After leaving the up-and-coming band Fighter V in 2020 due to persistent vocal problems, Dave Niederberger underwent several operations on his vocal cords. In addition to the removal of benign cysts, Dave was found to have bilateral sulcus vocalis (vocal folds). 5 weeks speaking ban and then speech therapy were announced.

 

The future prospects for Dave did not seem bright when it came to singing. His vocal cords are simply not up to constant stress. A reorientation is probably the most sensible solution.

After 2 years of abstinence, Dave plucked up courage and decided against all odds to try again.

 

So, in the spring of 2022, Dave started doing what he always loved to do. Singing and writing songs. The acoustic guitar from before was still in the rehearsal room and he bought a piano from 1911 for a ridiculous price thanks to the seller not using it. The entire upcoming album was to be created on these two instruments over a period of a good 10 months.

 

The first vocal steps, quiet and primarily in the low register, were unusual. However, the vocal cords simply did not give up anymore. Every now and then he tried medium or even higher pitches. Setbacks and forced breaks were the result. Again and again, often frustratingly. In the summer of the same year, the problems became rarer and the mandatory breaks shorter. The voice gained power, volume and endurance.

 

This upward trend continued. The comeback followed in late summer 2022 with a 60-minute acoustic gig at the Uferfäscht in Hergiswil. Thanks to the positive feedback, Dave now regularly played acoustic shows in the area. This should prove to be a stroke of luck, as thanks to these commitments he was now able to finance the forthcoming album recordings. He was also simultaneously writing new material for his upcoming project and began looking for a recording studio and producer.

 

With a few demo songs under his belt, Dave was now looking for like-minded people for a new rock n' roll project. The band was complete by early 2023, 13 songs ready to record. During February and March, the songs were recorded in various sessions at Bazement Studios in Hessen, Germany. The shooting for the first music video followed in early March. After this unusually warm spring day on the set, the band name was clear. In the spring of 2023, the rock n roll band DAVE AND THE DUDES was formed in the village of Hergiswil (NW) in central Switzerland.

 

Shortly after receiving the first songs from the studio, the band signed a management deal with the German management and booking agency Brainstorm Music Marketing in spring 2023. A label and publishing deal with Rock Attack Records and Cargo Records followed.

 

The release date of the debut album by DAVE AND THE DUDES is September 29, 2023. The release will be preceded by 3 singles, the first single “Down For The Count” will be released in mid-May 2023. The release concert will begin on September 29, 2023 in the Schüür Lucerne a 4-week tour across Switzerland.

Dave Niederberger - vocals / guitar
Luca Frei - lead guitar
Dave Duss - drums
Manuel Wiget - bass