Striking a Chord in Big Sky Country: Unraveling Montana's Music Scene with Mitch & Schyler

Join us for an extraordinary journey as we traverse the picturesque landscapes of Montana's music scene with our special guests from Big Sky Bonus Tracks. What does Montana sound like, you may wonder? Well, it's a mesmerizing fusion of Americana, folk, and country tunes all inspired by the state's awe-inspiring beauty and rural charm. Our guests, Mitch and Schyler, lead the conversation, sharing their insights about their innovative project, Big Sky Bonus Tracks. Through this engaging chat, we uncover their undying love for live music, their quest to support local musicians, and how their backgrounds in TV and music production are helping to raise the bar for musical recordings.

As we move through the episode, we open up about the trials and tribulations of balancing full-time jobs while passionately creating music videos. It's not just about chasing a dream, but also about the exhilarating moments of working with renowned musicians. Hear about our thrilling experiences with artists like Jessica Malone, and Lainey Lou and the Bird Dogs.

Rounding up our conversation, we offer a sneak peek into Montana's vibrant music scene, with details about upcoming shows and festivals like Red Ants Pants and Under the Big Sky. We also drop hints about some hidden gems among local venues and bands and the emerging artists you should keep an eye on. From intimate venues like The Divide and The Attic to up-and-coming musicians like Tanner Laws and Taylor Burlage, we've got our fingers on the pulse of Montana's music scene. So, whether you're a Montana native, a music lover, or an eager listener, we're sure our chat will strike a chord. Tune in and let Montana's music take you on an unforgettable journey!

Schyler & Mitch

Instagram:

@bigskybonustrack

https://www.instagram.com/bigskybonustracks?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Website:
https://www.bigskybonustracks.com

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/TSnPuLyWUnI?feature=shared


Shoutout to:

Big Sky Bonus Tracks

The Big Sky Bonus Tracks Crew and Family
Mitch, Aaron, Schyler, Lucas

Sterling Drake

Zach Aaron

Marty Bush


Alter Ego Ambassador: https://alteregorunning.com/

Miles & Mountains Promo Code: MMyr2

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:14

player, skyler and Mitch from Big Sky Bonus Tracks. How are you doing, well, man? How are you doing All right, man, on a Sunday afternoon? Well, sunday morning, you guys are afternoon.

Speaker 2: 0:41

We're getting there, getting there.

Speaker 1: 0:43

Thanks so much for having us on. Yeah, yeah, man, it's good to have you guys on. Man, I was surprised that you guys wanted to be on it, actually, because you know, my podcast is a range of everything. A lot of people are like, ok, what are you trying to do? So where are you trying to get at? And I'm all like, you know what I do, anything and everything that interests me.

Speaker 3: 1:06

So that's the way to do it. I think that's that's. At least it stays interesting for you and yeah, that's that's good.

Speaker 1: 1:13

Exactly so. So you guys are on here because you guys are strictly music, not just music, but man, that sound that I've had on a couple of times here. You guys had Sterling Drake, you guys had, amongst others, you know, I mean, keep keep naming them, I know Sterling Drake, yeah, we got, we got Sterling Wes Rabaniak Leni.

Speaker 2: 1:37

Lew and the Bird Dogs from Montana, counting coup from my home city of Billings Lots of great musicians and Tanner Laws he's out of Azula, great country musician We've had.

Speaker 3: 1:50

We've had a wonderful group of people that have come on for for a set.

Speaker 1: 1:55

Yeah, it's that. It's that sound, man, that sound that just pulls me and I'm just going to talk about me because you know there's no other sound like it and it's not I wouldn't say it's country. It would be almost like Americana folk, right, because because a lot of the guys that are in Montana, they don't have that Nashville backing, so it's definitely Americana and folk. I think it's Totally what. There's a streak of country that runs through there. I know what you mean.

Speaker 2: 2:24

It's hard to put your finger on.

Speaker 1: 2:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what do you think about the Nashville sound and people that aren't part of it? They just get that automatic Americana. I don't know.

