Q&A with Marvin Lee
I first heard of Kris Dugger when he was playing in local bands back in the day. I used to serve him food and drink during my tenure at Hogan’s Pub more than a decade ago and serve him now and again at Canter’s Inn, where I currently work. When I was living in San Jose, Calif., I saw from afar that he was in a band named Bridgewalker. I was glad to see he was still kickin’ out the jams. When Bridgewalker decided to call it quits, Dugger disappeared from the stage for a few years.
Well … he’s baaack and in a new band called Faith & Fable. We met up not too long ago at my humble abode and chatted about his musical history and where he is headed with his new project. ——— Marvin Lee: Alright Kris, let’s get to know you a bit. What brought you to the guitar and who are some of your biggest influences?
Kris Dugger: I grew up in a family that wasn’t music-oriented, and we had a friend of the family who had guitars. He was into a lot of the metal stuff. One day I heard “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne for the first time in my life. I thought, I don’t know what that is, but I need to learn how to reproduce it. I like a lot of different music. A little bit of classical guitar. I like a lot of raw, older country. From Prince to Randy Rhodes to the boys in Metallica to Dave Mustaine to some funk and some blues. I listen to a lot of different styles of music.
ML: Would you mind sharing your early bands with us? Also bring us up to date with your new band, Faith & Fable.
KD: Bridgewalker was a band I was in for about eight years. Before Bridgewalker, I was in a cover band around town called Jawbone. Mike Goodell from my current band, Faith & Fable, was drumming in Jawbone. Before Jawbone I was living in Seattle, and I played in a few bands over there. Cripple Threat was one of them. A local band I was in when I was 17 was called Eviction, and we used to play down at Night Lights (where Anthony’s Fitness is now located), and we were the house band playing all the ’80s and early ’90s metal hits for everyone back in those days. Faith & Fable is the band I’m in now with Mike Goodell on drums, Charity Goodell on vocals, and Andy Rosch on bass guitar. We’re a melodic metal band. Faith & Fable is by far the most productive band I’ve been in as far as songwriting, because everybody in the band writes. It’s great to have all the different angles and ideas that come into this band.
ML: Word on the street is Faith & Fable are recording at Khind Of Records. How is that panning out?
KD: I would say it’s the most awesome experience of my life, personally, and I would say the whole band has had a great time. Ryan Leonardson and Nathan Golla are just masters of what they do, and they are so fun to be around. They do a great job, and they really care about the music scene here in the (Lewiston-Clarkston) Valley. I just can’t say enough good stuff about them. I definitely recommend going to see Ryan and Nathan if you’re looking to do any recording. We are recording six original songs with them, and we’re going to hopefully have an EP out within a couple months or by the end of summer. The songs are pretty much completed. We got what we needed to get done in pretty much two sessions.
ML: Permanent markers or erasable markers?
KD: I think permanent. Why waste your time if you’re not gonna stand the test of it?
ML: Cashew or pistachio?
KD: Pistachio … the cocaine of nuts!
ML: What advice would you give someone who is wanting to get into playing music?
KD: Take the shoe salesman job at Sears. No, just kidding! Definitely just play with as many different musicians as you can. Get out and play live, like if there are any open mic nights. Get out and busk on the corner. Jam with your buddies. Just jam with everybody, because that is how you’re going to learn and grow. You’ve got to learn to accept that you’re never going to be the greatest of the great right out the gate. You have got to work for it.
———
I had a great time interviewing the laid-back and hilarious Kris Dugger. Faith & Fable doesn’t have any music online, but the band is performing Aug. 24 and Sept. 10 at The 3rd Wheel in Lewiston.
Get on out and support local, original music.
Lee is a musician and aspiring poet who resides in Lewiston. He can be contacted at marvin.lee@live.com.
