EVENT: Dusty 45's play the Rocksport on Sat Feb 10.

How much of what you perform is original and how much is resurrected rockabilly?

"Most of what we do is original. It depends on what kind of venue we're playing, but in the clubs, if we're doing a 15-setter, we'll do two covers in the whole set."

But when you write originals, you're writing them as '50s rockabilly.

"We use classic American roots influences. We draw from old-time Dixieland jazz, western swing, and rockabilly. And that's why we're not really a rockabilly band, we're kind of a blend."

How much of your music is playing on the influences?

"It's a hybrid, where people didn't put those influences together as much as we do because they came from different parts of the country. And we have the gift of time, where we can look back and take pieces from New Orleans, we can take a little bit from Texas, and create our own roots American sound with all of those great influences."

It almost seems like a historical project.

"Well, it is, but with the knowledge that we're not stuck in it. We love that culture, the old American culture--guitars, style, everything. And you can tell that not every guy in the band comes from the same exact influence, yet we're all into that music, and really we're still rooted in what's going on today as well. We're not trying to be the perfect rockabilly band. We play a lot of punk shows... we kind of prefer playing for a punk audience. I think they can appreciate what we're doing."

Why's that?

"I think it's our attitude and the way we deliver our show. It fits in more than a real traditional rockabilly band that is really more concerned with the culture."