colin Provensal (bass/keys), Nick Ferreirae, (sax), David Ginger (trombone), Jonathan Rizner (trumpet), and John Marcey (guitar) back in 2016, when he made the move from California to New Orleans. The group has since been making a name for themselves around local New Orleans bars and others across the South, before hunkering down in the studio for the latter half of 2021. 

“Waiting” offers a kind of microcosm for the band’s sound, which draws influence from the likes of Dr. John, The Meters, and Allen Touissant among others. They pull you in with unique vocals and poetic musings on relationships, and keep you hooked with a swelling rhythm and breakdown of horns. 

Their fun-filled animated video was put together by Cut Dat Out Productions; Tommy LeBlanc, Ceasar Meadows, and Stylo Moniker. The song and the upcoming record were recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Grammy award-winning producer, Justin Armstrong (Dave Matthews Band, Death Cab For Cutie, Deftones).

Their LP, Electric Baby Carriage, is slated for a late winter/early spring release, and it’s safe to assume that The Duane Bartels Band will continue to bring their audience an out of this world experience.