MN Music Note - Ep 46 - The Guitarist Who Turned Grief Into Hope with Nathan Pehler

What if one guitar could change someone's life?

For Nathan Pehler, music has never just been about playing shows. After losing his father and battling addiction, he found a new purpose—giving away guitars to kids who needed hope, encouragement, and someone to believe in them. In this episode, Nathan shares the stories behind his Make A Riff project, why he believes Minnesota's underground metal scene is stronger than ever, and how music continues to save lives in more ways than one.

In this episode, we talked about:

🎸 The heartbreaking story that inspired Nathan to start giving away guitars

❤️ How losing his dad changed the course of his life forever

🤘 Why Minnesota's underground metal scene is thriving despite what people think

🎶 The truth about making a living as a metal musician

🔥 His journey through addiction, rehab, and finding purpose again

🎤 The bands, studios, and people keeping Minnesota metal alive

🎁 Why giving back to the next generation means more to him than any stage he's ever played

This episode is funny, raw, inspiring, and a reminder that music has the power to change lives far beyond the stage. Hit play—you'll leave seeing both metal and the people behind it in a completely different way.

If you're part of the Minnesota music scene—or know someone with a story worth sharing—we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to us and let's shine a spotlight on the artists, bands, venues, and creators that make Minnesota music special.

The Minnesota Music Note is always looking for the next great guest!

Resources:

PodcastCrew website: podcastcrew.online

The MN Music Note FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/minnesotamusicnote/

Email: william@podcastcrew.online

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:17

It's just really neat. So like you know, what do they call it? Like the seven seven layers of Kevin Bacon or something like that. When you meet somebody, you end up it said the seven degrees of Kevin Bacon, not seven layers. That's like a burrito, right? Kevin Bacon burrito. So yeah, it's just fascinating because if you meet people, you start meeting other people that they know, and that's really what I want to do with this podcast, is just kind of get to know everybody that's done anything in the local Minnesota music scene.

SPEAKER_02 0:41

So well, I mean it's everyone kind of knows each other through either someone's this is my cousin or this is you know whoever I know this person for somewhat. So it's kind of a a small scene in a way. Yeah. Um very diverse. Uh like I have friends that are in cover bands, I have friends that are in, you know, like folk bands and stuff like that. Do we get out and support each other's show all the time? Not all the time, but you know, it's you always keep the you know, the friendships going with musicians because badass people, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

As much as I make fun of them, because I am one of them. But uh yeah, it's uh it's fun, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

It is. Yeah, I mean it's uh with when you make more friends that are in bands, it becomes equally are uh considerably more difficult every weekend because now you've got 17 friends playing in different places rather than three of them, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

That's that's the worst. Um when I was living in Fargo, because I lived in Fargo for 40 years of my life and I moved here five, six years ago, something like that, five years ago. Um it was easier because one, I worked at a bar gig, so you know I I worked like three or four days a week, and then I had another three or four days off. And most of the time since I was a senior, I got the weekends off if I wanted to, so I'd go see my buddies' bands play all the time. And I lived, I could walk to downtown Fargo. It took me, it'd take me like 20 minutes. Um whereas for now where I live in Waverly to go see a band is just the travel time is a two-hour venture, hour there, hour back, plus parking and all this stuff. And I don't I recently become sober, so I don't drink anymore, so it's tough to just kind of get out as much as I'd like to. But um, you know, I still try to support it, and whenever I can, it's just a lot harder. And the older you get too, it fucking sucks, man.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Those long drives, I mean, even when you're playing a gig, those long drives just don't it is not as fun anymore.

SPEAKER_02 2:34

No, I mean it's there's stuff that I'm excited for and I'll I'll make sacrifices for, but like if there's something happening during a weekday, there's not a chance I'm gonna do that. Like the last one I went was uh wasp on a Thursday, and that was a fucking nightmare for the next day. Because I get up at 5 30 in the morning, so we didn't get home till one in the morning, so I get four hours of sleep, then a long ass day the next day. But I love wasps, that was pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

That's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Like the Wasp. Ah, okay. Nice at the filmmore back in November, I believe that was. Okay, yeah. The filmmore is a pretty nice venue. Oh, it's nice, hella, hella fucking cool.

