(bright music) (dog lightly whimpers) - There you go, buddy.

(laughs) Are you excited, Don?

Hey, everybody.

My name is Matt MF Tyner.

New joint and everything.

Well, Don Juan, I got him when he was six months old, but right now he'll be eight years old in June.

Oh, so excited.

I figured one day about three years ago, you know, he was so sad watching me leave (Don Juan barking) that I brought him with me, and he just took right to it.

You ready to rock that?

I brought his dog bed with.

As soon as I would start playing, he would just come and lay down right next to me for the whole gig.

(bright acoustic music) Up, up.

People love it.

He loves the interaction.

I love having him there with me, makes me feel comfortable, and he just eats it up, he just loves it.

Matt "Making Friends" Tyner.

(laughs) It hasn't always been that, I guess.

My buddy Jameson over at Jamo's in Arlington, we used to work together at Mimas years ago.

We were friends, and I walked into his bar one night, there was like three or four people there, and he's like "Matt MF Tyner," and all laughed about it.

But then, all of a sudden, all over the east side, it just kind of stuck and people started calling me that.

And as I've gotten a little bit older and playing different places, I've changed it into Magic Fingers, Mr.

Fancy, and, my favorite, Matt "Making Friends" Tyner.

(gentle acoustic music) ♪ Waiting for the end ♪ ♪ Of a lonely day ♪ I'm originally from La Grange, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, and just started getting into music then, a lot of blues music.

You know, came up to Wisconsin, I guess, in the early '90s and traveling around a little bit on my own and picking up more of the acoustic guitar stuff, getting into more of like John Prine and Guy Clark, you know, and then the older stuff, Waylon, Willie, and Cash.

♪ But when you're drunk ♪ ♪ Ain't nobody there ♪ to give you a ride ♪ I got my first guitar when I was 16.

I pretty much taught myself.

♪ She wait for some blow-back, ♪ not like a cool breeze ♪ ♪ You're such a fool now ♪ ♪ Can't see the forest ♪ through the trees ♪ Started learning on my own, watching other people, going to see concerts, and going to different festivals and trying to talk to the guitar players that I was interested in.

But along the way, I always loved that bluesy, country, kind of Americana feel.

I like Milwaukee because a lot of musicians know each other and we can play together.

So if I need to pick up a band, I've got a bunch of guitar players and some bass players and some other people I can call up and put it together pretty quick.

(groovy blues music) Being able to sit here and play a couple of original songs is such a wonderful feeling, but when people get into it and come up to me in between songs or after a set between sets and tell me something specific that they heard me play... And it's maybe cliche, but even if it's just that one person that connects with you a little bit on something that you came up with all on your own, it really is a special moment and that really makes me feel really good.

- Okay, all set?

- Yeah.

(bright acoustic music) - Uli, please.

- [Uli] Oh, fine.

Okay.

(Matt laughs) - Up, up.

(gentle guitar music) - [Director] Uli, go ahead and roll.

- Rolling.

- Okay.

- My name is Matt Tyner, and this is my song "Melancholy Song."

