Annie Dukes Have a Hankering for “Cherry” on Hot-Blooded New Single

Femme-fronted Jacksonville rock outfit Annie Dukes are marking this International Women’s Day with a blistering new single, “Cherry.” 

Cassidy Lee (bass, vocals), Emma Moseley (guitar, vocals), Callie Johns (keys, vocals) and Mike Monahan (drums) describe their sound as “Black Sabbath meets Fleetwood Mac,” and on “Cherry,” the foursome hew to the heavier end of that spectrum. The dynamic track evokes a feverish sapphic desire through Lee and Moseley’s fiery bass/guitar interplay and Monahan’s mercurial percussion, with Lee, Moseley and Johns’ three-part harmonies lending a sense of universality to its passionate lyrics.

“Cherry” not only evokes desire, but also celebrates it: Lee’s narrator is obsessed at first sight as she sings, “She walks in with scarlet on her face, all I want is to get a taste.” Moseley’s Zeppelin-esque riffs break open fault lines between verses, while the group join voices in worship of the song’s subject: “She can fight me, she can feed me, bite me, eat me alive.” Effects on Lee’s vocals and Monahan’s drums make the penultimate choruses feel like a slingshot being pulled back, only to explode through a climactic guitar solo and one last tribute to the apple of the song’s eye: “She’s sweet like candy, on my tongue.”

Annie Dukes have made a name for themselves around the Southeastern U.S., touring heavily over the past two years and supporting the likes of ZZ Top, Maggie Rose, Nita Strauss and Plain White T’s. This time last year, they released their self-titled debut EP, featuring lead single “Did I Say Yes??,” which the band dedicated to survivors of sexual violence. There’s no word from the band yet on whether “Cherry” belongs to a larger body of work, but we’ll be keeping an ear out.

On Friday, March 8, Annie Dukes perform at The East Room in Nashville alongside The Smokeshows and Tennessee Muscle Candy before heading to Austin, Texas, for a smattering of South by Southwest shows. You can see the rest of their upcoming tour dates, including a pair of Sunshine State stops, right here.

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