- [Narrator] Funding for this program is supported in part Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and these supporters.

(upbeat music) ♪ Hey - [Narrator] Your favorite local musicians like you've never seen them before.

Intimate collaborations between iconic artists and the musicians they want you to know about.

- Action.

- [Narrator] Tonight, Gully Boys, featuring SoulFlower.

It's all happening now, on the legendary 7th Street Entry stage.

Growing out of the Minneapolis house show community, Gully Boys' infectious grunge-powered pop sound and playful genre bending has launched them into nationwide success.

Please welcome to stage Gully Boys.

♪ My body screams it ♪ But I can't feel it, I can't see me now ♪ ♪ It's all right there ♪ But it won't reach me, I won't touch it now ♪ ♪ Please tell yourself ♪ It's time that you be nice to your inner child ♪ ♪ You won't find yourself ♪ In routine ♪ Like me now ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Like me now ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Shame is now back pain ♪ But the bedwetter's gone ♪ She was grieved far before the death ♪ ♪ Small to me now ♪ As big as the world when I was a child ♪ ♪ Like me now ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Like me now ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Like me now ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Like me now ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Just think if I really got me ♪ ♪ Like me now ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ Like me now ♪ Just think if you really got me ♪ ♪ You really got me ♪ My body screams it ♪ But I can't feel it, I can't see me now ♪ (crowd cheering) - Thank you!

- Thanks guys.

Sometimes I think back and I'm like, dang, if we would've known we were gonna be doing this for eight years, would we have chosen to name ourselves Gully Boys?

I think the answer is yes, because it really feels like, it feels like who we are now, but it also sounds like a country band, which we're just like not.

But it comes from the movie "FernGully."

- I can see, it's a miracle.

- Kathy loved the movie "FernGully" growing up.

We were like playing music one day.

It was like me, Natalie and Kathy, and we only knew one song.

It was "Boyfriend" by Best Coast.

♪ I wish he was my boyfriend - We like played it to death, 'cause we were like, this is so fun, but we don't know what else to do.

And in that moment we were like, okay, we're gonna start a band, and we were just like rattling off names in that moment.

The Boys come from our deep love of boy bands.

I was a huge NSYNC fan growing up.

♪ Every little thing I do - [Nadirah] Panic!

At The Disco.

♪ I chimed in with a, haven't you people ever heard of ♪ - And so we were like, okay, let's tap into our desire to be boy bands.

♪ Ooh-Ooh - I remember Kathy was like leaving my house and she was getting in Natalie's car, and she popped her head up, "Gully Boys", and we were like, "That's it forever."

And we literally never thought about it again.

I think we had our first show like two weeks later, and we submitted that name and we're like, alright, this is who we are now.

♪ She's so high ♪ Says it's the only time ♪ She isn't seething ♪ She isn't needing some kind of holy sign ♪ ♪ We get by ♪ We even get out sometimes ♪ But the ache of the springtime ♪ ♪ The sight of the dandelion tends to make her cry ♪ ♪ Oh, how I'd love ♪ To take you back to the day ♪ The day that they hurt you ♪ So you could look yourself in the face ♪ ♪ See, you see all that hurt ♪ It's real and I see it too ♪ See, you see all that hurt ♪ Day by day ♪ That is the only way ♪ We get through the meantime ♪ Repeating the same damn line just to feel okay ♪ ♪ Soon comes May ♪ H5ad in my lap she lays ♪ Sweet as the sunshine ♪ Bright as the moon night, tied in her sweet embrace ♪ ♪ Oh, how I'd love ♪ To take you back to the day ♪ The day that they hurt you ♪ So you could look yourself in the face ♪ ♪ See, you see all that hurt ♪ It's real and I see it too ♪ See, you see all that hurt ♪ It's real and I see it too - We were recently interviewed about the Minneapolis punk scene, and we had to really think, are we a part of the punk scene?

I think we started a part of the punk scene, just being in the DIY scene, being a bit more of a thrashy band.

But I think being free of genre allowed us to like find the sound that we actually wanted to make, versus being told the sound that we were supposed to make.

