Union Duke is a Toronto folk act that bridges big-city rock with bluegrass and country, defined by their entwining rambling banjos, soaring vocal harmonies, chicken-pickin’ electric guitars and a fast driving, heel-stomping beat.

The three original members, Matt, Ethan, and Jim, were drawn together by their teenage hooliganism, skipping class to play music on battered instruments in an old workshop basement. It wasn’t long before they were sneaking into bars around the Toronto circuit to play shows at the age of 13. They picked up Will and Rob, natives of Port Hope and Red Deer respectively, and since then their rough and rowdy dynamic has continued to thrive, on and off the stage.

Union Duke has shared the stage with Elliot Brood in Halifax and played a number of festivals including NXNE, Burlington Sound of Music, Lupercalia, Halifax Urban Folk Festival, Bloor Ossington Folk Festival, and Pitter-Patter. Since then, they have been working hard on their latest album. Recorded in a shotgun shack secluded on the shores of Lake Ontario, Bandits & Bridges captures the voracious energy and unrefined, unrestrained performance that encompasses their live show.

Union Duke are five guys, 24 beers, and a half-ton truckload of foot stomping folk rock.