Hand Habits’ homecoming tomorrow night at No Fun

TROY – Meg Duffy, the multi-instrumentalist who performs under the moniker Hand Habits, has deep roots in the 518. Born and raised in Amsterdam, they attended SCCC for guitar performance before graduating and setting up a temporary home in Nipper’s city. From there, they ended up on the West Coast with a steady gig in Kevin Morby’s live band, which led to them becoming one of the most in-demand collaborators in modern indie rock. Tomorrow night, Duffy returns home for a doubleheader at No Fun in Troy.

Due to overwhelming demand, Hand Habits will perform both an early show at 5:00 PM, followed by a late one at 9:00 PM. To sweeten the pot even further, they will be joined by a backing band consisting of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack of indie-rock band, Wye Oak. Attendees can expect a night of beautifully vulnerable music from the veteran musicians.

“Music, for me, has always been a spoonful of honey easing the intermittent and inescapable bitterness of the human experience,” Duffy states. “It’s been a thick sweetness in my loneliest moments. In my earliest memories of playing music, whether alone or in a group, the feeling of being connected to a greater force beyond explanation is the one that shines through.”

For the last ten years, Duffy has been prolific in their musical outputs. With session credits on records by Perfume Genius, Sylvan Esso and The War on Drugs (to name just a few), to tour dates with juggernaut artists like The National and Tegan and Sara, Duffy’s career is nothing if not consistent. And with the release of their mini album, Sugar the Bruise, earlier this year, it’s clear the momentum train is still speeding along. Inspired by a month-long songwriting class Duffy taught mid-pandemic, the six-song EP showcases a more improvisational side of the songwriter, allowing them to find inspiration in new and exciting places.

“I had no plan other than to let my mind go blank, and lean into the playful side of things. To laugh a little, to lighten up, to shift the focus off of my own experience a bit. What if making a song didn’t mean dredging up the abyss?” Duffy quips.

Sugar the Bruise follows three critically acclaimed records: 2017’s Wildly Idle, 2019’s placeholder, and 2021’s Fun House which The Los Angeles Times called their “most accomplished and adventurous so far…” Being hometown shows, fans can almost certainly expect selections from the entire discography tomorrow night. Very few tickets remain, and can be purchased in advance via Eventbrite.