Are They Ready To Join Rock Royalty Yet?

By Joe Kavanagh

He has been referred to as 'a piano-tinkling heartbreaker, who makes fantastic music with one eye on the future and one on the past' and has even been credited with forming his own sub-genre, known as 'baroque n' roll.' His theatrical stage show and cinematic songs have been winning fans and famous admirers for the past five years, drawing favorable comparisons to names like Rufus Wainwright and even Tom Waits. After almost a decade spent plugging away in various musical guises, Belfast's Duke Special now looks certain to move from the realm of 'best kept local secret' to the distinguished heights of the European music world and beyond, as his career continues to gain momentum through a potent mix of steely determination and undeniable songwriting talent.

Peter Wilson (a.k.a. Duke Special) was not so much raised on music, as born into it. By the time he could walk, he and his three sisters were being sent for piano lessons with their music teacher grandmother and were soon showing off their skills at local churches and community centers. Although compulsory in the Wilson household, he soon discovered an abiding affection and would later confess: 'My most favorite thing was to sit in the dark, playing the piano. Music was all I wanted to do.' When not out performing in public, he was content to sit at home playing along with his sisters' record collections, which included such songwriters as Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson and even Rolf Harris's Two Little Boys. It was also during his youth that the he developed an interest in all things old fashioned including comedies such as those of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, which would provide inspiration for his live shows later on in his career.

Upon leaving school, Wilson became involved in the local band scene, spending time with acts named65dBA, Booley House and Benzine Headset, before realizing that the band option 'just wasn't where I wanted to go.' He began writing his own songs but was deeply aware of most people's perception of such singer/songwriters and 'wanted to find a way to play the piano and sing that didn't... sound like Elton John or Billy Joel.' After playing a few of his tracks to his friends, he was dismayed when they insisted on comparing his compositions with songs from musicals, but this worry dissipated when he realized that a good songwriter cannot force himself to write in any particular genre if he is to compose with any conviction. He also recognized that this form of music was in perfect keeping with his love of all things old-fashioned and concentrated on writing songs that were 'old, timeless and classical.'

As he began recording his first EP, Wilson realized that he would need a moniker and began searching through books and websites chronicling the old vaudeville days, from where he was increasingly taking his inspiration. The name 'Duke' kept popping up again and again amongst the lists of stars from the era and he settled on the surname, simply because it was a good fit with his new handle. He also looked to vaudeville as an inspiration for his stage act because - in a nod to days gone by - he wanted 'the audience to experience something theatrical and larger than life.' In an effort to create a visual separation from the tired old perception of a piano playing minstrel, he began to cultivate a stage look that he refers to as 'hobo-chic', which includes dreadlocks, flamboyant clothing and even eyeliner, the latter added after an audience member threw some on stage one night and Wilson decided to put some on 'for a laugh.' Completing his transformation he also chose to include a host of other active props such as a huge old-style gramophone to play backing-tracks, an ancient radio and even decided to drape his piano in velvet. On any given night, you are also likely to see Duke Special and his coterie use anything from a whisk and cheese grater for percussion to a bizarre instrument known as a Stumpf fiddle.

Of course, all of these visual trimmings would mean little without the music to back them up and the Belfast man has built a devoted following throughout Europe with a sound that takes its muse from acts such as the aforementioned Wainwright, Magnetic Fields, Elliot Smith and Aimee Mann, as well as from Victorian era music and his penchant for all things vaudeville. By 2004, he was playing over 120 gigs a year and had toured Europe with acts as diverse as John Power (The La's, Cast), Paddy Casey, Aqualung and the Rufus Wainwright, who - along with Jack White and The Hives - became one of Duke Special's most vocal admirers. By 2005 he had recorded two EPs, (Lucky Me, My Villain Heart), which went on to sell over 6,000 copies, despite the fact that they were only available to purchase at live shows. Such sales soon got the attention of Indie label, Hag Records, who were sufficiently impressed to release his debut album largely culled from the two EPs titled, Songs From A Deep Forest, which hit shelves in Ireland and the UK in October of 2005 and proved an immediate hit with critics on both sides of the Irish Sea. By year's end Duke Special made a rapturous homecoming and - incredibly - was able to sell out two consecutive nights in Belfast's Empire Theater, almost entirely on word of mouth and without a major record deal. He even garnered a nomination for Ireland's inaugural Choice Music Prize, which was eventually won by Galway's Julie Feeney in January of last year.

As his profile grew, he was soon playing showcases in the UK and Ireland with a heavy industry attendance in the crowd and it came as little surprise when V2 finally bit the bullet and gave this intriguing prospect a long-term recording contract in April 2006. Given the vastly superior recording budget now afforded him and the fact that his debut album had received only a limited release, label bosses encouraged him to rework some of his earlier songs and allow them reach their full potential, in addition to adding new material for his major label debut. The resulting album, Victory For The Comic Muse (Adventures In Gramophone) appeared in October of last year and has been gaining traction and admirers ever since with its subtle combination of nuance and guile, most notably a slew of backers in the European music media. In January he was once again nominated for the Music Choice Award, only to be defeated by the Divine Comedy's Victory For The Comic Muse, in a result that many saw as nothing short of larceny, given the fact that Duke Special was the overwhelming favorite of both the media and bookmakers. It has mattered little though in a career sense as Wilson now stands on the edge of household recognition in the UK and recently saw his first-sell out tour there. His latest single, Last Night I Nearly Died, has received airplay throughout Europe and hopes are high that a breakthrough into international stardom is just around the corner.

With his course to success seemingly assured in Europe, it can only be a matter of time before his mascara-painted eyes turn towards the other side of the Atlantic.