Speaker 2: 2:36

I mean, I don't know if I necessarily think of it like that. Like I, personally, I like to enjoy it all and have an opinion on some of it and you gravitate towards it, have an opinion on some of it and you gravitate towards some things more than others. Right, and if you like it, you like it. And if it's good, it's good, right. But I got the opportunity to actually travel down to Nashville in October with my dad to take in the sights and sounds and see everything. And I don't know it wasn't my place just because it's too big, you know. But that's that's part of why we started. This whole thing was that Montana is an incredibly rural state. It's sparse, it's spread out. The old adage is that Montana is just one small town with a lot of really long roads, and so we kind of strive to maybe connect those far flung musical ideas and bring them to new audiences.

Speaker 1: 3:30

Where do you think the sound came from? Man, the Montana sound.

Speaker 2: 3:37

Prairies, wind farming, loneliness, probably I don't know, just because there's. There's a lot of those things that inspire country music around here generally ranching cattle, natural resources and all that kind of stuff and natural beauty, natural landscapes and stuff, so that all ends up working its way in and they don't call it big sky country for nothing, and I tend to think that might have something to do with it. Like when you're just surrounded by awe and beauty all the time, how can it not incorporate its way into your art, right, you find?

Speaker 3: 4:14

a lot of that with the musicians out here. You know that natural beauty, just it really resonates with a lot of folks and you can feel that you can hear that in their music.

Speaker 1: 4:25

Yeah, yeah, it's almost the Appalachia. They're bringing back the Appalachia, I mean the roots of you know, the music, and it's kind of interesting because Appalachia is in the whole different other part of the country and then you guys have your own Appalachia, so it's like maybe big sky, I don't know, something I'm just talking about, yeah.

Speaker 2: 4:46

I hear that.

Speaker 1: 4:47

Yeah, it's great, man, because they're bringing a modern feel to the Appalachian music man, and that's why I was talking to Mr Drake. You know it's like dude, you know up here there's no Appalachia, they got their own feel. But it's just like man, it's a beauty, it's beautiful words, music, it's oh man, just it's powerful stuff, man.

Speaker 2: 5:10

So yeah, and you might be surprised if some of the influences are some of these folks too. Oh yeah, you might hear I don't know a lot of the stuff I kind of refer to as gyna guitar, just a gyna guitar, singing this hard outright. But I think there's a lot of psychedelic music around here. There's a lot of funk music, like in the college towns and stuff, and I think that certainly makes its way into somehow.

Speaker 1: 5:34

All right. Okay, I got a question off topic. Question man All right, I know FCS championship, I know the Grizzlies are going to the championship. You guys, bobcat or Grizzly fans?

Speaker 2: 5:50

I think Skyler is a Cowboys, Wyoming Cowboys fan. Yeah, I'm not. I'm not, I'm not from Montana.

Speaker 3: 5:55

So I don't have any skin in the game there, but Mitch might have some more than me.

Speaker 2: 5:59

I don't know. I'm a house divided. My family never. Yeah, I went to school in Billings and in the power Wyoming, but I've spent more time in Bozeman, just because of its nature of being closer to Billings but Zula's got a special place in my heart too, because of the Kettle House amphitheater and so many concerts. So a house divided.

Speaker 3: 6:19

I did see it was a dramatic win, though, so good for them. Looks like they won a last second interception or something like that, which was pretty cool.

Speaker 1: 6:25

It was, man it was. And Montana football is different. Man, You're either one side or the other, and if there's no in between. But I understand that.

Speaker 3: 6:35

I'm not a house divided. Yeah, it's just like sure. People are very passionate about it out here. You definitely, you definitely feel it.

Speaker 2: 6:41

So the hardest tickets to get in the state, the cat Grizz game, hardest tickets to get, yeah, yeah, I could imagine.

Speaker 1: 6:47

So you guys going back to you guys, I just had to bring some football because I watched it at the, at the Local brewery in Yakima or Silas outskirts. They have, you know, cody Bibi? I don't know. No, he's a local Yakima country singer, apple age. Apple age, I mean, dude, he has that Americana noise to it. But you guys bring raw music experience in the big sky, pretty much at our fingertips.

Speaker 2: 7:19

Yes, sir, for free, Go watch.

Speaker 1: 7:23

For free. So how did it all start? Like, why big sky bonus tracks?

Speaker 3: 7:30

Yeah, I think it. You know it all started. Mitch and I went to college together in Palo, wyoming. You know we graduated or we started school there, maybe over 10, 2014. So about 10 years ago is when we met and I think you know we were watching a shaky graves video from one of his YouTube sessions.

