Guitarist and lyricist, Dustin Gaspard, who recently released Hoping Heaven Got a Kitchen, is our guest on Discover Lafayette.

A poet since he was a young boy, Dustin is a self-taught vocalist and guitarist. He has taken his love of music and writing to produce his first complete album which was released in late February 2022 and is a prayer to the memory of his grandmother and grandfather who raised him in Cow Island in Southern Vermilion Parish. "My grandfather made me the man I am today."

Dustin Gaspard will be showcasing his new album, Hoping Heaven Got a Kitchen, in a live venue at the Acadiana Center for The Arts on March 31, 2022, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Grammy Nominated band, Sweet Cecilia, a family trio from Cecilia, LA, will be the opening act for the show. Tickets may be purchased here.

Raised on vintage 50s/ 60s soul and swamp pop, and other traditional folk sounds, Dustin is an alternative folk songwriter and frontman/vocalist for Rock N Soul group DG and the Freetown Sound. After rehabbing his voice which had been silenced as a young man due to vocal strain that irreparably damaged his vocal cords, he has paid his dues in life and is ascending in the music world, humble and wise beyond his years. We can't express how much we wish him the greatest success as he continues to find his voice, his lyrics, and the audience who will raise him up.

In South Louisiana, it can be tough for songwriters that aren't Cajun musicians to get their music showcased. As Dustin says, "You can't dance to a sad-boy singer-songwriter's tunes. There is a time and a place for that."

By chance in 2019, Justin found the application process for South Louisiana Songwriters Festival Scholarship online and applying at the last minute, he was selected after a lengthy period of rehabilitating his voice during a time where he was writing more thoughtful songs, reflecting on his life. He had lost the complete range of his voice on both ends of the spectrum and it had made him think of his career in the long-term, rather than squandering his talent by abusing his voice and body. "If I'm not capable of executing the vocal athletics I had before, then I'll be a folk-songwriter and hone my craft and lyrics and how I convey myself as an artist," Dustin thought.

"I will be forever extremely grateful to CREATE Lafayette, Kate Durio, and all who were so supportive of me. My South Louisiana Songwriters Festival Scholarship continues to open doors to me."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo_5EtZnC0s

Dustin Gaspard is also an active musician with DG and the Freetown Sound, a high energy, blues, rock & roll band developed to break into the local music scene. Their music is light and free....a true fun sound that everyone can enjoy.

DG and the Freetown Sound is a high-energy, blues, and rock & roll band that Dustin Gaspard also sings with. "It's a fund band to dance to!"

Dustin Gaspard exemplifies the type of talent a community wants to see thrive and grow! Best wishes, Dustin, on a bright future!