SPEAKER_00 3:07

We were just uh so the last guy that was in here, Wally and I were just talking about like the different sizes of venues. How you used to be able to go like watch uh uh uh Pantera and they would fill up a freaking stadium. Yep. But now Pantera would probably play someplace like the filmmore. I mean, it's just like like like the crowds, a testament is coming, and I think they're playing at the filmmore in in in a couple weeks or whatever, and it's just like, yeah, I mean, these big mega bands, like how how have things changed? And we we got real deep and almost a little bit depressing, kind of thinking about what's happening to rock and metal and what the future potentially looks like. Like, is there space? Is there a way for these young up-and-coming bands who might actually be really freaking good to even be found anymore?

SPEAKER_02 3:46

Oh, dude, it's the model has changed. It is, it's out there. Um I've only spent a little bit, I've only dipped my toe in the water to like a uh a popular version of the rock and metal scene of like doing the covers and stuff like that. It's good money and stuff like that, a lot of good people, but it wasn't for me. So I've mainly stuck in the underground with you know the small clubs, the all-ages shows, the uh whatever. There's no money to be had in it, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. Um but I was just at one of my old guitar students, uh, he was doing an all-ages show at the Flying V.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Which is now right across the street from us from us. Yep. Yeah, I know we're we're connected through there too. And I won't we'll get we'll get talking about that a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

But um, but when I went to go check out his band, like it everything is a little different. Um, like they don't care about the sound as much anymore or the light show. It's just having a place to play, which is awesome. I mean, real DIY. But uh they do like 10-minute sets, which is wild to me.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Wow. Like it's like two songs or three songs.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

Well, they're writing like shorter songs, yeah. But it's like it was okay, like uh we play a half hour set, and that's like okay. That's kind of like the minimum from like our like era of like originals and stuff like that. But for their 10-minute sets and they have like nine bands per per show or whatnot, there was like 300 kids, man, and they were tearing it up, they were having a blast. Okay, and you know, the the Flying V is thriving, and I'm all about that because yet again I'll make fun of local music as much as I can because it's it's a fucking nightmare. But it's cool to see that it's still going, and at the rate of like these kids aren't they're not playing like you know, three-chord green day tunes, they're playing like death metal and you know, slam metal and black metal and this shit, and it's fucking awesome, dude. It's great to see. Like it so it's gonna thrive. The scene will never die.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

That's encouraging, that's encouraging to hear.

SPEAKER_02 5:46

So it I I didn't believe it until I saw it myself because you know the shows we play are a lot of 21 plus or all 21 plus pretty much. So you you have your regulars, whatnot, and you have some new people here and there, but I don't remember the last time I've played a show that wasn't like opening for like a national band where like the crowd is just packed and they're into it, you know. It's tough when you play extreme metal too, because it's a smaller crowd for that, anyways. But uh, you know, these at that show with uh the flying V, these kids are there for the music, they're there for the fun, they're there for a good time. Whereas the 21 Plus, you're kind of there after the bar. You know, that's how it was for me when I was drinking and whatnot. So it's it's tough and it's kind of depressing when you're like, man, what do we do now? But you know, we just keep on going, just play as many shows as we can and just try to get people to pay attention. But it's tougher the older we get.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

It's an interesting uh change of the model, too, right? Because the the typical bar um uh equation is you bring people in so they buy liquor. Yep, people buy liquor, I bring your band back and pay you again because you did a great job for me. Uh but the Flying V, there's no liquor there. No, it's just a straight edge place, and so all these kids are there just because they really actually love the music, live music, and they want to get in there, jump around, and it's their release.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

It is, and if it's not the music, it's you know, the the camaraderie, or what's the word I'm looking for? The the the camaraderie, yeah. Yeah, bringing the people together. Like no matter what the reason is, it's a good positive reason for these kids to do it. And yeah, I'll be damned if I'm not gonna fucking support that, man. It's awesome. Like, it's cool to see. Like my daughter's that age where she's starting to dip her toe in the water of shows and stuff like that. She's a little bit more anti-social than I am. So like we've I took her to her first like rock concert, which was Ghost. We both found a love in that band. Nice. Uh, but and she's seen me play once at an all-ages show like eight years ago. So this is a long time ago, you know. But uh, you know, uh I just want a scene around, no matter where she's at, where she can go and hang out with those kind of kids that are like us, you know, the the artistic kids that kind of got picked on in high school. This is our outlet now, because we do not, you know, we're not out there playing football or baseball or anything like that. We're trying to make a difference in art, whether it be, you know, like drawing, whatever, or playing music.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

So that's pretty cool, man. I love it. So uh tell me a little bit about your connection with Flying V, because I I think when you and I started talking, I don't know how Flying V even came up in our conversation together, but it sounds like you're you you make guitars, right? And you donated some, or you just refurbished guitars?

