From the MUSIC SIDE
MEGAN ROLLOFF Megan Rolloff is an interior designer in Mankato, who lives in New Ulm with her doting husband Tom. She loves music, especially of the Minnesota variety, and now she writes about it. Reach her at megankrolloff@gmail.com.
Band to Watch: Durry OMG,
you guys! Have you heard of this new band,
Durry? Now that I got that bit of fangirl out of the way, I will elaborate. It could have been TikTok or Instagram, or an email newsletter from First Avenue or The Current, I honestly don’t remember how the video for “Who’s Laughing Now” popped up on my phone, but I am so glad that it did. I immediately loved the song and needed to know more about the quirky little duo performing it. Durry hails from the exotic Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville. They are comprised of brother and
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sister Austin, 29, and Taryn, 21, Durry. They officially formed in 2020 when the pandemic brought about a sudden situation of togetherness, as it did for many of us. Austin and his wife, Ashley (also playing bass in the band), found themselves moving into his parents’ basement to ride out the various stages of lockdown. Residing under one roof again, Taryn and Austin found themselves spending a lot of time together. Both have lifelong musical training, thanks to their music teacher/director father. Austin had planned to tour with his other band, Coyote Kid (FKA Marah in the Mainsail), for a good chunk of 2020. But, as we know, 2020 had other plans for us all. Austin started bouncing song ideas
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off his sister and she made sure he was keeping it hip and with it for the younger audience. And through proximity and unforeseen circumstances, something good came out of the bad and a new baby band was born. In the era of social media, these guys are playing it right. They have a presence on Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, and TikTok (and possibly others that this ancient 41-year-old knows nothing about). May 1, 2021, they launched a Kickstarter campaign to pool enough money together to record their first EP. After hitting their $5,000 goal in just three days, they decided to extend that goal in hopes of growing that EP into an album. It worked!
By, what I would call, overwhelming demand, they were able to add a few more tracks to their original goal of five and give birth to a fab collection of songs titled “Suburban Legend.” And Kickstarter hasn’t been their only online success. Their song “Who’s Laughing Now” made them a bit of a TikTok sensation. And these days, that is how things are done and stars are made. After releasing their first song (“Loser’s Club”) in June 2021, by January of 2022 they had released seven songs into the world. And you know what? They are all good. I know that is a bold statement by anyone, but I stand by it. I honestly like them all. You could say I am a bit addicted at the moment. I have been listening to the same seven songs (“Loser’s Club”, “Hasta La Vista Baby”, “Dancing Alone”, Trauma Queen”, “Who’s Laughing Now”, “Worse For Wear”, and “Sand Trap Town”) almost nonstop for the past week. While I pride myself on enjoying, or at least appreciating, many different kinds of music, these guys are my personal cup of tea. Their sound is self-described as “nostalgic indie-pop”. And I would agree with that. The lyrics are obviously based on personal thoughts, feelings, and past experiences, many of which I can relate to. And, though not a requirement for me to like a song but still much appreciated, they are all very “singable”. I find that singing loudly in my car on my way to or from work is a great stress relief. These seven songs are perfect for that; great melodies, great hooks, and clever lyrics. And I know that to many a “true music fan” the word ‘pop’ is a dangerous one, but I have come to terms with the fact that I can’t help but love a good ‘pop’ sound. That being said, I also don’t generally go in for anything too mainstream and shiny. Austin’s gritty voice is the perfect complement to Durry’s upbeat tone and keeps it all from becoming too saccharin. Honestly, I cannot rave enough about this band. And since music is so easily accessed these days, why not give them a whirl? Even if they don’t strike the same chord in you as they did in me, chances are you know someone that would love them. And like I said, if you want to know more fun facts, or want to check out their music, these guys have got their act together when it comes to social media. The easiest and most comprehensive way for me to get to all their “stuff” was by clicking the link in bio on their Instagram page (@durrymusic). This takes you to a long list of ways to watch, listen to, and support the band. Or just give them a Google. And if live music is your thing, they just happen to be playing the “Best New Bands of 2021” show at First Avenue on March 4. Tickets are still available as I am writing this and can be purchased via first-avenue.com. I hope to see you there.
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