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BIO
"A first-rate Cajun and Country band" -- New York Times
In an ideal world, country radio would sound more like the Doc Marshalls. With influences ranging from traditionalists such as Buck Owens and Johnny Cash to innovators like Gram Parsons and Dwight Yoakam, this New York City-based five-piece delivers an honest, unflinching honky tonk sound. Not content to remain within the confines of a typical roots band, they also boast a raucous set of Cajun breakdowns and Zydeco shuffles.
Led by Texas-raised Acadian Nick Beaudoing (pronounced "BEAU-dwin"), the Doc Marshalls have forged a reputation for wildly energetic live shows. Anchored by the fiddling chops of Mat Kane and the breakneck accompaniment of Beaudoing's Cajun accordion, their unique Louisiana grooves have infiltrated the halls of countless alternative rock venues where roots music is seldom heard. Whether performing Bakersfield-style shuffles or traditional Cajun French two-steps, they are determined to make converts of even the most country-shy souls.
Their debut album, "No Kind of Life" (2005), was warmly received by roots radio, spending over a month in the Americana Top 40. Their followup CD, Honest for Once (2008), brazenly surpassed this feat, making a rapid ascent to 19 and earning a spot among the Americana Music Association’s Top 100 albums of the year. They were quick to capitalize on the buzz, touring everywhere from Texas and Louisiana dance halls, to New York’s indie rock clubs as well as countless festivals, listening rooms, and urban roadhouses in between.
Comprised entirely of originals, Honest for Once evokes a humid musical landscape along the Texas-Louisiana border, a place where the influence of George Jones sits comfortably alongside the storytelling of Townes Van Zandt and the rhythms of Cajun stalwarts such as the Balfa Brothers. Expect a healthy dose of dirty Cajun stomps, raw honky-tonk, and guest appearances by the likes of Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (Steve Earle).
PRESS: "It’s a damn shame that a band this good is self-releasing their albums. The Brooklyn-based Marshalls are Americana’s greatest unknown band, mixing accordion-heavy Cajun music with Parsons-esque alt-country to create a sound both unique and infectious." The 9513.com "On their second record, Honest for Once, the band moves seamlessly from tear-in-beer honky tonk to Flying Burrito Brothersesque alt-country to raucous Cajun dancehall tunes that make damn near every other country record released in 2008 pale in comparison." -- Pop Matters "This is country. Not bluegrass, not old-timey, not Kenny Chesney, just good ol’ country music." Revue Magazine "Well-executed, frenetic Cajun music that will thrill fans of the genre as well as the yet to be converted" -- New York Magazine "It's hard to believe that the Doc Marshalls haven't been signed to a record deal, but maybe it's just as well. I don't know what a record label could have done to improve on their second release, Honest for Once" -- Freight Train Boogie