SPEAKER_02 8:37

So tell me that story. Years and years and years ago, I started this uh this idea called Make a Riff, where I would I gathered money, uh, you know, through GoFundMe's and stuff like that, and whatever, and I gathered $10,000 and I bought 10 guitars, uh 10 amps, everything you need to start playing, and then three months of lessons for ten kids. And uh it was kind of a like a trial thing. Um, it was tough to kind of keep up with it because uh everyone wanted to get involved after like the first run, and it like there was at one point there was like three or four other people involved when it when it first started, it was just me doing it, and it was fun, and then with other people involved trying to change the how it was, or like, whoa, we should do this for drummers, we should do this for bass players. I'm like, well, do your own. I'm a guitar player, so um, so with that um we started that in 2015, and now the last guitar I gave away was uh through a donation, and then I donated it to the Flying V because I heard they started doing that kind of or they have been doing that stuff. Um so when I moved here, I've given away a couple guitars, but it's a lot more difficult because I'm not super well known around here, so I can't just like walk up to a kid and be like, Oh, you want a free guitar? Because it's creepy, you know. But uh because I've tried with uh going on Facebook, like, hey, this is donated to me, I fixed it up. Who needs a who needs something? Who needs a guitar? And people are like, well, I'll buy it for me. I'm like, I'm not selling it, I'm trying to give it to someone that needs it. That's always the point, because there's always there's always a kid out there that could use better gear or their first guitar or whatever. So all in all, um up until the last one I donated, I think that was guitar number 17 or 18, which isn't huge numbers, but for me it's it's huge.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

That is, it's big, man.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

You know, I mean it's it's cool, and then I found out the Flying V was doing that stuff, and so I'm just gonna start donating some stuff to there because they have the kids there that need it and the kids there that are looking to use them.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

So awesome, man. So that had to be kind of difficult to manage all the way out in Waverly, yeah? It's well so you have a lot of kids in your area, no, no, this is back in Far in the Fargo days. This is Fargo days.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

This is Fargo days, yeah. Okay. So like there was probably about 15 guitars from when I started in 2015 to when I moved up here in 2021, and then like three or four guitars from when I lived here in the Minneapolis surrounding area.

SPEAKER_00 11:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:29

Um it's just it's a lot more difficult now. Like I said, it's work and all that just being an adult. It's it it's so much work to like try to make that concept work when you don't have like a just you can't make it your full-time job. You know, uh at one point I was like, oh, is this a possibility we can you know do this make it sustainable forever? And you know, with a lot of hard work it might have worked, but it was just too much for me. Like it's it's a pain in the ass. And there's a lot of uh you'd you'd think doing some sort of charity work would always be like uplifting and whatnot, but you run into a lot of horrible people. Uh dude, fucking when I first started, when I put out the initial call of like, all right, I need to find ten kids for these ten guitars, I had to go through hundreds of emails and people were mad because that's all they got. They're like, that this is stupid. Why would I want that? Like, well, this isn't obviously isn't for you. And there were dozens of people like that, dude.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

So it like really takes away the yeah, the thought of the right energy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

You know, people just mad because that's I want more. Well, cool, go fucking get it yourself then. But uh there was enough people to make it sustainable where I'd got some like heartbreaking stories. And so I'm like, all right, this this you're getting everything as as much as I can give you, you know.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Can can you share one?

SPEAKER_02 13:01

Yeah. Um the first guitar I gave away actually was uh one of my own personal Paul Reed Smiths. Uh real, real nice guitar for a kid who's never played one before. And uh his grandma had hit me up because um his grand or his grandma knew me from playing in the uh the Fargo bar scene and she heard I was doing this and she hit me up and she's like his dad had just killed himself. I'm like, oh shit. So I had an interest in music, but it's kind of like a really somber time now. And uh so I was like, oh yeah, I I can relate to depression, I can relate to all that stuff. And my dad was my hero growing up, so I'm gonna make everything I can to happen to make this work out. And uh everyone was awesome with it. Um the mom was especially happy. Still keeping touch with them to this day, actually. And he they're still playing. Um but yeah, it was real like they tugged at the heartstrings quite a bit.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

