by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
What: The Secret Handshake with Family Force 5 and Jonzetta.
Where: The Murray Hill Theatre at 932 Edgewood Avenue
When: Friday, November 16 at 8 pm
Luis Dubuc is standing on the edge of greatness. His one-man music project The Secret Handshake, which humbly began three short years ago in his bedroom in Dallas, Texas, is causing a stir within with in the electro-pop scene. The Secret Handshake's first full-length record One Full Year is scoring high with critics and even higher with the folks who have been following the solo phenom's journey from playing in basements to rocking clubs across the nation. EU caught up with Luis while on the road with Family Force 5 and Jonzetta for the "Dance, RawR, Dance" tour.
EU: How long have you been making music?
Luis Dubuc: Probably for about 5 years. I originally started playing drums and then about three years ago I got a keyboard and started making The Secret Handshake.
EU: When did you discover this is what you want to do?
LD: I don't know, I think it was the first time I went on tour. I was like "OK, this is awesome" and the people really liked it and that's when I was like "OK, this rules."
EU: Tell me about your time as a drummer. Who did you play for?
LD: It was a silly band. Everyone has teen bands.
EU: It was a metal band, right?
LU: Yeah, yeah, so it was kind of funny and of the time. I definitely grew out of it… it was fun while it lasted but I was definitely happy to do my own thing.
EU: How would you describe The Secret Handshake to someone who hasn't heard your stuff before?
LD: I don't know, I usually say it sounds kind of like Cher… It's really just pop music.
EU: What's your song-writing process?
LD: Whenever I'm making a song usually the beat [comes first]. I'll sit there with a drum pad and just make the beat… All the music comes together first and then usually if I like it I'll do vocals and lyrics and the whole thing.
EU: You got signed relatively quickly. What was that like?
LD: I think that might be the perception. A lot of people don't know that I toured for two years before I ever got signed… It [was] really under the radar, real DIY, basements, in people's houses and just real crap. I kind of cut my teeth on that.
EU: Those are the fun shows.
LD: Yeah, they were really weird. It was cool. It was fun and weird and really just over the place. I think when the Triple Crown thing [The Secret Handshake's deal with Triple Crown Records] happened it was kind of like, "Oh, who's this new artist?" I was kind of like, "I've been around forever."
EU: Your record One Full Year dropped in September. What's been the reaction?
LD: So far it's been really good. I think people are really into it. I think a lot of people had me pegged as really one-dimensional or something and I think when they hear the record people are really into it… I've been trying to say since the beginning: "Don't judge it off of what you hear on MySpace or whatever." I think the record's a lot better.
EU: Speaking of records, what's the best album you've heard in 2007?
LD: The people in the car with me are going to make fun of me but I'm really into the new Kenna CD. I think I like that guy too much. He has a CD called Make Sure They See My Face... I think that CD's amazing.
EU: How does your live show differ from what we hear on the record?
LD: The live show has live drums, which on the record there's not a lot of live drums. The live show is really active, it's really interactive… There's a lot movement and it's a lot of fun. I think it's just like the new record. I think the new record can be really dance-y or it can be really chill. I think you can have your own impression of me from the record but I think even live it's a lot different.
EU: How did you get hooked up with Family Force 5 and Jonzetta?
LD: It was really random. I'd never met either of them and Family Force 5 hit me up. They were like, "Hey, we're big fans, would you like to come on tour with us?"… I toured with the band All Time Low and they said really great things about Family Force 5 and they were like, "They're really good guys, it's a really great tour and you're going to have lots of fun," so I said, "OK, perfect."
EU: How's the tour been going?
LD: It's been a really good tour, really awesome. The shows are packed. It's just nice to be on a good tour where everything just kind of fits and rolls together.
EU: It seems like you've been touring non-stop. What's that been like for you?
LD: It's pretty brutal. It's weird; we've been to the same cities three times now. It's different, it's neat, it's really weird sometimes, but overall it's good. You definitely get to see the progress. When you come through a city the first time its like no one knows who we are but the second time its more people and the third time there's even more people. That's definitely great.
EU: What's the hardest thing about being on tour?
LD: I need real food to eat, food that's not fast food. Were eating a lot of crap all the time and that's really the hardest part.
The Secret Handshake will perform this Friday at the Murray Hill Theatre with Family Force 5 and Jonzetta. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 the day of the show. For more info call (904) 388-7897 or visit murrayhilltheatre.com.
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