Meg Duffy

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For those of the same or a similar name, see Megan Duffy (disambiguation).

Meg Duffy
Meg Duffy (center) performing with Hand Habits at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK in 2019
Meg Duffy (center) performing with Hand Habits at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK in 2019
Background information
BornAmsterdam, New York
GenresFolk, indie folk, indie-rock
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsGuitar, Slide Guitar, Piano, Bass
Years active2013–present
LabelsWoodsist Records, Saddle Creek
Associated actsHand Habits, Kevin Morby, William Tyler, The War on Drugs, Amber Arcades, Mega Bog
Websitehandhabits.bandcamp.com

Meg Duffy is an American musician and guitarist who has played as a studio musician on records by The War on Drugs, Weyes Blood, and William Tyler, among others. Duffy was also a member of Kevin Morby's live band, and is the sole member of indie-rock band Hand Habits.[1] Duffy's Hand Habits project has been compared to Angel Olsen and Big Thief.[2]

Background[]

Duffy is originally from Amsterdam, New York, and first started playing guitar at 17, although they had played drums since 5th grade.[3] After graduating from high school, Duffy attended Schenectady County Community College for guitar performance.[3] After graduating from college they briefly relocated to Albany, New York, prior to joining Morby's band in Los Angeles, California.[3] Duffy uses non-binary gender-neutral pronouns.[4]

Session work[]

Duffy is credited on a number of albums as a session musician. They played a slide guitar solo on "Holding On" off The War on Drugs' Grammy-winning album A Deeper Understanding,[5] and in 2019 they played on William Tyler's instrumental album Goes West.[6] Duffy contributed guitar, slide guitar, and bass on the albums Fading Lines (2016) and European Heartbreak (2018) by Dutch artist Amber Arcades.[7][8] Duffy played slide guitar on "Seven Words," a 2016 track from the album Front Row Seat to Earth by Weyes Blood.[9] Duffy appeared on Mega Bog's albums Happy Together (2017) and Dolphine (2019).[10][11] Duffy was a regular member of indie rock musician Kevin Morby's live band from 2015 to 2018, and played guitar, piano, and bass on his 2017 album City Music.[12] Duffy collaborated with music Jenn Wasner on Wasner's second album as "Flock of Dimes," Head of Roses.[13]

Equipment[]

Duffy plays a Fender Lone Star Stratocaster with a rosewood fretboard.[14] The guitar is set up with Seymour Duncan pickups in a HSS configuration (a single coil at the neck position, a single coil in the middle position and a humbucker at the bridge position.[14]), also known as a “fat strat”.

Hand Habits[]

Duffy is the founder, primary songwriter, and only permanent member of the Los Angeles-based band Hand Habits.[15] Their first release as Hand Habits was a 2012 split record titled Small Shifts (included as part of the pinky demos).[16] On September 25, 2015, Hand Habits released double EPs titled This Sounds Like Nothing Tonight and This Sounds Like Nothing Before.[17][18] Their first full length record Wildly Idle (Humble Before the Void) was released by Woodsist Records in 2017.[19] Wildy Idle was self-produced by Duffy and recorded partially in Saugerties, New York and partially at their home in Highland Park.[14] Kevin Morby said about the album: "Wildly Idle feels incredibly intimate, like a secret between her and the listener. It hits soft, like warm water, and before you know it it is all around you – a bath, and Meg's whisper has made its way inside you."[20] In reviewing the album for Pitchfork, Quinn Moreland wrote: "Duffy sings of romances come and gone without ever sounding jaded or spiteful; future love promises a mystery, a sensuality that’s open like the road."[19]

On March 1, 2019 Hand Habits released their second studio album, placeholder, produced by Brad Cook in Justin Vernon's Wisconsin studio.[21][22] Duffy stated that the songs on placeholder "are about accountability and forgiveness .... These are all real stories. I don't fictionalize much."[2]

In 2020, Hand Habits released singles "Pictures of Flowers," a collaboration with Jess Williamson,[23][24] and "Comfortable," a collaboration with Ryan Hemsworth.[25][26] They released their EP dirt in February 2021,[27] and in June of that same year, they released the singles "motherless" and "no reply," produced by Luke Temple and Jeremy Harris. [28]

Duffy's collaborative project with producer Joel Ford, "yes/and," debuted with a self-titled album in July 2021.[29][30][31] In August 2021, Hand Habits announced their upcoming album Fun House, and released the first single "Aquamarine."[32][33]