Speaker 2: 7:49

Audio Tree Live.

Speaker 3: 7:50

Audio Tree Live and it was just. It really resonated with me and I'm resonating with Mitch, and I think that's kind of where the idea all started from is like, man, this is sweet to see how this guy can just perform, make you feel something, you know, watch him crush it and they're having a good time, and you know, that kind of led all the way up until we brought together what 2022? Yep, 2022. And I think we kind of came up with this idea with a couple other guys and it was a fun idea and a unique idea that hasn't happened in Montana, from what I've gathered to the least to this extent, and we wanted to give back to the musicians and Mitch.

Speaker 3: 8:23

You see someone on that.

Speaker 2: 8:26

Yeah, I guess I worked in television news and billings for five years. That's what I went to school for was the yak in front of a camera. And I did that for five years about local city council meetings and city government and stuff and the fun stuff. And after the pandemic I was like, yeah, this sucks. What else is out there in Skyler? I knew Skyler lived in Red Lodge and I grew up skiing here in Red Lodge. It's a local ski town, you know, and I was like, why not move up here? And also, we were talking about starting this little creative, artsy, artsy project and why not take the leap and do it? And there's plenty of musicians that want to record. We've we found, surprisingly, you know like, but it costs nothing for the musicians to do a session with us. All they have to do is get to Red Lodge and we'll record you.

Speaker 1: 9:16

How many artists have you had on your show? Oh, I think we're hidden, 30.

Speaker 2: 9:22

Yeah, we're in the mid 20s. So far I know for sure.

Speaker 3: 9:25

For releases. Yeah, I think with coming out we're close to 30.

Speaker 1: 9:29

Whose thought was it for the production man? The production is top notch, by the way. I just want you guys to know that it's top. Yeah, I appreciate that and very clear. It's not like you know somebody right outside their you know their garage and trying to make things work. So, or?

Speaker 2: 9:46

yeah, that's credit to the people in Powell, right. The teachers in Powell.

Speaker 3: 9:50

They helped us get professionally ready for something like this. And you know, I think it all started. We work at this building called the Roosevelt Center in Red Lodge. I've been here probably six years now and there is a recital hall and it's just a beautiful space to film and record, and I've always had this idea to do that in this building. We're actually in it right now doing the podcast, and once I knew it was kind of feasible, as long as there was a good crew, I reached out to Mitch, a gentleman named Sean Keeney, and then Justin Satterfield.

Speaker 3: 10:23

And so we all got together and like, man, this would be really fun to do, looking for a project to do together, and we all came together and started it, and then it's just a little bit. We have those two where they stopped being involved, and then we had two other folks, lucas Trepto and Aaron Martin, get really involved. So, yeah, all right.

Speaker 1: 10:45

Big Sky Music and why man the concept? Why Big Sky?

Speaker 2: 10:51

Number one, why not Number two? I got to sell it to you now. I think that I grew up in Billings and have been really privileged to be surrounded by an environment where people will save up money and travel from halfway across the world to go see Yellowstone National Park and what. It's a three hour drive for me from my hometown. Why not film art in that setting and bring it to folks from across the internet? You know, why not share a bit of that slice of my home with all these other folks and, at the same time, bring together this community of far-flung musicians to make something special?

Speaker 3: 11:38

We have a lot of talent too. I mean, there are so many wonderful musicians in Montana and Wyoming that they just might not have the money for a music video high-quality music video and to get that reach. We're still building it, but we want to be able to provide that for these wonderful musicians in these states.

Speaker 2: 11:56

Because how many times have you seen a bar musician and you're like, damn, they're good, but I don't know they're making tips? At the end of the day, right, you're not putting up $3,000, $5,000 to do an all-out music video.

Speaker 1: 12:09

Okay, gotcha, I'm getting what you guys are putting down. So will it always be big sky Like? Will you diversify? Would you expand a little more? Because do the scene not the Pacific Northwest but where you guys are at? I know Montana is a huge state, but there's other connected states that are just have that same feel, same vibe, same noise.

Speaker 2: 12:39

I don't know I would love to. I don't know about Skylar, I'd love to get on the road. I'd like to get a little bus do a little mobile record jam in the van style, like mobile, like record folks. But I think with that comes we're looking for sponsors, we're looking for income, I guess to Grants, just anything to help us continue this mission and spread it a little bit.

