It’d be tough to accuse Thomas Dutton of taking the safe route for his second rock album.
While many artists tiptoe around potential musical pitfalls for their second CDs, worried a sophomore curse will torpedo any success they’ve gained, Dutton dove in full force, creating a full-blown musical production.
“It started off as a story I’ve been working on for the past two to three years,” Dutton said. “As I got further into it, I realized there’s so much you can do with a storyline in actual songs.”
“Razia’s Shadow: A Musical” includes lush music and powerful narration in a two-part, 14-movement musical with a full orchestral backdrop and a host of guest artists including Panic at the Disco lead singer Brendon Urie, The Hush Sounds’ Greta Salpeter and other notable artists. Inspiration for the musical came from Dutton’s fascination with such divergent work at the literature of C.S. Lewis and the musical “Moulin Rouge.”
Some of the inspiration came from Dutton remaining the sole member of Forgive Durden, ironically a name taken from the antihero in the movie “Fight Club.” After two well-received self-released records and the Fueled by Ramen CD debut “Wonderland,” the band seemed poised for breakout success. Yet as the band toured, tensions increased, resulting in the resignation of Dutton’s three bandmates.
Keeping the band’s name, Dutton regrouped, writing and recording the musical with assistance of his brother Paul, who was a composition major in college at the time.
“Initially, I didn’t think it would be such a hard process, but it engulfed me a bit,” Dutton said. “Another thing that played into it was I was very, very proud of Wonderland, and it didn’t get the recognition I thought it deserved. So I thought ‘I’ll just do what I want and see what you think of this.’”
That question will likely be answered as Dutton and some tour musicians hit the road in support of the album, due to be released on Oct. 28. Yet Dutton isn’t quick to commit that this lineup is the new version of Forgive Durden.
“I love everybody now, but the road [creates pressures],” Dutton said. “I’d like to have a permanent band again, but I don’t want to rush into this.”
If you go
Performers: Steel Train, Dear and the Headlights, Forgive Durden and others
When: 7 p.m. Monday
Where: Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St., Baltimore
Details: $12; www.missiontix.com