Genre is also like dead.

It's like we call ourselves grunge pop, which we made it up, but whatever, it works.

I think we have a lot of the punk ethos in that we just decided that we were just gonna do it.

We waited for no permission to do what we're doing.

The history of punk has always been a pushback against status quo, and so I think inherently punk music is a space where those who live on the outskirts of society find solace and they find space.

I'm starting to see more of a rise in popularity of like black queer musicians making punk music.

That intersection feels like really important to me.

I didn't see a lot of that growing up, going to a lot of alternative hardcore shows and punk shows.

I look around and I see so many more musicians who look like me on stage yelling and moshing, and having a great time.

(punk music) ♪ Not gonna feel me out ♪ You're not gonna wear me out ♪ You're not gonna wear me out ♪ You're not gonna wear me out (audience cheering) (audience cheering) (upbeat music) ♪ Used to be bright ♪ Well, now it's fading away ♪ I'm holding tight ♪ Will you come back someday - So we started in 2016.

We didn't know what we were doing.

I think it took us about two years to figure out how to play our instruments, and then in 2018 we were like, okay, we're gonna start gigging, we're gonna start playing all these shows.

I think that year we played like 62 shows, and it was all local.

And then when we won City Page's Best New Bands in 2018, I remember calling my band mates, and we were like crying, and I was like I can't believe I have to go to work right now.

I was like working as a receptionist at a salon.

I was like, this feels like we should celebrate.

Because it was a moment that we were like, oh, our music means something to people beyond just our circle.

And I think that's when we actually started to dream bigger, and be like, if Minneapolis believes in us, like, why don't we believe in ourselves?

♪ I'm running in circles ♪ Trying to catch my breath ♪ I don't hear me, I don't see me ♪ ♪ Oh, I'm trapped in my head ♪ Used to be bright ♪ Well, now it's fading away ♪ I'm holding tight ♪ Will you come back someday ♪ I don't wanna know ♪ I don't wanna know ♪ I don't wanna know ♪ I'm running in circles ♪ Trying to catch my breath ♪ I don't hear me, I don't see me ♪ ♪ Oh, I'm trapped in my head ♪ This fight of mine ♪ I thought it'd be over by now ♪ ♪ Thought I'd be on my way ♪ Will it come back someday ♪ Oh ♪ Oh ♪ I don't wanna know ♪ I don't wanna know, wanna know ♪ ♪ I don't wanna know ♪ I'm running in circles ♪ Trying to catch my breath ♪ I don't hear me, I don't see me ♪ ♪ Oh, I'm trapped in my head ♪ I don't want to, I don't want to ♪ ♪ I don't want to ♪ No, I don't want to ♪ I don't want to ♪ I don't want to know (audience cheering) - [Kathy] Thank you so much!

This song we're gonna play now is called "The Way."

And that song came into the studio, real bare bones.

The first line we came up with was, "I hate it here," which was a joke, but that's how a lot of our stuff gets written actually.

It's like, this would be funny.

We kind of put it out right in the wake of 2020.

I don't need to tell you what happened that year.

We took an unofficial hiatus for a long time.

George Floyd was murdered basically in all of our backyards, and we really got swept up in the uprisings.

I know Nadi did a lot of organizing that year.

(audience cheering) Yeah.

And the rest of us kind of followed and found our places, and where we could put ourselves and our resources to work.

And I don't know that a lot of us ever really took time to sit and think about what that did to us, and I think what it did to us was make us really mad.

We got to see our system fail us big time.

It's a system that continues to aid and abet genocide, and we're pissed.

So.

(audience cheering) We ask our audiences to sing the chorus with us, and maybe let out a little bit of your rage.

If you can like reach inside yourself and do a little screaming with us.

Does that sound okay?

Do a little screaming?