Speaker 3: 13:04

I think we'll always. I think me, I don't know if I want to move from Red Lodge right now. I love it. It's a beautiful area so more people can get here from Montana and Wyoming is sweet. But if we can expand to musicians across this central US and even the Pacific Northwest anywhere, I think is a great. They can really round out our sessions for sure.

Speaker 2: 13:28

And I guess we've gotten the opportunity to travel once to Bozeman not out of state, but go hang out and record with the wonderful folks at Live From the Divide, an awesome listening room style venue, really small like a 40 or 50 cap venue. That's where we saw Sterling Drake and recorded his stuff coming out now you should go check it out. This is the end of December when we recorded this, but yeah. Yeah, sorry.

Speaker 1: 13:54

No, you're good, You're good. So why that sound of music? Why you could? I mean, there's other bands out there, other guys making music, underground rap I know you guys probably have that over there Some old school rock and roll, some Southern rock guys I don't know why Americana folk.

Speaker 3: 14:18

I think part of it is. There's a lot of that in Montana and Wyoming. There's a lot of country musicians being from this state. It's rural, it provides that music for sure. But look out for 2024. We're going to be bringing in some different genres of music for sure, different eclectic musicians around the state.

Speaker 2: 14:37

And we'd like to. I'd like to get more genres on. You might be surprised, I don't know. I might. I want those underground rappers on and the classical musicians who come through town and I like it all. Yep Nice.

Speaker 3: 14:51

Yeah, I was listening to your podcast with Marty and he would be so awesome to have on. I think he recommended us to reach out to him. Yeah, that sound he has is awesome it's crazy right, that baritone voice man.

Speaker 1: 15:08

When he got on the mic I was like yep, all right, the voice matches. He started laughing man, no, he's a pretty guy.

Speaker 3: 15:19

Did I remember him talking about the Viagra Boys? Did you ever go check out that band?

Speaker 1: 15:24

A little bit, yes, so that's an example.

Speaker 3: 15:26

That's a dream scenario for us. We'd love to get those guys on for a show.

Speaker 1: 15:30

Oh okay, oh okay. Well, thanks for listening, man. Thanks for listening too. That's awesome. Yeah, marty Bush, man, yeah, he's good. So you mentioned a little bit of 2024. What are your hopes for your brands, man? The grand scheme of things, because you guys have quite the brands. I know you guys need sponsors and everything else, but, man, you guys have it, you guys have it, it's beautiful. So what are you, what are you hoping for, man?

Speaker 2: 16:02

Hopefully just to continue to grow. I think in followership there's about a million people in Montana and A YouTube video can get a million hits and that seems like nothing anymore, because some of them we're getting hundred million hits. You know so. But if we just keep continuing to grow at a slow and steady pace, that's what I hope for and expect for. But because I guess it's not like we're doing this full-time either we're part-time dudes, we've each got, or I've got, a full-time job on top of this and saying kind of just make it work and stuff.

Speaker 2: 16:34

So continued steady, slow growth with new cool musicians is what I'm hopeful for yeah, I feel that, 100% I agree.

Speaker 1: 16:43

Consistency is key. But I tell you, what last episode I put out was on the 7th and I'm sitting like I think this will be my fifth one and I just been like low profile, not drained, but just Not in it, man, right now.

Speaker 3: 16:59

So yeah, I got you for sure. You definitely, you definitely. Once you start releasing a bunch and you're grinding on it, there's a little burnout. You got to got to find a way to push through that.

Speaker 2: 17:09

Yeah, remind yourself that it's fun it is it is.

Speaker 1: 17:14

It's very fun. But, man, when full-time jobs get in the way and then think, you know, whatever your full-time job is, that stuff is getting in the way of the thoughts and feelings and everything else. So I kind of thank you for allowing me to get out of my little Whatever I have right now. What is it? Well, I can't even think. Right now. It's Sunday.

Speaker 2: 17:37

I'm melancholy, I don't know.

Speaker 1: 17:39

Yeah, it's something, but you know this is a great change, so thank you.

Speaker 3: 17:46

Thanks for having us on. We really appreciate it. You know, like, like Mitch said, just that slow and steady growth. So the more word we get out, the better, and we appreciate you taking the time.