Discography (as Hand Habits)[]

LP[]

  • Wildly Idle (Humble Before the Void) (2017)
  • placeholder (2019)
  • yes/and (2021) (collaboration with Joel Ford)
  • Fun House (2021)

EP[]

  • pinky demos (2012)
  • Small Shifts (2014)
  • This Sounds Nothing Like Tonight (2015)
  • This Sounds Nothing Like Before (2015)
  • Dirt (2021)[27]

Singles[]

  • Yr Heart (2017)
  • Pictures of Flowers (2020) (collaboration with Jess Williamson)
  • Comfortable(2020) (collaboration with Ryan Hemsworth)
  • 4th of July (2021)
  • motherless (2021)
  • no reply (2021)
  • aquamarine (2021)

Live albums[]

  • Audiotree Live (2017)

References[]

  1. ^ "Hand Habits' Meg Duffy Is Your Favorite Indie Rocker's Favorite Guitarist". Pitchfork. March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Creek, Saddle. "placeholder". Saddle Creek. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Lomberg, Cory (January 11, 2017). "If You Like Being Chill, You'll Love This Band Guitarist Meg Duffy Started". Noisey. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  4. ^ "Meg Duffy of Hand Habits Embraces the Undefinable". FLOOD. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  5. ^ Listen to 'Holding On' by The War on Drugs, retrieved March 7, 2019
  6. ^ "William Tyler: Goes West". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  7. ^ "Fading Lines – Amber Arcades | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  8. ^ "European Heartbreak – Amber Arcades | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  9. ^ "Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  10. ^ Moreland, Quinn (February 6, 2017). "Mega Bog: Happy Together". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  11. ^ Moreland, Quinn (July 3, 2019). "Mega Bog: Dolphine". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  12. ^ "City Music – Kevin Morby | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  13. ^ ""Album Review: Flock of Dimes, 'Head of Roses'"". April 8, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c March 28, Adam Perlmutter; 2017 (March 28, 2017). "Hand Habits' Meg Duffy: Guitar Poetry". premierguitar.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "Hand Habits". Hand Habits. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  16. ^ "Small Shifts, by Hand Habits". Hand Habits. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  17. ^ "This Sounds Nothing Like Before, by Hand Habits". Hand Habits. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  18. ^ "This Sounds Nothing Like Tonight, by Hand Habits". Hand Habits. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Hand Habits: Wildly Idle (Humble Before the Void)". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  20. ^ "Wildly Idle (Humble Before The Void), by Hand Habits". Hand Habits. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  21. ^ "Hand Habits: placeholder". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  22. ^ Sandstrom, Adelaide (February 21, 2019). "Hand Habits Makes Its Most Fully-Realized Statement on 'Placeholder'". NPR. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  23. ^ Schmidtke, Aaron (June 26, 2020). "Jess Williamson and Hand Habits unite on "Pictures of Flowers"". Earmilk. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  24. ^ Pikus, Lia (June 24, 2020). "Jess Williamson Shares New Song "Pictures of Flowers" Feat. Hand Habits". Paste Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  25. ^ Breihan, Tom (November 12, 2020). "Quarter-Life Crisis – "Comfortable" (Feat. Hand Habits)". Stereogum. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  26. ^ Gregory, Allie (November 12, 2020). "Ryan Hemsworth's Quarter-Life Crisis Shares Hand Habits Collaboration "Comfortable"". Exclaim!. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Gallagher, Alex (January 19, 2021). "Hand Habits announces new EP 'dirt', shares lead single". NME. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  28. ^ Pearis, Bill (June 14, 2021). "Listen to Hand Habits' new single: "motherless" & "no reply"". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  29. ^ Rettig, James (April 23, 2021). "Yes/And – "Ugly Orange" & "Centered Shell"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  30. ^ "Meg Duffy (Hand Habits) and Joel Ford Are Casually Methodical". Talkhouse. July 22, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  31. ^ Bloom, Madison (April 23, 2021). "Hand Habits and Joel Ford Form New Project Yes/And, Share Songs: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  32. ^ Leas, Ryan (August 3, 2021). "Hand Habits – "Aquamarine"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  33. ^ Blistein, Jon (August 3, 2021). "Hand Habits Preview New Album With Tender Dancefloor Tune 'Aquamarine'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
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