And uh like because at that time he was what nine? Nine when he got that, so he's getting like this thousand dollar guitar. Like he had no idea about it, too. And he was just like, What's going on? I'm like, What's happening, bud? And then you know, sent him off to lessons and whatnot, and it was it was great, great to see. And just like to be able to get those stories still coming back to be like, Oh, he's still playing is awesome. Because I I didn't want to like overshadow the whole thing and be like, okay, I'm gonna follow your process, I'm gonna your progress, I'm gonna um here's your stuff, I'm gonna back off. If you if you stick with it, awesome. If you don't, just give it to someone else that will, you know. That was the kind of thing. And so far, out of a lot of those kids, um, him and two others have hit me up and they've still been playing in the last 10 years. So I actually went to a guitar recital two years ago of one of the uh make a rift kids I had in Fargo, which is pretty awesome to see.

SPEAKER_00 15:04

So what a what a blessing it is that I uh when I was a kid, right, to to look around and see other kids around me, because this was definitely not me, they kind of pick something that they loved at an early age and then stick with it for 10 years. I mean, for a kid to stick with something for 10 years, that that's something in itself, really. Because I was like, I joined the military when I got out of high school because I had no fucking clue what they wanted to do with myself, right? I just wanted to do something for myself. Yeah, yeah, and that was the easiest path to say, hey, I'm picking myself up by my own, you know, coattails and getting out doing something. There you go. But yeah, it took me a couple years from there to to kind of figure out what I I'm still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. I'm 46 years old now, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:47

But dude, it's that's that's how it is. Same. Um I I was lucky enough, I'm not sure if it's luck or whatnot, to be honest. Uh, but when I was five, I knew I wanted to play guitar. Um when I was seven, Def Leopard dropped the greatest rock album of all time, Hysteria. And I fell in love with it and I begged my dad. I'm like, it's I just want a guitar. And I have to play those songs. Went out and he bought me a uh a nylon string acoustic. You know, I didn't know what I was getting, what I was doing, but uh I went to Catholic school at the time too, and they actually had uh guitar lessons every Tuesday and Thursday. So I started when I was seven, and then by the time I was ten, I was taking uh personal lessons outside of school as well, and coming back and teaching my teacher stuff that I have learning, so kind of taking off the class at ten years old. Wow, and I've I've not turned back once. I love guitar, everything it's my life. If you know me, it's probably because of guitar or some saying something dumb on Facebook, but more than likely it's guitar-related.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Or something dumb about a guitar.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

Something dumb about guitars, something dumb about other guitars. But uh, and like to kind of go back with the whole make or if thing and uh involving my dad in that, my dad was always my hero, my dad was my number one supporter of music. So, like I said, with that nylon string guitar when I was seven years old, fast forward to when I was 13, he bought me my first Ibanez USA custom, which was like a $1,500 guitar. And in 1993, that's like a $7,000 guitar now. Right. So, like that's how serious he's like, You're taking this serious, let's go all the way. That's awesome. And he would help me with gear all the time, and just my number one supporter was great. Um, so I kind of wanted to do that for people that didn't have that option. Because it's expensive to want to be a musician. Sure. It's the worst financial decision you're ever gonna make in your life.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Never gonna pay itself back. Nope.

SPEAKER_02 17:55

Nope. Unless you're one that one in a million and still, like I know people that are like touring the world that still can barely pay their rent. Yeah, you know, it's it's crazy. And it because we do it because we love it, we don't do it because there's money. And anyone that's that says they aren't gonna try to make money on it, more power to you. But like realistically, you're not gonna do what you love in this game and make money. You know, like for a person like me being a guitarist, if I want to become like a session guitarist or like uh something like that, I I wouldn't have fun doing that. I want to play black metal and death metal, and there's no money in that. So it's all for the love of it, you know. But it's all I want to do in life, it's just play, man.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

Well, I mean, that's pretty cool too, just to be again to kind of know what you want to do early on, and then to have that uh that support system in place to really get you through it. And that's just awesome, man, that you're saying you saw that, you had that benefit, you had that blessing, and you're saying I I want to turn around and be able to do that for for kids out there as well.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

It was the greatest way to because my father passed in 2015. It was the greatest way to keep his memory going for me.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

So this all kind of came about at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

