Artist Spotlight: Fust’s "Big Ugly" & the Raw Poetry of Southern Songwriting

April 24th at Old City Hall – A Night of Gritty Elegance

This spring, Hush Puppy Music Co-op is honored to host Fust, the Durham, North Carolina band whose music feels like a weathered, dog-eared novel—full of small-town poetry, fried guitar tones, and stories that stick to your ribs. Fresh off the release of their critically adored album Big Ugly (March 2024), their April 24th show is a rare chance to witness Southern storytelling at its most raw and radiant.

Why Fust? A Band That Defies Easy Labels

• "One of the most fun rock records of the year" – Pitchfork on Genevieve (2023)

• "Gutsy, blue-collar Americana" – New Commute

• "Country-tinged folk-rock that probes like a short story" – KEXP

Their latest, Big Ugly, pushes their lyric-forward, loose-and-loud sound even further, with songwriter Aaron Dowdy weaving tales of Southern life that crackle with utopian hope and grittiness. Think Townes Van Zandt meets Pavement—or a Flannery O’Connor story set to a swaying, pedal-steel-laced groove.

The Magic of Their Live Show

Fust isn’t just a band; it’s a revolving collective of friends (including members of Sluice, Mipso, and The War on Drugs), and their live sets mirror the warmth and spontaneity of their recordings. Expect:

• Twangy, ramshackle guitar rock with fiddle accents (courtesy of Libby Rodenbough).

• Harmony-heavy, beer-soaked singalongs—the kind that feel like a late-night porch session.

• Standout tracks from Big Ugly, like the haunting "Spangled" or the raw, poetic "Heart Song"

🎟️ Free for members / $10 tickets HERE

Opener: Renée Reed’s Hypnotic Cajun Dream-Folk

Louisiana’s Renée Reed (a 2021 Bandcamp Daily standout) opens the night with her haunting, French-English ballads—imagine Vashti Bunyan raised in the bayou. Don’t miss her spellbinding "Où est la fée?"