(audience cheering) ♪ I think we've already seen this show ♪ ♪ You know I never can say no ♪ But you like that, don't you though ♪ ♪ Starting fires left and right ♪ ♪ But none of them seem to burn me right here ♪ ♪ Right here ♪ Isn't that the way it goes ♪ Isn't that the way it almost always goes ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ Isn't that the way it goes ♪ Isn't that the way it almost always goes ♪ ♪ I hate it here ♪ I hate it here ♪ Can't think clear when I'm alone ♪ ♪ You always keep me here at home ♪ ♪ But I like that, don't you know ♪ ♪ Maybe someday we'll be one ♪ Until then I'm waiting right her5 ♪ ♪ Right here ♪ Isn't that the way it goes ♪ Isn't that the way it almost always goes ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ Isn't that the way it goes ♪ Isn't that the way it almost goes ♪ ♪ I hate it here ♪ I hate it here ♪ I hate it here ♪ I hate it here ♪ Isn't that the way it goes ♪ Isn't that the way it almost always goes ♪ ♪ Isn't that the way it goes ♪ Isn't that the way it almost always goes ♪ ♪ Isn't that the way it goes ♪ Isn't that the way it almost always goes ♪ ♪ Isn't that the way it goes ♪ Isn't that the way it always goes ♪ ♪ I hate it here ♪ I hate it here ♪ I hate it here ♪ I hate it here (audience cheering) - Kathy and I both were big fans of Panic!

at the Disco.

Look at this, what is this?

- We're like confessing to each other how much we liked Panic!

at the Disco when we were teens.

Yeah.

And I was like, yeah, I met them in 2011, and Nadi was like, "No way, so did I!"

I'm like, "what do you mean?"

There was only like 12 people in the room who all wore the same color, and we had the same color purple top on, which is really- - I think we didn't have an aesthetic for quite a while.

Someone told us once that we looked like four different roommates going to separate events on stage, and we were like, dang, okay.

Valid, valid.

But that hurt a little bit.

For me, as a non-binary person, I love getting ready for a show, like doing my makeup, and it almost feels like getting into drag in some way, because it's like a hyper-feminine version of myself.

It's just like the ritual that we all get to like do together.

We get dressed together, we do our makeup together, and it's like we're putting on Gully Boys, and Gully Boys is like very femme at times, and also sometimes it's very like oversized t-shirts, but the ability to kind of play with gender representation feels pretty critical to who Gully Boys is.

I was able to come into my queerness through Gully Boys, and it's also fun to play dress up as an adult.

Like, you don't really have a lot of opportunities where you get to do that anymore.

We love to take Halloween costumes too far.

We play a 7th St Entry show dressed as the blue man crew once, like, we just really commit to the bit, which I think falls into like the silliness aesthetic that we want to bring.

We never wanna take ourselves too seriously, and I feel like that is a big part of our aesthetic, is that nothing is too serious.

We take our music seriously, but like, we're just like four guys who like to have fun and hang out with each other.

♪ Tried to make me soft and meek ♪ ♪ Said, "You're just the sweetest thing" ♪ ♪ The wolf you raised looks like a sheep ♪ ♪ There's no surprise to me, I'll win ♪ ♪ This power is born ♪ A beautiful boy ♪ I was born ♪ Knowing what I want ♪ It's been a decade since I've looked ♪ - I wrote the lyrics to this song.

I really wanted to like indulge these feelings that I was kind of ashamed of that I had as a little kid where I really hated being a girl, and I had a lot of internalized misogyny, and I thought boys, I didn't think these thoughts, but I had these feelings where boys were so much more free and powerful than I was, and I didn't wanna be a boy, but I wanted what they had.

