Figgy Duff
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Founder | Noel Dinn |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Newfoundland , Canada |
| Products | Albums, live performances |
Figgy Duff was a folk-rock ensemble originating from Newfoundland, Canada, recognized for their influential contribution to the province's cultural revival during the 1970s and 1980s. Established in 1976 by Noel Dinn, who chose the group's name inspired by a traditional pudding, Figgy Duff toured extensively across Newfoundland, reinterpreting classic songs by infusing them with rock influences.
The band’s distinctive “trad-rock” style emerged through significant inspiration from ethnomusicologist Kenneth Peacock’s 1965 three-volume work Songs of the Newfoundland Outports, merging rock music with traditional folk tunes of anonymous origin.
Although initially affiliated with Island Records, their planned album release did not materialize. Consequently, they independently launched their self-titled debut album Figgy Duff in 1980, which was also distributed by Ottawa-based Posterity Records. This was succeeded by the 1982 release After the Tempest.
Throughout the following thirteen years, Figgy Duff maintained an active touring schedule and produced three additional albums: Weather Out the Storm (1989), Downstream (1993), and a compilation titled Retrospective (1995).
Despite various personnel changes over time, founding members Noel Dinn and vocalist-songwriter Pamela Morgan remained integral to the band’s identity. The album Weather Out the Storm garnered a nomination for a Juno Award in 1991. Following Dinn’s passing due to cancer in 1993, Morgan decided to dissolve Figgy Duff.
The group reunited on three separate occasions: in 1999 for a 25th anniversary tour, in 2008 to support a live recordings release, and again in 2016 at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, featuring accordionist Aaron Collis.
Discography
- 1980: Figgy Duff
- 1982: After the Tempest
- 1989: Weather Out the Storm
- 1993: Downstream
- 1995: Retrospective
- 2008: Figgy Duff Live Silver Reunion