Meet Damon Duster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Damon Duster.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
We all grew up on music is some form or fashion. My Mom was a Flower Child from the 60’s, and my Dad marched to his own drum as a freewheeling entrepreneur. My Dad passed away when I was a baby so never really knew him. Learned years later that his favorites bands were Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin. My mother loved to dance and music in general. She took me to my first concert when I was a kid to see Fleetwood Mac at the Us Festival in Glen Helen. Fast forward to my teen years I would carry on the concert-going with Alice In Chains with long hair, Metallic Metallica tour, Van Halen, the first Ozzfest, second Lollapalooza, and a ton of other punk, ska, and house shows in the ’90’s. Concert going continues till this day. My best friend in the late 90’s was in a bunch of local bands and did some local shows with Sublime, No Doubt, and some others but eventually moved towards Industrial Music and Moved to Seattle. His taste in music broadened mine, and I now have a pretty eclectic taste in music.

I joined the Army shortly after his death and recently got out last February. For 15 years in the Army, I lived in Florida, Texas, a few deployments to Afghanistan and travels all over the world, and back here in California. In fact, my labels first release is with a band I had met in Austin, TX in 2014 during Ty Segall’s Spider House Rager. I’d kept in contact with Jed from Zig-Zags ever since, and when I moved to California, I asked if he was still interested in putting our his live recording on vinyl. He was down to do it, and in 2017 I released Live On KXLU 88.9 2xLP with Randy Etching along with some super limited and fun stuff. The rest is history. Now the label is on its 15th release and counting in less than a year. Our year Anniversary for NER-001 release is next month on 18 October! Time flies when you are having fun!

Please tell us about your art.
I love art and music, and most of the times they go hand in hand. All of the bands on my label are bands I like…I even created a Spotify and Soundcloud folders called “bands on Nomad Eel Records,” and I listen to them every time I’m driving in my truck or working on my laptop! I have an eclectic taste, so that will reflect on the diversity of bands on my label so far! One of the things I love about having a label is all the connections made through the bands. Zig-Zags, for instance, recommended me to Imaad Wasif which is the labels 10th release coming out next month! My second release has some amazing cover art done for it. That Artist and I are in the works to put out an Art Book soon.

One of the bands on my label I grew up on as a teenager in the Inland Empire. I reached out to the band about doing their CD only release onto vinyl. They said yes, and I couldn’t have been happier! So now, The Skeletones – Bump is released on vinyl for the first time! Through that connection, one of the band members has a son that I will be putting out in the near future called The Mirror. Life, in general, is all about connections, hence, my label motto “….where the music takes you!” I hope that people would take away from the bands and their music a sense of being human and enjoying the ride life has in store.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
The market is absolutely saturated with bands and talent which is a good thing! There is absolutely no shortage of bands, and in a short period of time a lot of Record Labels have popped up to include mine as a response. As my label and family of bands grows, I hope it will foster a community of art and music that I can pass on to my family and kids and the bands family and kids! Perhaps a lofty expectation but I think it can be accomplished. I’d like to think of my label as the “Parent,” and as all parents, they want to see their “children” become successful! I hope that “our’ label gives the bands the opportunity to take them to the next level and have them continue to do what they all love some much! Ultimately, we are happiest doing what we love!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I have always supported other independent labels (too many to list, maybe at the end) and the bands they bring to light through vinyl records, but mostly it’s about supporting the artist so they can keep doing what they love and at the same time keep the audience engaged with great music! All of the bands on my label are struggling Artists. Some more so than others, but all struggling none the less to make a living with their given talent that they love so much! So to answer the question, how can people support my work…I’d say support the bands on my label because they are the one putting in the hard work! They are the ones making the music, putting up and down their equipment between each show or gig. I am always dumbfounded how talented all the musicians on my label are. I wish I had an inkling of that talent, but I don’t, so I do the next best thing and support the bands through my label. Indie labels that inspired/mentored/supported/built relationships with Grimtale Records, Philthy Phonographic Records, Velocity Of Sound, Fat Elvis Records, Jett Plastic Recordings, Romanus Records, Greenway Records, Burger Records…sure I’m missing a few!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nomadeelrecords.bandcamp.com
• Email: duperman25@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomadeelrecords/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomadeelrecords
• Twitter: @NomadEeelRecords
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/user/w8z7yn7w6v83vemwfe44rv3d7/playlist/5zkbeOjP7K16i8lic4CzyC?si=pluOXY5iRle6_za2e-iqag

Image Credit:
Logo’s by David Guiles, Eric Von Munz, John Le, Brian Sloan, Sun An, and Matt Adams

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