♪ Power is born ♪ A beautiful boy ♪ I was born ♪ To be the favorite son ♪ I'll be, I'll be mine ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ The first one of my kind ♪ I'll be, I'll be mine ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ The first one of my kind ♪ Tried to make me soft and meek ♪ ♪ Said, "You're just the sweetest thing" ♪ ♪ The wolf you raised looks like a sheep ♪ ♪ There's no surprise to me, I'll win ♪ ♪ Power is born ♪ A beautiful boy ♪ I was born ♪ To be the favorite son ♪ I'll be, I'll be mine ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ The first one of my kind ♪ I'll be, I'll be mine ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ The first one of my kind ♪ I'll never cry now ♪ Tell me I'm daddy's little boy ♪ ♪ Won't ask for help now ♪ Tell me I'm daddy's little boy ♪ ♪ I'll never fail now ♪ Tell me I'm daddy's little boy ♪ ♪ Deal with myself now ♪ Tell me I'm daddy's little ♪ I'll never cry now ♪ Tell me I'm daddy's little boy ♪ ♪ Won't ask for help now ♪ Tell me I'm daddy's little boy ♪ ♪ I'll never fail now ♪ Tell me I'm daddy's little boy ♪ ♪ Deal with myself now ♪ Tell me I'm daddy's little ♪ I'll be, I'll be mine ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ The first one of my kind ♪ I'll be, I'll be mine ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-Oh ♪ Power is born ♪ Power is born ♪ Power is born ♪ Power is born ♪ Power is born ♪ Power is born ♪ Power is born ♪ Power is born (audience cheering) - I think you can hear in our music the evolution of us learning how to play our instruments.

Kathy, Natalie and I were all self-taught.

I mean, it's reflective in our songs.

They're very simple, 'cause it was like this is what we know how to do.

These are the chords we know how to play - Check, check, Check.

- [Nadi] We didn't have a lead guitarist for a long time, so Natalie was playing a lot of lead guitar lines on bass, and so we were like getting creative in that way.

It's been really fun having Mariah join in, because Mariah's been playing since they were 14, and they're like, I went to McNally, and I went to Berkeley School of Music.

Playing with them, we were like, oh dang, you actually know what you're talking about.

(guitar chords) - So how it all started, Nadi messages me on Facebook and is like, Hey, Gully Boys is looking for a new guitar player, a fourth member.

Would you be interested in auditioning?

And I was like, "Yeah!"

Yep, for sure.

I had been a Gully Boys fan for a hot minute just being a queer in Minneapolis, and I actually met my girlfriend, who is here in the audience tonight, (audience cheering) at a Gully Boys show back in the day.

- Isn't that crazy?

- Prior to being in the band, too.

Prior to, yeah, this is before.

- When Mariah was like learning our older songs, they were like, these songs are really hard because they don't follow traditional music theory, how a song is supposed to go.

But that's what makes them interesting.

And so I think like it released a lot of insecurity that I felt as an imposter drummer, like, I'm not doing what I think is technically good.

I'm doing what the music feels like it's supposed to have.

I've been drumming now for eight years and I think like in the last year or so, I finally felt comfortable enough to call myself a drummer, and not just someone who plays the drum.

I think the the scariest thing for me is to plateau.

I don't ever want to just coast.

And so having someone like Mariah who is in our band, who is challenging us to be better musicians because they are good, I think it's influenced a lot of our writing.

I think that's also like a good message, because there is no, like, you have to be x amount or have this many years in, or know this much before you can start a band.

You really can just start if you have the desire.

And there's no rules, you can be in a band.

(upbeat music) The band we're playing with today is SoulFlower.

SoulFlower came up.

I was really excited about the sound that they're bringing, and also made up of people of color, which is very important for me to see and encourage more of that in the scene.

It does make me feel a little old, but that's an old in a good way.

I feel happy to see a new wave of musicians come through the scene.

It's an honor.

♪ Oh, what you running away from ♪ ♪ Running away from ♪ There's no place it won't get ya ♪ ♪ Place it won't get ya - My name is Anaya Elemin.

I play bass and lead vocalist in the band SoulFlower.

We came together about a year ago.

Our sound is kind of that like neo soul, alternative indie vibe.

It was super exciting getting, you know, a DM from y'all asking to be a part of this, just because I've been listening to y'all's music personally since high school.

Gully Boys has just always been inspiring in the scene.

(mellow music) I was born in Minnesota, so I know these Twin Cities very well, and know my way around very well.

So sometimes I feel like I'm just driving in a circle (laughs) and sometimes that can feel kind of like you're stuck, and I kind of wrote this to lift my spirits.