Speaker 1: 17:54

No, of course, man, of course you guys, and you guys are doing the same thing I'm doing, but in video form and, dude, the music is just yeah great. What's your everyday music?

Speaker 3: 18:07

Oh, that's a good question. I listened to so much different music. It ranges from hip-hop, rap to country, to Americana, to and I mean, maybe some EDM here and there. It's. It's all over for me, nice. I.

Speaker 2: 18:21

Like it all, like Skyler said, but that's boring. So I'll tell you how I listen to music which is on Spotify, right, and I, okay, lately I have playlists that have like thousands of songs in them, and two of the main ones are hip-hop, so things that got hip-hop going on, and then the other one is folk ish, so stuff that's folk. There's stuff that ran, like Gordon light foot on that playlist, but also my agar boys is on that playlist, because they're kind of folk ish. They did a cover of a John Prine song once. That's on there, like. So that's how I listen to music folk, hip-hop and Little bit everything, all right.

Speaker 1: 19:00

So if you Went into your truck or car or whatever vehicle you have, what would be playing right then? And there, anything that's on your phone? Or do you have old CD? What?

Speaker 3: 19:11

Anything that's on the phone for me. It just connects to my Spotify and it just starts playing, which is just kind of nice.

Speaker 2: 19:17

Well, the Conway 20 CD is always in the glove box. There you go. I bought that one at Walmart a while ago. No, that was years ago now. But like, right as you like, hit it on, it's probably. What were we just listening to Skyler? What was like Problem and childish Gambino and that kind of stuff.

Speaker 3: 19:39

Nice for the playlist right now.

Speaker 1: 19:42

Okay, all right. So let's say, let's say my vehicle, right, I have a CD in it, I have Bluetooth and I have serious XM. Serious XM would be Turbo. You know the old 2000s metal. The disc red clay strays nice right and. Yes, very good. And then my phone, whatever I feel like right after the Like, when I was listening to music during the shower or something or getting ready, and that's mostly Lately. Man, two songs from Chris Stapleton and then some David Bowie.

Speaker 2: 20:22

Yeah, I mean, yeah, yeah, so Stapleton's got a new album out, right, isn't it yeah?

Speaker 1: 20:27

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 20:28

I think I listened to pretty good.

Speaker 1: 20:29

Yeah, yeah, I Really like the bottom and that song is good. Yeah, the song right afterwards talk about a dream get for big sky bonus tracks.

Speaker 3: 20:44

You could scrape.

Speaker 1: 20:46

Speaking of dream gig, do you surprise yourself by getting some of these guys on there?

Speaker 3: 20:53

Oh, I think so, we at least. What was what's new for us? And We've been. We've been taking some calls of some musicians that aren't from Montana and Wyoming and it's cool to see them being willing to come out to Red Lodge to film a session. And even this this October we had a woman from California. She flew out just to come beyond a session, so it's cool to see that.

Speaker 2: 21:19

Jessica Malone, Just check that one out coming 2024 yep and she just released a new song called bloom to.

Speaker 3: 21:25

She's a great musician, kind of fun artistic jazz, but Americana folkish. She is really good, yeah, so that's pretty cool. It's cool to see that.

Speaker 2: 21:36

I was surprised by, I Don't know, lainey Lou and the bird dogs is one of my favorite Montana bluegrass bands and they were going to be in Red Lodge and we asked them if they wanted to record and they said yes, and we got to go out to have dinner with them and I was fangirling like just a little bit. But that was a surprise one, I don't know.

Speaker 3: 21:56

Yeah, and that was like our?

Speaker 2: 21:58

I don't know 7th or 8th session, and it's kind of like, once you got a little bit of a body of work out there, you're hopeful that, like other artists, will not be so scared of. Who are these random guys in Red Lodge? You know Totally.

Speaker 1: 22:11

Or vice versa. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 22:13

It was really cool getting Lainie Lu on because, you know, a couple of years ago I don't know if you've heard of Red Ants Pants, but it's a music festival out here in Montana and White Sulphur Springs. It's really great she brings in Sarah Calhoun is the director and she brings in just amazing musicians from you know back, you know in the 70s, all the way till now, and I saw Lainie Lu and the bird dogs there and to see that come to fruition a couple of years later and watch them just rock out on the magpie stage was it was really cool, nice, nice.

