The Woodford Files - Dubmarine

With their debut album recently released, and launched to a sell-out crowd at The Zoo in Brisbane, it has without doubt been Dubmarine's year. As part of our Woodford Folk Festival wind-up, we look back over some of the highlights.

There are bands that work hard and produce superb music with little recognition. There are bands that receive media recognition without the hard work, or the great music. Fortunately, in Dubmarine, we see a band that scores a complete trifecta: they work hard; they produce sonically splendid sound with deep bass and infectious beats, and the tide is just starting to turn on the recognition. With ever-increasing pace, the Dubmarine is surfacing: and their Woodford appearances top off a big year for these mariners.

 Releasing their first single Chip towards the end of 2009, Dubmarine received good support from community radio stations such as 4ZZZ (Brisbane), PBS (Melbourne), 3RRR (Melbourne) and FBi (Sydney). With the tide starting to swell at home, Dubmarine headed out to European shores mid-year, taking in Amsterdam Roots Festival (Netherlands), Mundial Festival (Netherlands), Colours of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Alstadtfest (Germany), and the Afro Latino Festival (Belgium). However, the voyage was not without its surprises: being far from home, the band were buoyed to hear the words of their own songs coming back from the mouths of thousands at Colours of Ostrava. Little did they realise that Youtube and the festival’s own PR had already got the word out, and Dubmarine were already a strong presence on the European sonar.

Often joined by friends on stage (and boy, do they keep good company), Dubmarine are fronted by D-Kazman and Cat Walker, with Joel Alexander on synths, Jeremie Agabbo on guitar, the dual trombones of Nick Torpy and Mikael Strand, Wayne Katz on drums, Paul Donehue on electronic drums and Mr Dubs himself, Paul Watson bringing that deep bass sound.

Dubmarine topped off the year with a nomination at the Deadlys for Best Band of 2010, and sold out The Zoo for the launch of their Depth of Sound debut album. With four shows at Woodford, including the coveted New Years Eve spot on the First Nations stage, it looks like Dubmarine will be starting 2011 with a legion of new fans. As they should.

TUES The Grande 12.30AM

WED First Nations 12.00AM

FRI First Nations 11.35PM

SAT Bazaar 11.45PM

Check out some of Dubmarine's European festival appearances, and their track 'Pon the Dancefloor' here: