Gully Boys: A Grunge Revolution
A new beginning is approaching the music scene in Minneapolis: the Green Room opened its doors in Uptown just last week.
The punk and rock scene in Minneapolis has stagnated slightly during the past years, with venues remaining mainly the same with an emphasis on grunge. However, the grand opening of the Green Room was truly something to behold. The venue boasts an impressive stage with excellent audio quality, several lounge spaces, two bars, and a seventies-nostalgic atmosphere. The opening featured several artists from around the community, including impressive performances from UMN student Colin Bracewell, the Scrunchies, Fénix Dion, and Denim Matriarch, along with the notable grunge-pop band Gully Boys.
Gully Boys is a band that continues to move against the grain to redefine music for the new generation and craft an impressive presence now reaching even beyond the Twin Cities. With impressive hits on their new EP such as Russian Doll and Favorite Son, as well as old favorites like Neopet Graveyard, they continue to dominate the conversation around changes in the scene.
In an interview post-show, lead singer Kathy Callahan listed a multitude of influences, including No Doubt, 90s R&B, 90s Rock, and (regretfully) Panic at the Disco. Though many of their influences are grunge, the band was quick to point out that they are not just a grunge band. They also utilize pop melodies in their music, with impressive guitar work from Natalie Klemond and Mariah Tim.
As a listener, I have found that they innovate in all parts of their work. They take what looks predictable and twist it into a new light you may have never considered. Their music contains an edge, exploring important issues and navigating the changing world we all face. Their music uses anger, excellent instrumentals, and emotional language to bring emotions up to the surface in a way that can only be described as cathartic.
The music is not the only thing extraordinary about this band.
Drummer Nadirah McGill was particularly opinionated about the twin cities scene and the ways they have made their way into the mainstream. During our interview, I asked them how the group's queer identity impacts their music. “I think for me, it's less like, ‘Oh, I'm making music because I'm queer.’ It's more so like, everything that we do, because we are queer people, is already queer,” they said. Within their songwriting process, the band described how their music comes from the struggles all queer people face in coming to terms with their identities and voices. The group continued to delve into their process, speaking about how at times during the process, they felt burdened with rules. At some point, they realized that this is what makes art so beautiful. There are no rules, and this is evident in their music as they experiment with beats, vocal layering, and song structure.
Not all experiences that the band described were positive. The scene in Minneapolis, like most subcultures, is predominantly white, straight, and male. Due to this, the band felt tokenized by the scene and was actively aware of the ways their identities were being used. Drummer Nadi spoke about how they mentally got over this hurdle with a certain mentality:“Okay, if you're gonna tokenize us… we're gonna just, like, blow your face off and actually be good,” they said.
The band continued to place a positive spin, however, describing how the scene has expanded in recent years making room for more girl bands and people of color. McGill finished with a positive remark about their experience, stating that “I do feel really fortunate that Minneapolis does love us, and it's really fucking cool,”
To any aspiring Twin Cities artists out there, the Gully Boys had several pieces of advice:
Allow yourself to suck! (It allows you to improve)
Be vulnerable
Stick together
Make things that bring you joy
Live, Laugh, Love!
All images credited to Nick Greseth