They put out the call for a fake wedding with a cake fight.

Gunther Brown shot the video for its single “Forever”  with friends, family and fans in November, released the cake-in-your-face video in December and followed up with its first album, “Good Nights for Daydreams,” in late January, which is now enjoying radio play.

The group is fronted by Strong native and singer/songwriter Pete Dubuc.

Dubuc said he and drummer Derek Mills met while working in radio and formed the band in 2007. (Dubuc, a 1994 Mt. Abram grad, was a WCLZ morning show DJ for about six years.) Guitarist Chris Plumstead joined Gunther Brown a few years ago and bassist Mark McDonough is relatively new.

In the single “Forever,” with a catchy indie-rock-yet-mellow feel, Dubuc tells what sounds like an old flame, “This won’t last forever,” on her wedding day, in front of all the guests.

A cynical romantic? Maybe.

“I guess it depends on the day and the song,” said Dubuc. “I’m very cynical, that’s fair, but I like to think it’s more realistic than it is cynical.”

Name: Pete Dubuc

Age: 38

Lives: South Portland

How did your first album come together? We have managed to form the right group of people to play these songs, and when it all came together so well, it was time to get it on a record. It’s really a credit to the four of us working so well together.

I have to ask about the bright blue glasses. Are they something you wore just for the video? No! They’re real glasses! I need them to see! Well, it IS fair to say I don’t need BLUE glasses to see . . . but no, they’re my regular glasses.

And the “H & E Meats, Norway, Maine” hat? I found the H&E Meats hat a few years prior at a yard sale, in a big box of old farm-related hats, $1 apiece. I scooped up a couple and decided on the H&E hat for the video. A little shout-out to that part of Maine. I was happy to find out that someone showed H&E (now retired) the video!

Strangest place you’ve written a song? When I write, to this point anyway, I need some level of comfort and familiarity. So I would say every song I have written has been written in the place I called home at that point in time.

Dream act to tour with: For a band like us, it would be crazy to say anything other than Wilco. Historically, I would say The Band would have been about the best band you could ever tour with.

Something un-cynical about yourself: I used to be on the radio and have met and interviewed some great musicians like B.B. King, Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, The Jayhawks and many others I’m a fan of. That was lots of fun.

You’ll know Gunther Brown has made it when . . . When we have roadies to haul the gear.

Hipsters: Go away or it’s OK if they stay? There are places where they should go away from and places where they should stay. 🙂

Last question: How did Gunther Brown get its name? We try to keep that a mystery as much as possible. It’s slipped out a couple of times, but it’s mostly something we leave to the imagination and detectives!

kskelton@sunjournal.com

Curious?

Gunther Brown will be playing at Blue in Portland on the 3rd Friday of the month at 10 p.m. throughout 2014.

FMI: http://www.guntherbrown.com/

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