Yep. I was 2015, huh? I was just lost, depressed, and um really like addiction hit hard at that point, and I needed to find something to kind of like lead me on the right path. And it did. Um, it didn't cure everything it needed to, but it got you know the kind of start of like, all right, let's start thinking about other people more than yourself, you know. And that's kind of how I always am. I really as much as I make like a jackass out of myself um on stage or on Facebook, I'm really a quiet and humble guy. Like I don't I don't partake in the who's the fastest, best guitarist or who's the coolest, whatever. It's like I'm just I just the only person I'm trying to be better than musically and and everything in life is me. That's the only my the only person I'm up against is myself. Sure. So and I always try to teach that to my students because I I'll also teach guitar at the shred den. Um it's you gotta be humble when it comes to playing because I think you'll understand when I say there's some people that may be fantastic musicians that you've probably met, and they're the worst people in the world to work with. We've all dealt with those people. Yeah, their talent overrides like their ability to function with other human beings. Like I know a dude who can play like mom's dean riffs off is fucking just like crazy. Shit like that. Just make them up, but it's so hard to work with. So I mean you gotta be humble in this game. Yes, it's not a rock star thing, man. Fucking it's it's ridiculous when you meet those kind of people and then they actually believe like that's how it is playing like local shows, like, whoa, where's my green room? Where's I thought we're supposed to get all this, and this it's like this bro, we they gave us a place to play, and if you got like a hundred bucks to share between the five of your band members, you're fucking doing good.

SPEAKER_00 20:58

Good night tonight, yeah. Right?

SPEAKER_02 21:00

So that's kind of funny.

SPEAKER_00 21:02

So tell me, uh um we talked a little bit about kind of early and how you got inspired, you know, to get into playing guitar and stuff like that. But you know, um, I think when you and I first started talking, I was actually inviting a band that you were recently in. Yes. And then uh that's how we got connected again. Because we got connected initially because we were trying to t talk about doing, I think, a jam during COVID over the internet or something, which never materialized, but no, no big deal. But um, I I tried to get that going with too many people at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

So it was it was a wild time.

SPEAKER_00 21:33

Yeah, it was a wild time in all of our lives. But you know, tell me about you know, from from that time period, I guess when we first met, tell me about some band stuff you've been doing, man.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

So I think uh the band you're discussing was Die Hardcore. Am I correct? Yep. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

So who actually just got recommended by a band that came in on Saturday again? Okay. Slag came in. Oh yeah. Slag's awesome. Yeah, all those guys came in, they were f they were fun.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

So Die Hardcore That uh that was a fun project. Um Rob Carlson, Josh Kellerman, Aaron Little Minden, uh pronounced his name wrong, Jay, from Die Ghost. All of us got together and we're playing just like this. Like this broken down thrash punk music, stuff that we normally don't play. Because like Rob and I are like death and black metal. Well, I'm more black metal and Rob's death metal. But uh him and I have been playing guitar and bands since I moved here. Like literally the f the first person I saw when I moved to Minneapolis was Rob. I pulled up to his place in my U-Hall and I was like, hey, one, can I have a job? And two, what are we doing bandwise? And I joined Glutton for Punishment that day.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

Um But so like anytime Rob would have an idea of some music stuff, he'd hit me up and be like, Hey, you want to try this out? And I'm like, sure, why not? And uh I'm really proud of the stuff we did with Die Hardcore. But after I uh had a little bit of uh life happen to me and went to rehab, uh I had to take down a few notches of what I was doing musically just to not bring myself back to where I understood, yeah. Yep. And it sucks um that I had to w walk away from it, but it was it was the band that wasn't doing as much as the other two bands. I was in four bands at the time. So Rip Snorder I stopped. But we haven't really done anything in like four years. Um Die Hardcore I had to walk away from, and they all understood there was all all super cool about it. So now it's just apothec and glutton for punishment. But I love the Die Hardcore guys, and the dude they got to replace me, I don't know his name, but he's fucking awesome. They're they're ripping it up. Um super proud to be a part of that whole thing. And it was actually one of the first bands that the album that we recorded got pressed to vinyl. And I've never had that happen before, so that was kind of neat. But then it was like, oh, I'm out of the band now. Here it is. But on the wall. Yeah, exactly. It it's artwork now. Um but besides that, which I'm not in right now, the two bands I am in, Glutton for Punishment, Minneapolis Death Metal, and Apothec, Minneapolis Black Death Metal. And those are all original. Um both those bands right now are in the writing process. Um we're gonna be releasing a new full-length glutton album here in the next six months or so, I think. Uh I think we have some studio time set up in like March or May. Uh no, it's May, yeah. Um so we're gonna do like ten tracks, I believe. And it's just gonna be heavy as fuck. Um like try to like each album you want to do a little bit better than the next one. So we did an EP about a year and a half ago, two years ago. Now we're trying to outdo that with I mean they've done a bunch of albums before I even started. But uh we're just trying to be the best that we can be with that. And Apothec. We are releasing a single this weekend, or this Friday. Um released an album like two years ago. And we've kind of been quiet since then. So we went in the studio, released an uh recorded uh uh single and a video. So that's gonna be dropping this Friday at like midnight, I believe. And uh pretty excited about that too. And then we're still writing for that. I think I have four or five songs for the new album, and we're trying to do ten as well. So nice. But yeah, it's it's all extreme metal for me. That's that's what I like to do these days.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

