Duke Erikson of Garbage

Douglas Elwin "Duke" Erikson (born January 15, 1951, in Nebraska), is an American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, best known as the guitarist of the alternative rock band Garbage, which has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide. Before co-founding Garbage, Erikson was a founding member of the popular Midwestern bands Spooner and Fire Town.

Duke Erikson was born in Lyons, a small rural community in Nebraska. His first musical instrument was the piano, and his second was the guitar. At the age of 16 he joined his first band, The British, which was inspired by his passion for the British beat movement. The band performed at local dances and high-school hops, often publicizing their appearances with posters announcing that “The British Are Coming”. When Erikson completed his first scholastic cycle, he began studying art history at Wayne State College in Nebraska, where he taught drawing for “a couple of semesters”. During this period he also worked as a carpenter and occasional truck driver.
Erikson is on the board of directors of the acclaimed UK independent record label Lo-Max Records, which is home to The Wrens, The Go-Betweens, Kevin Ayers, and Simon Lynge, and he is currently co-producing a historical documentary series with Lo-Max Films. Erikson has worked extensively on sound restoration for this series.

Erikson’s daughter, Roxy Erickson, is a photographer based in London, England.