It's kind of like an affirmation for myself of keeping these goals and these dreams in my mind and affirming it's up there, I just have to keep pushing, and keep going, and I will get there soon.

♪ Driving around town ♪ Why do I feel lost in a place I know so well ♪ ♪ I'm heading down the tail ♪ The sun's about to bail ♪ I don't want to go home ♪ It lies in front of you ♪ It lies in front of me ♪ He says he's leaving ♪ He can't cope with the winter feelings ♪ ♪ And the seasons change ♪ They bring me feeling ♪ Be there ♪ It lies in front of you ♪ It lies in front of me ♪ It lies in front of you ♪ It lies in front of me (rock music) (audience cheering) (drum beating) - [Nadi] Do y'all jam a lot?

- Yeah, we do.

We start off like every rehearsal with a jam, which just like is like great.

- I love that, 'cause it's just like we don't do that.

I think we feel like a little bit of nervousness around jamming.

We've done it a few times, but- - Jamming is so vulnerable, you know, because you're just like in the moment, like listening, but then also trying to find your own groove within it, and like, when you really trust the people around you, it just makes it 10 times easier, and you guys can really lock in on a level where it's like this is not for anything but us right now in this moment, and then you guys have that to share, and you guys remember that.

- [Nadi] That's like a thing.

We need to bring back jamming.

- [Anaya] (laughs) Yeah.

(mellow music) - That's one of the things I really enjoy about SoulFlower, and just the guys I play with too, is 'cause like "Wonder Wander" on our set list, it was like a jam that we just did- - Nice - And then we were like, wow, this felt so good that now it's a song.

(mellow music) (upbeat drumming) ♪ Wander ♪ Wonders at my feet ♪ Wander ♪ Wonder what you mean ♪ Looking ♪ With my universal eyes ♪ While tearing ♪ A hole into the sky ♪ Looking into wholesome blackness ♪ ♪ A boy you can't miss ♪ Shedding ♪ My weaknesses ♪ You could get it ♪ If you decide ♪ To wander ♪ To wander deep inside ♪ To wander deep inside (instrumental) (audience cheering) - Thank you so much.

So we're on our last song, and a part of this process, we had to collaborate with the Gully Boys, and so what we did was kind of mix up our bands.

So we've got Nadi and Mariah.

Woo!

(audience cheering) (audience member screaming) (Anaya laughing) - [Nadi] It's been fun to learn.

- Yeah, we've had two rehearsals.

- Yeah.

They were easy, we were locked in.

- This song is the most straightforward- - It is, I'm thankful for that, 'cause I was like, I am not a jazz drummer.

(Anaya laughing) (upbeat music) - Can I cuss on this interview?

Because you know the name of my song is (...), So can I say that?

Okay, so then... (grunge music) It's nice to play it with Gully Boys because they've got that like grungy, like poppy rock vibe going on, so we got to spice it up.

♪ It's beyond the stars ♪ Take me under, sink so deep ♪ There's no bottom that the eye can see ♪ ♪ Running into the center of my desire dreams ♪ ♪ I'm sitting on top the sun, they can't help me ♪ The song that we're like collaborating with Gully Boys is mostly about, like, having confidence in doing your own thing, and not really letting the judgments and the worries of other people in your life and strangers kind of like get to you.

♪ Don't make it harder than it needs to be ♪ ♪ We're sharing armor in a battle to be free ♪ ♪ Jeopardize, it's all to people please ♪ ♪ My soul is bold ♪ I'm done cycling (grunge music) (audience cheering) Thank you so much!

So how was it when you were younger and coming up?

- Yeah, so Gully Boys started when I was, I think I was 21.

I'd just turned 21, my band mates were 20.

It was just a culture of like house shows popping up.

(rock music) Paper House, that was the staple.

It was really gross and disgusting, but it was like where I saw so many of my favorite bands and felt so much inspiration.

You played there a few times and it was like packed, and sweaty, and thick, as shows should be.

It is literally condemned.

No one can live there anymore.

What does it look like for you?

What types of shows are?