So all extreme all the time.

SPEAKER_02 25:45

Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:46

So where where do you what uh studio do you guys you like to use?

SPEAKER_02 25:50

Well, Will at 1459 has been very gracious and helped us out on almost all our albums. All the Glutton albums for sure. He did the first Apothic album, a couple singles for us as well. Um so for Glutton, we're gonna be going back to Will. Um for Apothec, we went to Adam Tucker at Signature Tone for the single. Okay. Just to kind of try something different. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

It's funny because Slag went to Adam first and now they're going to Will. Okay. It's it's kind of it's I I like that because I would uh the Minnesota music note, I really want to get beyond just talking to musicians. I want to get different people like that. So it's nice to be able to name drop, but Will's actually coming in. So Will's amazing. I love Will. I've never met him, but again, like you, I've known him through the internet and we've kind of like chatted a couple times.

SPEAKER_02 26:36

So I just did a uh a Gear Talk YouTube video with him that's gonna be dropping here in the next month or so.

SPEAKER_00 26:41

Oh yeah?

SPEAKER_02 26:42

So Will's always been great. Um Adam was great to work with. That's the thing, like those two guys are like the go-to for anything rock, metal. Um the stuff that I'm familiar with. Yeah. I'm sure they record other stuff as well.

unknown 26:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:57

But they're fantastic with those two, and it's just like they both have a really good vibe too. Like if you had to tell me like who should I go to, I'm like, fucking both, man. They're both awesome. It's just, you know, what you want to whatever you go with your gut with them, but they're both amazing. Like I would I could not be happier with the stuff they've given us.

SPEAKER_00 27:17

So now how about who's shooting your music videos?

SPEAKER_02 27:20

Uh that was also Adam Tucker. We just did like a live playthrough.

SPEAKER_00 27:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Which was very unnerving because when you're trying anytime I've seen like those playthrough videos before, I thought it was like you're gonna lip sync it to remime it to what's already been recorded. But no, he's recording you laying down that track. So he's got a camera like floating around, and you're just like, god damn it, man. But uh we made it through and it was cool, and it's badass, man. Nice. Pretty excited for that. Nice. Um we're with Apothic. We're just trying to get we're coming into our own now. Uh the first album was like kind of a trial run of what we want to do musically. And now we're taking like bits of that and then other influences to really get into it. And this new song that we just released or will release on Friday is kind of like uh the direction we're gonna be going, which is a little bit more darker, a little bit more thrashy, a little bit more evil. So I'm really happy about it, really excited about it.

SPEAKER_00 28:22

It's funny, like it's gonna be dark and thrashy and evil. I'm really excited about it. Like I told you, man. No, I love that. Like you know, metalheads are some of the friendliest people in the world, man. Dude, we we get it out through our music so we don't need to be unfriendly for the rest of the day.

SPEAKER_02 28:38

It's I mean, yeah, like I said, you see me on stage playing like black pony guitars, fucking inverted crosses, pentagrams, all that, then when I'm home, it's just me cuddling up my dogs, watching letter penny, just being a goof. So I mean, like it it is how it is, man. Like I I am what I am. I love I love just being a goofball and I love getting out of me. Uh there's something about extreme music that just makes you happy. You know?

SPEAKER_00 29:05

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

Like it's it's the greatest thing in the world to me. It's funny because like some of my other friends are don't like the same music as me. And they play like, like I said, the folk music or stuff like that. When we discuss like what makes us feel good, like they'll like play me something and I'll play them something, and it's complete opposite to like oh that just drives me crazy. Like if you pull out an acoustic guitar and a capo, I'm just gonna fucking I'm out, I'm sorry. But and they feel the same way when it's like seen enough of this.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

Yeah, we're good.

