The Dogweeds

There’s something special that happens when a band forms with no grand plan or vision other than to enjoy playing music with each other. The Dogweeds originated when friends Jared Altura, Jamie Duncan, and Joan Wilson Rueter started having backyard jams in the lazy summer nights of 2022. A shared love of country music and improvisation, plus Duncan and Altura’s background in jazz, steered the trio towards the genre of Western Swing. After a handful of well-received performances and at the encouragement of friends and neighbors, the trio added longtime friends and collaborators Dawn Ellerbeck and Rosie Steffy into the mix and the band was born. 

The Dogweeds draw inspiration from the Western Swing dance bands of the 1930s and 40s, but with a modern take that is rooted firmly in the present. Blazing instrumentals and honest, soulful vocal harmonies meet dance-inspiring grooves in a sound that’s both unique and familiar. Genre bending originals add elements of country, jazz, blues, vintage pop, and folk, while dazzling new arrangements bring old classics and deep cuts back to life. 

Recorded at Boxer Lodge, their debut EP Honeymoon was released in October 2024.