- Well, like, when I was in high school, I grew up going to a lot of house shows.

That's how I started playing live more, I guess?

It's like if you're surrounded by musicians and artists who are like wanting the same thing, like, to create this hub of creativity, and gathering, and sharing, like, it's so easy for that to happen, because it's natural for everybody that's in that space anyway.

Everybody just wants to like connect and play music.

(rock music) - So DIY stands for Do it Yourself.

It means we don't have a venue to host this show.

We're gonna use our basement, we're gonna use our backyard, we're going to find a warehouse, and we're gonna get a PA and we're gonna put on a show.

DIY culture is basically how young bands are able to tour initially.

So you'll find bands who are coming through, stopping by on a tour.

There's like strong DIY communities all across the country.

It feels like there's generally a craving for those spaces to exist, because one of the, I think, main issues that I have noticed in this scene is that there's not a lot of all ages spaces.

And so like the only way that if you're gonna be at an all ages show is if you're going to a DIY one.

- Yeah, and like young people are such a, you know, clearly very vital part to the whole scene and- - Fan girls keep the music industry alive!

- Literally.

- And I also think Kathy, our lead singer, has the voice that she does because we grew up playing in basements, because you cannot hear yourself.

- Yeah.

- [Kathy] Check, check, check.

- [Nadi] So she became the belter that she is because she was like, I can't hear myself, so I'm gonna sing as loud as I can.

♪ I hate it here ♪ I hate it here - [Nadi] I don't recommend doing that, 'cause you could blow your voice out, but she, it worked for her.

- Yeah.

- And I think it helped us find our kind of gritty signature sound, through playing (...) PAs.

- Yeah, right.

♪ Gimme the picture, you know I'm with ya ♪ ♪ You'll tell me way ♪ I talk to the afflicted ♪ Could have predicted ♪ The weather is always the same ♪ ♪ Everyone trips upon your perfect tender heart ♪ ♪ Always see you falling apart ♪ Bad day, I guess I never really had a bad day ♪ ♪ Bad day ♪ I'll say ♪ Till everything is looking okay, okay ♪ ♪ Doomsday ♪ Well its got nothing like a typical case of the Mondays ♪ ♪ Mundane ♪ Does it ever start feeling mundane ♪ ♪ Do I protect you?

Soothe or neglect you?

♪ ♪ Haven't been keeping in mind ♪ Deepen the fissure, walk on the blister ♪ ♪ Letting it in to be mine ♪ You always need me at the altar of your heart ♪ ♪ But you don't see me falling apart ♪ ♪ Bad day ♪ I guess I never really had a bad day ♪ ♪ Bad day, I'll say ♪ Suddenly everything is looking okay, okay ♪ ♪ Doomsday ♪ It's got nothing like a typical case of the Mondays ♪ ♪ Mundane ♪ When does it ever stop feeling mundane ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ Bad day ♪ I guess I never really had a bad day ♪ ♪ Bad day ♪ I'll say, suddenly everything is looking okay, okay ♪ ♪ Mundane ♪ When does it ever stop feeling mundane ♪ ♪ In your flames ♪ Bad day ♪ Ooo (audience cheering) Thank you.

- We're gonna invite Zeke and Victor back up here for our second collab song.

This song we're gonna play with Victor and Zeke is, it's called "TV Window."

This one actually we never formally recorded.

I think you can only find it on SoundCloud.

But we decided to revisit it.

It's been a really, really long time, and it's been really fun to work with these guys and SoulFlower it up a little bit.

(audience cheering) (mellow rock music) ♪ If you were here with me ♪ We could watch some TV ♪ Through your neighbor's window ♪ ♪ Where are you ♪ When you fall in your dreams ♪ Before you're startled awake ♪ Skipping steps and tripping on your feet ♪ ♪ You wanna go now ♪ Do you see me ♪ I wanna know how ♪ To be right on time ♪ If you were here with me ♪ We could watch some TV ♪ Where are you when you fall in your dreams ♪ ♪ Before you're startled awake ♪ Skipping steps and tripping on your feet ♪ ♪ I wanna know now ♪ Do you see me ♪ I wanna know how ♪ To be right on time ♪ Baby ♪ Baby (guitar solo) ♪ Wanna know now ♪ Do you see me ♪ Wanna know how ♪ To be right on ♪ Time ♪ Thank you - It's The Message, Carbon Sound in studio, with Twin Cities United Performers, also known as TCUP, Katie and Nadi as the representatives.