SPEAKER_02 29:34

But you know, like I said, you always supportive friends and whatnot, and it's it's it's cool to just, you know, like I said, be able to vent your frustrations and your creativity through music. Like no matter what. It's the best feeling on the world.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

Well, I don't know where it's gonna go, but I I love what you did uh with the the guitars. And you know, if if you start doing something like that again and you don't have to, um, you know, I I'm I'm here to be a part of it in some way. Oh, yeah. How that materializes, who knows, who cares? We've got lots of cameras, got space, etc. Well, why do you want to do that? Across the street from the flying V, and I want to do something with them too. So just basically, as your brain starts to work again and you start to get inspired with something, rock, let's let's do something, man. So I'm all about it, dude. Yeah. I definitely so uh there's this thing called podcast a thon, which is like there's like thousands of YouTube or podcasters across the world who've been gathered by this organization and they do a podcast in the benefit of a nonprofit. And I'm actually gonna do that with the Flying V. So I want to do a podcast at their space to talk about what they're up to. But then I would I would, you know, I just I I don't know where to take it yet, but I want to take it even further. Like, what more can we do for that organization over there for Mama V for you know really giving back so much to the community?

SPEAKER_02 30:49

To just give an idea. Um get the word out like a month or two beforehand and see how many donations of guitars you can get sent your way. And if you can like just walk in there, like even if it's just one or five or ten, however many. I mean if you want to work with me on this one, we could do it together. Um get those instruments, I will get them in tip top shape and ready to donate. Um all polished up, pre-strung, you know, set up, all that stuff.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

And uh, why not? And then make it make it more than just a podcast, make it an event, you know. Yeah. Have a show, do whatever. Yeah, have a show, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

We're just spitballing here, but yeah, let me know. I mean, because I have absolutely no issues with trying to get as much gear out there as possible.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

That's cool. It's the greatest thing.

SPEAKER_02 31:39

And it it it's so fulfilling too.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

I dig it, man. Hell yeah. Alright, so I always wrap these up with the same question for everybody. Who should be next on the show? Who do you recommend?

SPEAKER_02 31:49

It could be a band, could be a uh uh When you're gonna be having Will in here and you're working on Die Hardcore, those are two big ones I'd say yes. Um God, that's a tough one. Oh, there's a bunch of great bands around here. Uh in Human Scourge, Courier, um, Raven, Wolf Mask. There's there's so many good bands that I I'll give you a list. Like I'll I'll just send you a list of things.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

That's fine, yeah. Shoot me a list afterwards and but like those ones especially. Um work my way through. There's but even like I said, uh other people that are that are related to the music industry that are not necessarily like the first thought, you know, not necessarily like the band that you play with on the weekend, but you know, just like Wills or you know, the different people out there. Like you don't have to give me anything now. Yeah, as you're thinking through that as you're thinking through that, you know, like oh, you know what would be really interesting? This dude does a little digital magazine or whatever about there's some really good promoters too that uh I'd like to get in touch with you to get their word out as well.

SPEAKER_02 32:58

Cool. Yeah, definitely, dude. Fucking I'll send you some shit because there's some really good people around here. And like I said, it's cool to have like a know of not just one genre of folks, like as many as possible.

SPEAKER_00 33:09

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

Because well, we're all here for the same reason. We just want to get our shit hurt, man.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

Yeah, yeah, and get out there and have a good time, right? Hell yeah, brother. Yeah, dude, I appreciate you having me. Yeah, this has been fun.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

Hell yeah. Hey there, Minnesota Music Family. If I haven't personally reached out to you yet, consider this your 100% official invitation to join me on the Minnesota Music No. I'm Will McLeod, co-founder of the podcast crew here in beautiful Robinsdale, host of the show, and the guy behind the kit for the band Hits and the Misses. I started this podcast because I want to get to know the people who make our scene tick. Whether you're fronting a band, spinning hip-hop, running sound, booking shows, running shows, or teaching the next generation of talent, your story belongs here. We've had everyone from videographers to festival organizers on the mic, and we're just getting started. It doesn't matter if you're playing arenas or just making magic in your basement. If you're part of the Minnesota music community, I want to chat. Slide into my DMs or hit the email below and let's hang out and talk shop.