(gentle acoustic music) ♪ Well, you're walking around, ♪ that cold sea in your eyes ♪ ♪ Cut so deep I didn't ♪ so darn recognize ♪ ♪ Just waiting for that ♪ look in somebody's eyes ♪ ♪ And now you're ♪ stealing hearts ♪ ♪ Just like you're ♪ stealing gold ♪ ♪ 'Til everything you got ♪ has been bought and sold ♪ ♪ The path you're choosing ♪ is much too cold ♪ ♪ Until the things ♪ that you love ♪ ♪ You find you ♪ hate now the most ♪ ♪ And all your friends are ♪ just like some unholy ghost ♪ ♪ And wait for that feeling, ♪ just like brand new ♪ ♪ Well, that lover's kiss, ♪ the things that she do ♪ ♪ Find another way ♪ to rationalize ♪ ♪ All those wasted days ♪ and all your lies ♪ ♪ Waiting for the end ♪ ♪ Of a lonely day ♪ (gentle acoustic music continues) ♪ And you only like the day ♪ ♪ When it becomes the ♪ end of your night ♪ ♪ Always ready to move, you're ♪ always so ready to fight ♪ ♪ But when you're drunk ♪ ♪ Ain't nobody there ♪ to give you a ride ♪ ♪ She wait for some blow-back, ♪ not like a cool breeze ♪ ♪ You're such a fool now ♪ ♪ Can't see the forest ♪ through the trees ♪ ♪ Oh, waiting for the end ♪ ♪ Of a lonely day ♪ ♪ Until the things ♪ that you love ♪ ♪ You find you ♪ hate now the most ♪ ♪ And all your friends are ♪ just like some unholy ghost ♪ ♪ Wait for that feeling, ♪ just like brand new ♪ ♪ Well, that lover's kiss, ♪ the things that she do ♪ ♪ Find another way ♪ to rationalize ♪ ♪ All those wasted days ♪ and all your lies ♪ ♪ Waiting for the ♪ end of a lonely day ♪ ♪ Waiting for the ♪ end of a lonely day ♪ (gentle acoustic music continues) (gentle guitar music concludes) "Melancholy Song," it's basically about depression and feeling melancholy and just kind of cruising through your days.

♪ Find another way ♪ to rationalize ♪ ♪ All those wasted days ♪ and all your lies ♪ ♪ Waiting for the ♪ end of a lonely day ♪ And my mom was a piano player, and so she kind of got me involved in music at an early age too.

And when I played that song for her the first time, she was really kind of blown away 'cause it was an honest song, and it gave her insight to my life and the things that I was going through.

♪ Wait for that feeling, ♪ just like brand new ♪ ♪ Well, that lover's kiss, ♪ the things that she do ♪ It makes me feel proud that people enjoy it.

It makes me feel good about myself, that I can get those things off my chest and be honest, because like I said before, making an honest living, having integrity, and doing the things that I do, my mom, I carry her inside me in just about everything I do, so it makes me proud and I know it makes her proud.

♪ For the end of a lonely day ♪ (gentle acoustic music) (gentle acoustic music concludes) (participants chattering) - [Justin] Hello, come on up.

- How are you doing?

- Good, how are you?

(catchy guitar music) (Hanna vocalizing) (gentle folk music) ♪ You gave it all back ♪ ♪ Gave it all back ♪ ♪ Got me off track ♪ My name is Hanna Simone.

I'm from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I got my start in music pretty much from my family.

Growing up, my mom listened to a lot of hip hop, soul, R&B, and stuff like that, so a lot of my time was spent trying to imitate that.

Once my mom heard me sing and thought I was okay at it, she kind of just threw me into lessons.

♪ Something is different, ♪ something is in the air ♪ I had an instructor in high school that really pushed me, especially that pushed me to get out on stage.

I had a really hard time being on stage and doing stuff like that, but he really pushed me.

And then pretty much as I got older, I spent a lot of time listening to like Brandy Carlisle and Jewel and songwriters more so.

Those are songwriters that are also great vocalists, so that helped me be able to like hone in on being a singer and a songwriter at the same time.

I moved to Nashville and I did two years at a music school in Nashville, and then I moved back home and I did a year at Concordia and a year at UWM.

I love the Milwaukee music scene.

It has been really like interesting, especially coming back from COVID, how to navigate the music scene as a whole.

But I have the best band, they're like my greatest friends, and they're kind of teaching me how to wiggle my way into the scene, which is full of just incredible musicians, vocalists, producers.

Milwaukee's full of great potential.

♪ Please give me space to ♪ ♪ Think all these ♪ things through ♪ All of my songs are written from a place of vulnerability or an experience that I've been through, so I would hope that anybody that was listening to my song could take that song in whatever it is and take from that at whatever capacity they need.

There's never like a specific goal to a song of mine that I want somebody to hear specifically.

