THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT A FINE CHINA SET – pristine, delicate, reserved for special occasions yet rarely touched. A relic of tradition, a symbol of expectation. It sits behind glass, admired but fragile, its worth determined by how well it remains unscathed. Jacksonville’s femme-fronted rock band Annie Dukes channel this imagery in their searing new single, “Mother’s China”—a song that shatters the illusion of perfection and exposes the cracks in the foundation of women’s healthcare and reproductive rights.

“Mother’s China” is Annie Dukes’ first release of the year, and it arrives with a fury that’s impossible to ignore. Known for their explosive fusion of 70s rock soundscapes and 90s grunge grit, the band takes their sound to new heights, layering three-part harmonies over a bed of heavy riffs and relentless rhythms. But beneath the fire and distortion lies something even more urgent—a raw, unfiltered rage against the societal pressures placed on women and the lack of autonomy they are given over their own bodies.

After seeing out their incredibly impactful 2023 with their highly-praised self-titled debut EP, US outfit Annie Dukes are back to their vibrant best once again with the anthemic new single, "Cherry".

Bringing back more of that swaggering alt-rock aesthetic they have been building for themselves since their earliest beginnings, ‘Cherry’ makes for an incredibly fun and explosive return to form. Erupting with killer guitar hooks, an energetic pace, and some soaring vocals throughout, they kick off their 2024 with one of their most exciting efforts to date.

While the band are still very much in the infancy of their tenure right now, ‘Cherry’ shows that they are still brimming with plenty of bold and tantalising ideas in which to pursue. With such a firm and focused approach to their direction throughout, we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us in the year ahead as well.

In addition to the screening, local rockers Annie Dukes will perform. The Jacksonville-based, female-led band is looking forward to the show, especially because of the film.

“‘Rocky Horror’ has no boundaries. It is inclusive, sexy, edgy and all around an experience. We love that this movie really embodies owning your individualism and uniqueness,” band members said. “As a band, we always want to represent all those things so it is a huge honor to open the night.”

The members of Annie Dukes pride themselves on their live performances as it not only gives them a chance to share their music, but also gives them a chance to connect with their audience. And what better show than Rocky Horror Picture Show to do just that. “We are most looking forward to being home off tour and walking onto the iconic stage of the Florida Theatre to see a crowd as intense as ‘Rocky Horror’ fans,” they shared. “For Annie Dukes, this will be the most epic homecoming we’ve ever had!” They’re even throwing in a little Halloween-inspired song for the occasion.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Dukes. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Annie Dukes came together over a mutual friend’s passing. Both Cassidy and Emma had solo careers playing and touring Northeast Florida. The band came together quickly and unexpectedly. After the first couple of shows, the girls knew they had something together worth pursuing. Within the first six months of shows, the band landed direct support slots with artists like Nita Strauss and Blacktop Mojo.

Meeting Mike Monahan in 2021 the trio lineup was complete and the band formed the sound you hear today on their latest release, “The Fog”. The music started to evolve after a heavy year of touring. Bringing Callie on for the last tour of 2022, added three-part harmony and keys/rhythm guitar into the mix, completing their sound.

Cassidy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As a whole, Annie Dukes in the beginning was a huge risk. Both Cassidy and Emma were at points in their lives where they had pursued music for so long, they were thinking about stepping away for good. After a mutual friends passing, the two women came together and found their passion for music again. Being both vocalists who occasionally played guitar, they picked up the electric guitar and bass and dove into learning the instruments to form Annie Dukes sound. The songwriting happened immediately which was a huge help to forward their progress of really honing in on the direction of the band. Adding Mike Monahan and Callie Johns into the mix, the band solidified themselves by releasing their latest EP and touring heavily last year and into 2023. It was absolutely a risk worth taking.