Dusted is the atmospheric and ever-evolving songwriting project of
Holy Fuck's
Brian Borcherdt. Standing in stark contrast to
Holy Fuck's excitable dancefloor workouts,
Dusted allows
Borcherdt to explore his more muted and minimal side, building albums like 2018's
Blackout Summer and 2021's
III from hazy ambiance and home recording experimentalism.
Dusted began when
Borcherdt connected with producer
Leon Taheny when
Holy Fuck were on a break from their busy touring schedule, and the pair recorded songs
Borcherdt had written since making
Holy Fuck's 2010 album
Latin in a converted garage.
Dusted made its live debut in early 2012 supporting
Deerhoof and
Of Montreal. The duo's debut album,
Total Dust, arrived that July. Gigging frequently over the next few years, both with
Dusted and
Holy Fuck,
Borcherdt slowly pieced together a new batch of songs. At first trying for a more polished, layered sound, the initial sessions were found to be lacking and were eventually scrapped.
Dusted started again with a retooled full-band lineup of
Borcherdt and his wife Anna Edwards on guitar,
Loel Campbell on drums, and Anna Ruddick occasionally adding bass. The band's follow-up,
Blackout Summer, was released in April 2018.
Dusted changed course once again for third album
III, moving away from the full band approach and reverting to the more direct, first-take energy of
Total Dust. In the middle of recording the album,
Borcherdt and his family relocated from Toronto to rural Nova Scotia. He completed the album in this quiet, calm setting, incorporating field recordings of the natural world around him into the mixes.
III was released in July of 2021. ~ Heather Phares