Blaine Dillinger, a man of multiple talents, is best known for his reggae rock role in HIRIE and former roles like Clear Conscience, Shrub, among others. What fans of the reggae rock genre don’t know is that Dillinger’s background ranges from reggae to prog rock to funk to his jazz guitar degree he attained from Ohio State University. Many hats, this man wears. Of late, Dillinger has buckled down on his solo moniker, Dillinger’s Hired Guns — an ongoing side project that began over seven years ago between touring gigs.
… “Witchduck” emphasizes Dillinger’s capabilities beyond the reggae boundaries he has been confined to within the public eye for so long.
That said, Dillinger has yet to grace his fans with new music entirely of his own since 2013, making this world premiere all the more special — only available today on Top Shelf! The track is titled “WitchDuck”, an instrumental journey of transformation, the triumph of good over evil. From the first guitar notes, you are introduced to a mixture of sound transcending multiple genres; it’s a metaphor for a creature misunderstood from the start. A witch and a duck: two seemingly unrelated mammals, one from the mystical realm, the other of the ordinary. Put together, we have a twisting narrative, a cathartic vortex at the bridge and an extremely satisfying conclusion. With all instruments recorded and tracked by Dillinger (with the exception of HIRIE homeboy Matt Benoit on drums), “Witchduck” emphasizes Dillinger’s capabilities beyond the reggae boundaries he has been confined to within the public eye for so long.
Dillinger further employs violinist Jamie Shadowlight and HIRIE hired hand Jason J for the single’s artwork, allowing Jason J fans to see yet another side of the multi-faceted musician! It was a team effort, all-around. Dillinger comments that several more prog rock instrumentals are headed our way, possibly even leading to an EP later on this year. Regardless, Blaine Dillinger is growing in his music and ready to show the world. For more information, visit the links below and be the first to tune into “Witchduck”, hitting all digital outlets Friday, April 10th.
Exclusive world premiere of Dillinger’s Hired Guns “Witchduck” single:
Cover photo by Josué Rivas
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