I just want it to be so vulnerable and so honest that people can listen to it and grab what they need to like hear in that moment.

♪ Some things are ♪ better left unsaid ♪ Personally, like as an individual artist, I kind of wanted to be like an indie, kind of like a folk singer songwriter, which is not the route we took, and I'm actually really enjoying like learning blues and rock and soul.

Music is not like, it's not a hobby.

It's not something that I just kind of like pick up and put down whenever I want to.

Music was pretty much like my catharsis, like it was my consistent, it was always there.

So I do it because I literally have to, otherwise, I just don't feel like myself.

- I never realized how good your soundproofing in this space is.

- [Director] Clap first just so we can sync everything up.

Uli, you got the beat?

- Has beat.

- [Director] Standby.

Whenever you are ready.

- Hi, my name is Hanna Simone, and this song is called "Left Unsaid."

(groovy blues music) (groovy blues music continues) ♪ Please give me space to ♪ ♪ Think all these ♪ things through ♪ ♪ Some things are ♪ better left unsaid ♪ ♪ Feel out the tension ♪ ♪ No reason for feeling ♪ ♪ Like the world ♪ is in your head ♪ ♪ He gave it all back ♪ ♪ Gave it all back ♪ ♪ Got me off track ♪ ♪ Gave all my lovin' away ♪ (groovy blues music continues) ♪ You're so unpredictable ♪ ♪ Emotion so physical ♪ ♪ Lord only knows ♪ what you've planned ♪ ♪ Taking the short way ♪ ♪ Thinking that I'll stay ♪ ♪ Never looking behind my mind ♪ ♪ He gave it all back ♪ ♪ Gave it all back ♪ ♪ Got me off track ♪ ♪ Gave all my lovin' away ♪ (groovy blues music continues) ♪ I'm thinking this out loud ♪ ♪ Where do we go now ♪ ♪ It can't be the ♪ same from here ♪ ♪ God, why is it me ♪ ♪ Always giving for free ♪ ♪ Is she in the ♪ bad ones up close ♪ ♪ He gave it all back ♪ ♪ Gave it all back ♪ ♪ Got me off track ♪ ♪ Gave all my lovin' away ♪ (groovy blues music concludes) All right.

So this was like a collaboration song, actually.

My guitarist, Elly Bird, her brother, Max Bird, wrote the song with us.

But we were kind of in the basement with a couple other musicians, and I had made a really like bizarre comment, maybe like a TMI kind of a comment.

And Elly's response was, "Girl, some things are better left unsaid," and I was like, "Okay, we can actually use that."

And we pretty much started the song with that idea and just collaborated and threw stuff together.

But pretty much, the song is just that, like some things are better left unsaid.

♪ Please give me space to ♪ ♪ Think all these ♪ things through ♪ ♪ Some things are ♪ better left unsaid ♪ (groovy blues music fades out) - I am from Manitowoc County, Valders specifically, you know, a little small town.

I just always, always listened to music anytime we can put earphones on.

♪ There is one thing I thought ♪ Singing started 'cause I went to a little church school, and then it was choir every day, and we're singing, and that was eight years of that.

I love singing.

Singing's the best part.

I don't know, I just yelled before I ever really sang to just get emotions out.

♪ It's been a damn hard ♪ living, but I got myself home ♪ My cousin got a guitar and then we just started playing when we were like 12 and then, you know, it just evolved, evolved, and when I was about 19, 20, started writing songs.

Then I found Todd Snider and John Prine, and that's when I got really into storytelling.

And, you know, you just hone it over the years and it's a craft thing.

♪ Oh, pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me ♪ Wisconsin bar band, I mean that's what I grew up playing around and seeing everything in the Appleton area.

You know, it was blues-based rock, the guys that were playing it, and that's what I always loved, like Neil Young things and Creedence Clearwater, and you get to hear those songs.

The thing I like about songwriting, you can put a chorus on there and now you have hope.

♪ Oh, down and cry ♪ That I've done all this, it sucks, but there is something out there worth living for, worth getting outside of your comfort element.

