Duchess formed in May 2016 in Cedar Rapids, IA. What started with a one-time cover gig became a band with big aspirations. Core members Luke Sanders (guitar and vocals), Jeremiah de la Peña (drums), and Sean Donaldson (bass and vocals) came together to create cutting edge indie rock and sought out the right additional piece to round out the sound. After stints with vocalist Sydney Elliot and later vocalist/guitarist Layton White, the band set out as a three piece before finding Will Benson, a keyboard player who fit perfectly.

In their time together, Duchess has brought intelligent original music with indie, alternative, and prog influences to audiences across Iowa. The high energy level in every Duchess performance has attracted fans of all ages and led to a wide variety of opportunities. The band has opened for acts including Icona Pop and headlined shows with acts including Trapdoor Social, The Copper Smoke Trials, and others.

In April 2017, Duchess released their debut album “am I forgiven.” It features their single “Donuts” and a conceptual work entitled “The Odyssey.” The album is available online on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Spotify, and more. The debut video, “Donuts” also came out in April 2017. It was conceptualized, filmed, and edited by Juan Carlos Gomez II and is available on the band’s Facebook page and on YouTube.

In October 2017, the band branched out and, with the leadership of Luke Sanders, composed a 2 movement work entitled “Into The Underworld” and performed it featuring the Coe College Symphony Orchestra in Cedar Rapids. The performance featured the same progressive characteristics Duchess has become known for and featured a new depth brought about by the addition of the full orchestral arrangement.

The band took a brief hiatus in Winter 2017/2018, but has emerged again, bringing powerful alternative rock to stages across Iowa. All the while, Duchess continues to create behind the scenes . . .