Melanie O'Brien and Phil Goodridge are the Duds, and they're owning it

Heather Barrett- CBC News, Mar 29, 2020

Veteran St. John's stage performers Melanie O'Brien and Philip Goodridge once decided to join a rock band just for fun. 

However, O'Brien and Goodridge found that their idea of fun was completely different from their bandmates' idea of fun.

"The other folks were much younger than us, and they always wanted to start jamming at 10:30 at night, and we're like, 'No, that's bedtime,'" recalled Goodridge. 

"They were plugging in all the stuff [instruments] around us … and I would say, 'Melanie, I think we're the duds of this group.'" 

Philip Goodridge and Melanie O'Brien are the Duds. (Submitted by Melanie O'Brien)

The name stuck

After the band ended, O'Brien and Goodridge kept performing together as the Duds. 

Between their regular gigs — O'Brien as a singer and musical theatre performer, and Goodridge as a writer and actor — the Duds have continued to write songs. 

Their debut EP, These Words I Can't Forget, is a lush collection of pop tunes produced by Ian Foster. 

Our roots are in theatre, and I love that that bleeds into our music.- Melanie O'Brien

The songs, with song titles such as Send Me A Ghost and One More Night, lean into storytelling and drama more than most indie pop. 

"Some people in the pop/rock industry said, 'Careful, it's not too much musical theatre,'" said O'Brien. 

"Our roots are in theatre, and I love that that bleeds into our music."  

"There's a beginning, middle and end to the story of the song," added Goodridge. 

Squeezing in the Duds

O'Brien and Goodridge have both been cast in a musical theatre production that is slated to tour Canada later this year. 

While they're touring the country, they hope to squeeze in some gigs as the Duds.  

"It's a balancing act, but it's something we're definitely trying," said Goodridge.