Speaker 1: 22:40

Okay, dream artists.

Speaker 3: 22:46

Mitch yes.

Speaker 2: 22:48

Boney Vare first. That's like dream band. Love those guys. That's there in my top 10 for sure. Who else Skyler? We want Robert DeLong on? That would be really fun. He's an electronic artist that does some cool stuff with lights and MIDI and all that.

Speaker 3: 23:08

Charlie Crockett for me, yeah, that's, that's, that'd be a dream, he's, he's one of one. You know he's an amazing.

Speaker 1: 23:15

Yeah, you guys going to go to the Jackalope uh Jamboree oh.

Speaker 3: 23:20

I've not heard.

Speaker 2: 23:21

What is this? I haven't heard of this. Inform me.

Speaker 1: 23:23

It's in Pendleton, oregon and Charlie Crockett's closing it down on Friday. I think it is. Might want to check it out, and that's probably your best opportunity to see him live and not such a big venue.

Speaker 3: 23:36

Yeah, put it in the notes, that's great. Yeah, yeah, check it out. I think another one for me to be a Jeffrey Martin. I don't know if you've heard of him. He's out in Oregon. Um, just such a talented musician. Highly recommend anyone to go listen to him. He's, he's wonderful Well part, what part?

Speaker 1: 23:52

of Oregon? Ooh, that's a good.

Speaker 3: 23:54

I don't know. No, I've stopped my head, okay.

Speaker 1: 23:56

I'll check it out. I'll check it out. Thanks for the suggestion. Yeah, all right, man, upcoming shows you guys are looking for.

Speaker 2: 24:06

What do you mean?

Speaker 1: 24:07

Sorry, Upcoming shows. Like you know, you guys have venues there, like what oh?

Speaker 2: 24:11

what am I looking forward to in the scene?

Speaker 1: 24:13

Yes, yes.

Speaker 2: 24:14

Gotcha. Um, I have no idea what's going on in Red Lodge. Stuff comes up and I don't know. I try to be halfway disconnected from my phone and let my friends do the newsing. But one legged magpie often has a lot of great selection of music that comes through there. Uh, metro park over in Billings also good. Um, pub station in Billings have no idea what's on their lineup but well, they have a new year. I'm a whole lot of nothing on this front.

Speaker 3: 24:46

They have a new year's event actually happening up Roosevelt center and her name is Meg Gilda house. Um, she's kind of like a electronic pop pop music and she'll be closing down the building that evening and looking forward to that show. And I referenced red ants pants earlier. I'm a photographer so I'm able to go and get the uh, be in the pit and take photos of those wonderful musicians, so I'm always looking forward to that festival. Um, it's such a cool experience and that that's awesome.

Speaker 2: 25:16

I got a shout out. Um, Matt, local Red Lodge band Maxwell and the head change. I'm always looking forward to whenever they're playing. Dig them. Um, maybe keep an eye out for some. Maxwell and the head change vibes 2024 on big sky bonus tracks.

Speaker 1: 25:34

I like the shout outs and hey say, doing that kind of thing All right. So festivals man, you guys mentioned a couple of festivals already. I mean, is Montana just filled with festivals?

Speaker 2: 25:47

Yeah, I think it's becoming more filled, or at least, the more I'm kind of broadening my look out from billings, they're becoming more and more little community festivals, kind of tourist trap, for a lack of a better word. Festivals to like get folks from out of town to come spend a weekend in your town and in that kind of thing, um, totally we festivals are good.

Speaker 3: 26:10

We just did one um called forget me not and cook city Montana, cool small town in America and uh year of its existence, it was really fun they. They had a good um. You know array of musicians on for for their festival. And then Sterling was telling me one about one um in Helmville, montana, old salt fest, they think is what it's called, and that sounds great under the big sky is a big one here.

Speaker 2: 26:35

Totally.

Speaker 3: 26:35

They just had a. They released a pretty great lineup, it looks like, and red lodge has one called summer fest, so it's definitely the it's building in Montana from when I'm first moved here.

Speaker 1: 26:48

If you had to pick one, especially from an outsider like myself, I'm I live in eastern Washington, right, which festival would you suggest I attend to get the big sky slash? Montana outdoors feel.

Speaker 2: 27:05

Red Ants probably.

Speaker 3: 27:06

I'd say Red Ants Pants yeah.

