Saam Shahab is a first-year English literature major at Concordia who releases music under the name Theory of Ducks.
He began making music when he picked up the guitar in 2022. Initially, Shahab’s artistic presence was confined to the online world. Most of his following came through social media.
“I didn’t really focus on the whole local scene, which I kind of feel like I missed out on,” he said.
He combatted this by recently recruiting a live band, composed of fellow Concordia students to join him for performances.
This band consists of first-year mechanical engineering major Ilai Eirew on drums, second-year philosophy major Benny Gaucher on bass, and second-year psychology major Matty Fudge on guitar.
Shahab’s artist name comes from the duck allegory used in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye: “I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over.”
“I think everyone had a high school Catcher in the Rye phase,” Shahab said, laughing.
The name was also informed by bands that used animals in their names, such as Slaughter Beach Dog.
He is inspired by artists like Alex G, Elliot Smith, and Starry Cat, all of whom make music that features overbearing instrumentals overtop of quiet or somber vocals.
The band began with Shahab and Eirew jamming together. Eirew has been playing with Shahab for around a year and a half, a time in which they have done around eight or nine shows, according to the two.
Gaucher and Fudge are the more recent additions to the roster. They have both been playing with Shahab and Eirew for a few months.
“The music is very fun to play,” said Eirew. “It’s nothing too difficult, so there’s not really a fear when it comes to messing up live. It’s just being there for fun.”
“One of the biggest things that strikes me is how organic his music is,” said Fudge of Shahab. “The lyrics are very — I mean, from where I’m standing, they look so intuitive to him. It just kind of flows out of him.”
Fudge highlighted the importance of performing for an artistic project.
“I think that performance is a really key part of art,” said Fudge. “You can’t have art or artistry in a vacuum; you need call-and-response.”
Each band member writes their own parts for each instrument based on Shahab’s original music.
Gaucher described the writing process as “democratic.” Each musician relies on the other to decide what sounds best. They do this in jam sessions, where the group practices for shows.
Shahab plays a separate instrument for the live aspect, choosing an electric guitar over the acoustic one he uses when he records music.
All of the group members are friends, and they hope to continue collaborating.
“It’s such a cool thing being able to share the music you make with a live audience,” said Shahab.