Meet Duane Bartels | Musician/Songwriter/Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Duane Bartels and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Duane, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Creating music and bringing joy to those that hear it. That moment when you are playing a gig and someone in the crowd is dancing or vibing or just simply connecting with your music, thats what makes it all worth it. It’s what live music is about and why any musician does what they do. You play music cause it makes you happy, relaxes you, soothes you and then you give that feeling back to others. Not everyone has the ability to create music and it’s our job as musicians to bring that joy to others.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a professional musician, singer and guitarist in New Orleans. That’s not something everyone can say. Many times I don’t give myself enough credit because i’m always striving to get to the next step. but it is something to be proud of. I play music and make money doing it 4 to 5 nights a week, sometimes more. That includes playing for my band, the Andre Lovett Band and others. I’m excited about other opportunities out there for me once our record is released. Just getting it out there is exciting enough, but I feel with every release there is something waiting around the corner for you.

Failure. I got where I am today because of failing. I screwed up my life and built it back better. I learned personally and professionally what my weaknesses were and how to adapt to them. I know it sounds counterintuitive but it’s the only way to learn, the only way to grow. You have to get out there and screw up. It wasn’t easy and it hurt quite a bit but I always knew I could push through. I got back out there and did it again. Even on the days you feel hopeless and dejected you have to do something. Doesn’t matter what the medium is, you just have to keep going even in the smallest way. For me, with music, you know, if I’m feeling bad about a gig or where things are going I’ll learn a new song, I’ll try and book a new gig, run my scales. Even just changing my strings. It just keeps you in the right mindset.

I want people to know that I’ve changed for the better. I spent a lot of time being this dejected musician/songwriter, feeling bitter, jealous, depressed. That led to abuse in many forms. Recently I’ve stopped drinking, it’s been seven months now. I stopped staying out late and doing nothing with myself then feeling bad about it and wallowing in pity the next day. Years and years of meditation, therapy, yoga, and just being aware of who I am and what I need has shaped me for the better and I’m still changing. There is a Buddisht saying “Happiness is not the destination, it’s the journey.” I very much think that’s true. It’s a constant evolution that probably won’t end till the day I die. But the important thing is that you move forward and not backwards.

I’m trying to tell my story and let people know that you can change for the best and create while doing it. I want to spread that indescribable feeling you get when you are in the middle of a solo or really feeling the story you’re telling with your voice.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a loaded question. Unbeknownst to y’all I was a tour guide in New Orleans for the past three years, so this is stuff I used to get paid for haha. Actually I still am. These days I write tours and blog articles for US Ghost Adventures and their sister company Junket. Y’all can get it for free this time though.

It’s a small city with a lot to do. A lot of people don’t get past the French Quarter. Which is fine. The Quarter is great, but there is just so much out there. So many great places to see all kinds of great music. The food is next level and I’m not even talking Creole/Cajun, we got a whole lot more going on here. For example there is a great Vietnamese place Uptown called Le’s Baguette I frequent quite often.

In terms of music, it just depends on what you want. Of course there is Frenchman Street. That has become a second home for me. I used to work there at a bar called Bamboulas, now I’m playing it multiple nights a week. Apple Barrel is one of my favorite places. A very small, intimate dive bar with a great sound. Spotted Cat is THE place to see Traditional Jazz. But really if you just go walk around there long enough you’ll see all kinds of music. Funk, soul, brass, rock, reggae. 21st Amendment in the Quarter is another great place to see music in an intimate setting. While you’re over there go to the Erin Rose. Even though I don’t drink anymore i’ll still stop by to say hello. That was my home bar in New Orleans for many years and are still great friends of mine. Very fun dive bar and for great Irish Iced Coffees.

Uptown there is Les Bons Temps Roulez. It’s pretty far up on Magazine for most people visiting New Orleans but that’s a fantastic little bar. The Howlin Wolf in the CBD is another little family for me. I work there every once in a while between gigs and they have a great large room. I worked  the Parliment Funkadelic there not too long ago. Devin The Dude was just there. Lots of comedians come in. It’s a pretty magical spot.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Justin Armstrong. He has been our producer, sound engineer and just straight up a good friend for the last two years. We have been working on our sophomore record with him all this time and he has taught me and the band a lot about what goes into a good, professionally sounding record. We go to his house in Slidell, hang out, BBQ, smoke, drink and just have a good time and then we get to the music. His dogma on recording is very zen and it really plays out for the best. Justin has worked with a bunch of great, successful artists and has a lot of experience doing what he’s doing. He did a lot of Dave Matthew’s records, Death Cab For Cutie, he’s even worked with big pop names like Kesha and Macklemore. But he remains very humble about it which speaks a lot on his character. On top of all that his home got wrecked during Ida and has been pushing through it despite the destruction. We had many complications during covid and we’ve all been through a lot together in the process of creating this record. It has been hard but experiences like that really brings people together and has made the finished project all that more special.

There is a lot to be learned from him and I don’t think we’d have the confidence in our record the way we do without him. Love ya buddy!

Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jxVHvB4bXOrsOB5z6McDt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duane_bartels_band/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DuaneBartelsBand/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkt67dQff-TRH-JeMtyRobQ

Image Credits
Photos: Joshua Taylor Shannon Elizabeth Kirk Lindsey Sides Logo/Record Cover: Fox Capone