Speaker 2: 27:08

You've been Skyler, so you can say more.

Speaker 3: 27:10

Yeah, it's been. One of the coolest experiences I've had is going to that festival. It's been there three years in a row. Now it's out in the.

Speaker 2: 27:18

let's describe it for the people it's out in a cow pasture.

Speaker 3: 27:21

You know thousands of acres and they bring in all the trucks to set up the stage and you're camping out there with a bunch of people. What's my favorite part of the festival is once the show's over you know ends around 1130, 1130 pm and you start walking in the camps and then you'll see a lot of the side stage musicians, or even musicians from the main stage, just playing music and jamming out. And so you get to walk around at midnight and you're hanging out with a bunch of great people and you're just hanging out with the musicians while they play music. And it's for someone from outside of Montana, it's a great way to get that feel of what Montana and the community's like.

Speaker 2: 28:01

And it might show off a little bit of the prairie landscape.

Speaker 3: 28:06

Am I right there?

Speaker 2: 28:07

A lot of people think of Montana and the image that they have, whether or not they know it is, of western Montana, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park. The mountainous side of the state is the western side of the state but the other half of the state is prairie, prairie land and the first year, the first couple of years, they had that festival out there. I remember hearing that they had to fill in all the gopher holes and stuff out in that cow pasture so nobody twisted their ankles and stuff.

Speaker 1: 28:33

So break it, gee, you're out in a dust bowl. Yeah, yeah, so what venue, and bozemen most certainly look forward to Like if I would live from the divide.

Speaker 3: 28:46

Yeah, man, it's so cool. Like Mitch said earlier, 40, 50 people max. You're in this tight area and it's just so personable with the musician you get to have that You're within four feet of that musician, so it's really cool.

Speaker 2: 29:00

But another shout out to the filling station. I haven't been there myself, but I've heard nothing but good things. It's a little more of like an indie indie venue, you know a little smaller bar-ish dive year, but they've got all the local acts on, you know the ad.

Speaker 3: 29:17

Yeah right, there's a place called the attic, which is in Livingston. It's about 20 minutes from bozemen and also a really cool venue.

Speaker 2: 29:25

Above a cowboy bar fun times.

Speaker 1: 29:28

Okay, who's the dark horse right now? Man? Who's the one person that's like, has it, but just doesn't have the recognition yet? Tanner Laws.

Speaker 3: 29:41

Yeah, yeah, I think he's starting to get it a little bit, tanner for sure, and then another guy named Taylor Burlidge who is also just really good from our sessions. Yeah, tanner is making a lot of waves, I think in the Twitter, not Twitter the.

Speaker 2: 29:56

TikTok world. The guy knows how to TikTok man getting millions of hits and it's like what?

Speaker 3: 30:02

His music's really good. I don't even want to have that app on my phone, right Amen.

Speaker 2: 30:08

I don't want to speak for Tanner, but I think he needs a band. I want to see Tanner Laws with a kick and band for sure.

Speaker 1: 30:15

I think I watched some of that on your guys' Instagram, so you know, okay. So Tanner Laws, all right, your goal for 2024. You said expansion. You said sponsors, like, what are some goals that you can attain? Just thinking about it right now?

Speaker 3: 30:37

Off top. I had 600 YouTube subscribers would be. That's a good goal.

Speaker 2: 30:42

For sure Right 300 right now. I know we wouldn't make much money from it, but we'd love to get monetized on YouTube. That would be very cool. We've been working towards that.

Speaker 1: 30:53

Who's mostly your demographic? Where are they from?

Speaker 3: 30:58

I'd say it's been mostly musicians that have followed us through YouTube so far or Instagram. I'm sorry, but then they go to our YouTube to check out the sessions.

Speaker 2: 31:08

Yeah, just by who's following and stuff, I think it's mostly Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, who is watching. I think when I've looked at those breakdowns and stuff, yeah, yeah, because I was wondering, nashville hit me yet.

Speaker 3: 31:22

We've had a couple people from Nashville that we have either worked with or are talking to. Okay, yeah, I mean Sterling. We got to work with him and being out there. Hopefully that opens up some of that.

Speaker 2: 31:37

Those connections yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:40

I got you. So I was. It's kind of interesting. You guys say Bozeman and everything else, and I was doing my Spotify wrapped right, my personal Spotify wrapped. And guess where I have similar interests.

