Charles Rumback and Bill MacKay are founding members of the Chicago trio Black Duck. Although they and fellow musician Douglas McCombs had performed in the live setting for several years, they didn’t make their recording debut until their 2023 self-titled album. Now, they’ve returned with a second effort, featuring acclaimed Basque musician Elena Setién.
The quartet first collaborated via a series of live shows in Spain in 2025 and the record is a continuation of those initial collaborations, spotlighting the quartet’s impeccable musicianship and compositional skills.
Rumback and MacKay recently spoke about how the collaboration with Setién first came about, the material on the new LP, and what the future holds for Black Duck with and without Elena Setién.
Black Duck with Elena Setién is out now via Thrill Jockey Records.
Host/Producer: Jedd Beaudoin
Theme music: Torin Andersen