And it's an energy, and like coming down here, it's so connected with the blues in Milwaukee and the Chicago scene that when you go to a blues show on a Sunday afternoon, it's a party.

People are dancing and doing it.

Hello, I'm Derek Pritzl.

This is "Junkyard Roads."

(gentle acoustic music) Bringing people in, that's my favorite thing, is playing for people and seeing it go out into the crowd and come back to you and the interaction.

I'm singing and trying to get an emotion out or project something, and whatever experience you had that connects to that, that's great, you know.

If we connect, we're buddies.

It's good.

(bright acoustic music) - Hello, I'm Derek Pritzl, and this is "Pardon Me."

(upbeat folk music) ♪ Oh, pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down and cry ♪ ♪ Don't you ask no ♪ questions, honey ♪ ♪ I don't wanna lie ♪ ♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down and cry ♪ ♪ Well, I've been a young ♪ man many moons ago ♪ ♪ The heart of Wisconsin ♪ it's what I called my home ♪ ♪ Spent 54 years ♪ out here on my own ♪ ♪ Then I got nothing ♪ for to call my own ♪ ♪ Oh, pardon me, ♪ please pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down and cry ♪ ♪ Don't you ask no ♪ questions, honey ♪ ♪ I don't wanna lie ♪ ♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down to cry ♪ ♪ Oh, I've been a painter, ♪ a worker of wood ♪ ♪ I turned dust into mortar ♪ ♪ And then seed ♪ right into food ♪ ♪ Oh, but the blood and ♪ the sweat and tears ♪ ♪ Lord, it's done me no good ♪ ♪ When your debts ♪ come a-calling ♪ ♪ Well, it's all a man can do ♪ ♪ Oh, pardon me, ♪ please pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down to cry ♪ ♪ Don't you ask no ♪ questions, honey ♪ ♪ I don't wanna lie ♪ ♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down and cry ♪ (upbeat folk music continues) (upbeat folk music continues) ♪ It's the pride ♪ where the line goes ♪ ♪ The tools of the trade ♪ ♪ It's the fork in ♪ the path, honey ♪ ♪ And neither one is safe ♪ ♪ But what's left to say ♪ ♪ 'Cause as I stand before ♪ you, shadow of a man ♪ ♪ Singing all ♪ these songs about ♪ ♪ The things I ♪ don't understand ♪ ♪ And above all those things ♪ of which many I regret ♪ ♪ It's the trust of a woman ♪ ♪ Well, you never ♪ do get it back ♪ ♪ Oh, pardon me, ♪ please pardon me ♪ ♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down and cry ♪ ♪ But don't you ask ♪ no questions, honey ♪ ♪ I don't wanna lie ♪ ♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down and cry ♪ ♪ Oh, please pardon ♪ me if I break ♪ ♪ Down and cry ♪ (upbeat folk music ends) The "Pardon Me" song was more of, like, an exercise 'cause I got really into bluegrass and Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe.

But specifically, the "Oh, Death" song that Ralph Stanley sings, it has a, that story, a tear, you know, a really sad song.

♪ It's the trust of a woman ♪ ♪ Well, you never ♪ do get it back ♪ ♪ Oh, pardon me, ♪ please pardon me ♪ And then, I was working at the Allis-Chalmers, I got into the old offices, and they had pictures of the roads.

Before there were roads, they were all timber roads all around West Allis, and that's how people got around.

And yeah, I just thought of a, you know, guy from, what, 1912 working in West Allis and being older and not having anything, and the regret.

♪ Please pardon me if ♪ I break down and cry ♪ But, I mean, it's still kind of biographical in certain parts 'cause I've been all those things in my journey through this life.

♪ Please pardon me if I break ♪ ♪ Oh, down and cry ♪ (upbeat folk music concludes) ♪ Waiting for the ♪ end of a lonely day ♪ ♪ Waiting for the ♪ end of a lonely day ♪ (gentle acoustic music) (gentle acoustic music fades out)