Speaker 2: 31:58

Are we members of the same city. On Spotify, we are.

Speaker 1: 32:02

We are. I was almost like that's. That's strange man, because on Spotify I strictly keep it to certain, because I use it for work.

Speaker 2: 32:15

And I want that algorithm Good.

Speaker 1: 32:17

Yeah, I, strictly, it's my personal. It's only, you know, outlaw Americana, but a lot of metal, a lot of heavy metal, a lot of rock, you know. And then, yeah, come to find out I share the same music as Bozeman Montana guys. So that's kind of interesting, yeah.

Speaker 2: 32:39

I think I got Bozeman too, didn't you, skyler, I did as well, and I think one of the other guys on our team, lucas, got Bozeman and I'm sure Aaron did. I'm sure Less interesting for me because I was like huh yeah, that makes sense, uh huh Right.

Speaker 1: 32:53

So we got okay. So same interests and everything. Maybe it's because we listen to Sterling, yeah.

Speaker 2: 32:59

That's probably it.

Speaker 1: 32:59

Right, that's it. That's it All. Right, one more, one more question, but we don't have to go. But what is the ultimate goal, the grand scheme of things? Your ultimate goal? You're going to take over the world, kind of thing. What?

Speaker 3: 33:16

You know, building this platform for musicians to continue to share their story with us, share their wonderful music, and being in that moment where they're playing that, that, just that great song and you get to hear it before anyone else is, is so cool. So so my goal just to be to continue to, to give musicians a space to, to tell their story.

Speaker 2: 33:37

And, I think, longterm for me. Maybe this is a little selfish, but I would like to quit the full-time job right and wake up every day and only do the creative thing and make whatever living off of that. Neither of us got into this to get rich. I don't think we have any expectations to get rich but providing a livable income for ourselves while doing the thing that we like to do, I think that would be pretty sweet.

Speaker 3: 34:02

It would be cool. I agree with that.

Speaker 1: 34:06

Do you guys want to add anything? Did I forget anything? What?

Speaker 3: 34:10

Oh man, I think we'll just plug. Maybe Sterling Drake one more time, or releasing his session as we talk, as we speak right now, on 12.17. The full session will be out in a few weeks and it was great hanging out with him and live from the divide. We have another one coming out with him sometime mid-2024 as well. We got to hang out with him here in Red Lodge and then we have some other really great releases coming your way with Lucas Trepto, andy Sitto and Jackson Emmer, so just keep an eye out for that.

Speaker 2: 34:38

And if you want to find us, we're on all the platforms Facebook, instagram, youtube. Our website is bigskybonustraxcom. We're on all the streaming platforms. We don't have our full catalog on the streaming platforms, but we have a selection of songs on streaming. But if you want to see the full thing, all the work we've ever done, head to our YouTube channel is the best way to check it all out Like and subscribe and check out our Patreon as well at Big Sky Bonus Tracks.

Speaker 3: 35:06

And thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 35:09

Do you guys have a Spotify playlist that you guys share?

Speaker 3: 35:12

Not yet we probably should do that.

Speaker 2: 35:14

We need to do that.

Speaker 3: 35:15

Yeah, need to do that Good idea.

Speaker 1: 35:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got some up on my sleeve, but, man, all right. So my thing, you guys you said that other people have done it before you know, hit the big. You know take over the world and everything else, but no one has that sound that Montana has, so they haven't taken over, they haven't Appreciate it. Take over regions, you know, you guys have it, it's at your doorstep. The way you guys broadcast these musicians and what they do, man is one of a kind, like I told you before, that's crystal clear, very well professionaled out. You guys are professional. You guys aren't some like low guy, low stream guy, like myself that's in a T-Cup studio. You know it's the butt of the joke myself, you know, but you guys are making a name for yourself. I appreciate what you guys do. You guys are one of a kind Keep doing what you're doing, man and everybody listeners not listeners, whoever pay attention to these guys these guys have it going on, man.

Speaker 2: 36:27

So thank you guys Appreciate the kind words. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 36:31

Yeah, yeah. So until next time, cheers man, no, no, no, cheers man, you ready, вы Get out of the way now, man, there we go, let's go, let's go. Streamers, come take a rest. You kids are all. Deixa mentions you.