They're a group of musicians and performers throughout the Twin Cities that believe that they can make Minnesota the best place in the world to be a musician.

And if you're just- - Being a musician is not a hobby.

And I think for a long time, there's this narrative that, like what we do as artists is just like For fun and games and it is an absolute joy, and I can't imagine doing anything else, but it's also really hard to find a sustainable career in 2024 doing this.

We're hoping to have these conversations and kind of demystify what it means to be a musician, so people can see a little behind the curtain, and see how much labor goes into making your favorite songs, and to making like the soundtracks of your love life, or your wedding, and these things that are so important to you.

There is so much work that actually goes into the 30 minutes of a set that actually happens that you don't, that a lot of people don't see.

- There is like the creative side, but there is also this business side that nobody really wants to talk about.

- I know.

I think that's an area where the Minneapolis scene could collaborate more on.

And so reaching out to people, like you can DM me if you ever have questions about stuff.

Being where we're at now, it feels really important for me to uplift the younger bands who are doing what we were doing, to keep the music scene thriving and pumping out amazing musicians.

A long time ago, people would actually buy records, and it would actually be able to allow people to continue to create that the art that they want to do.

We no longer have that opportunity.

Streaming has taken over.

Artists get paid .0038 cents per stream.

So while we have 3 million streams on Spotify, which is super awesome, that doesn't actually really give us money to continue doing what we're doing.

So I wanna have a little call to action for you all.

Make sure you're actually buying albums, and you are purchasing merch, and you're not asking to get on the guest list, but you're buying tickets to shows.

It makes a huge difference for us as musicians to continue doing what we're doing, and we all obviously love music and it means something to us.

Let's all do something for our scene.

Support our local scene and buy a $12 ticket.

It makes a big difference.

(rock music) ♪ Hey ♪ What did you say to me ♪ Would you say that to your mother ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ Trying to get a name ♪ You'll be sorry, mother (...) ♪ Trying to get a name ♪ Hey ♪ I don't want to take it down ♪ Another one comes out ♪ Hey ♪ What did you say to me ♪ Would you say that to your mother ♪ ♪ Oh, not again ♪ Heart on the face ♪ I'm not what you're looking for ♪ ♪ And it's like I'm forgiven ♪ What do you want from me ♪ What do you want from me ♪ It goes on and on ♪ And on and on ♪ And on ♪ Hey ♪ What did you say to me ♪ Would you say that to your mother ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ Trying to get away ♪ Are you sorry, mother(...) ♪ Hey ♪ Now you want to take it down, another one crawls out ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ What did you say to me ♪ Would you say that to your mother ♪ (grunge music) ♪ Remember your manners ♪ Keep your hands to yourself ♪ That's not how you make friends ♪ ♪ Take that stuff somewhere else ♪ ♪ Put your nose in the corner ♪ Wash your mouth out with soap ♪ ♪ Now pluck out your eyes, rise up till you choke ♪ ♪ I'm not what you're looking for ♪ ♪ I'm not what you're looking for ♪ ♪ I'm not what you're looking for ♪ ♪ I'm not what you're looking for ♪ ♪ Trying to get with me ♪ You'll be sorry, mother (...) ♪ Hey ♪ What did you say to me ♪ Would you say that to your mother ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ Trying to get with me ♪ You'll be sorry, mother (...) ♪ Hey ♪ Do you wanna take it down, another one crawls out ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ What did you say to me ♪ Would you say that to your mother ♪ (audience cheering) - [Nadi] Thank you so much.

- Thank you!

- [Nadi] We're Gully Boys and we'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] This program was produced with The Current, and made possible by Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and these stage supporters.

(upbeat music)