This weekend I got in touch with our buddy Gunnar Nyblad, lead singer of Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys. Yes, the the same Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys you may have heard in the top 45 countdown on Sirius XM’s The Highway recently with their brand new single titled “Standard American” which you can hear by clicking here. I wanted to touch base and see how things were going, and ask a few other questions as well before we go to see them perform for their first time ever at The Cabooze on Friday August 22, 2014. Check out the interview below, and get your tickets to see their show in advance by clicking here.
INTERVIEW: By, Brandon G. Wallin
Gunnar, first off thanks for taking the time to talk with us.
Your single “Standard American” caught my eye when a member of your management team sent us the link to a YouTube video that was shot in an acoustic setting at a radio station in Michigan. Despite the sound quality in the basic video, the song itself really grabbed my attention. Enough so, that I watched it enough times to know the words that night. With that said, well done and I wish you nothing but the most success with the single.
We’ve been hearing it quite often on Sirius XM’s The Highway now that it’s gone into full rotation! With that said, how does it feel to land your single on full rotation on such a great “worldwide” station?
“Humbling and exciting. It’s exciting because it’s truly a dream come true, and a huge step in the right direction. It’s humbling because I’m on pins and needles every day praying it stays in rotation. Thankfully it has and continues to climb in the top 45!”
We see you’ve also had the honor to open for some top-notch artists this year. Who would you say has been the most exciting to open for, and where was the show?
“David Allen Coe, we’ve been blessed to open 6 or 7 shows for David Allen Coe in Flint, Traverse City, and Battle Creek, Michigan. In my opinion, it’s an honor to support the oldest, most accomplished, bad ass living outlaw on this earth. We also have the pleasure of opening for David Allen Coe this coming Saturday after playing The Cabooze in Minneapolis this Friday!”
After seeing your many recent tour dates in surrounding states, I personally and many other fans are excited for your upcoming show at The Cabooze in Minneapolis, MN this Friday August 22nd. You’ll be headlining the show at the recently turned “40 year old” venue, where many of some of the best artists and bands of all genres have graced the stage there over the years. Are you excited to play there for your first time?
“Yes! I’m nervous because it’s our first time playing in Minneapolis and we want to play for a lot of people! The Grizzly Boys don’t mind if there’s 2 or 2,000 people. It’s exciting to hit brand new cities and plant a seed in all the future life long Grizzly fans. Ya’ll want to be able to say, “I saw them back at The Cabooze before any of you honky’s new who Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys was!”
“The Twin Cities have a special place in my heart. It’s totally where I fell in love with living in a van. When I was 19 and freshly graduated from high school I joined a youth ministry organization called The Youth Encounter based out of St. Paul. I played drums in a team of 6 strangers for a year both growing spiritually and musically. I wrote a lot of country songs that year dealing with being homesick, and turning a new chapter in my life between teenager and college kid. Now I’m an apple farmer and semi-pro musician still looking to write a song.”
How would you describe your live show to someone who has never seen one before?
“I grew up going to a lot of rock shows, Blink 182, Green Day, Taking Back Sunday, The Used, and MXPX. It wasn’t until I was 18 when I saw Kenny Chesney perform in a sold out arena and realized the capacity of country music fans. I’d say seeing us live is like discovering a new band for the first time. Hopefully half way through the set you’re comfortable, in the beginning your blown away, and by the end you believe in what we’re trying so hard to do. The Grizzly Boys and I love music, and discovering it just as much as anyone else. There’s nothing better than that first chill from a new band or a song you’re hearing for the first time. That shit’s better than any drug.”
Do you have any other plans while you’re in Minnesota?
“I still haven’t seen the Green Giant. I hear he’s there. Other than that possibly lock in a fishing trip or some hunting ground for the next time ya’ll have us back. I want to catch a Musky.”
To those who have only heard “Standard American”, how would you describe all of your other original music?
“Right now is a special time with our band. All the music we have made up to this point has been independently produced, written, and financed. If you listen to our three CD’s before “Standard American” you’ll get the whole picture of Gunnar & the Grizzly Boys up to the very second. Hopefully “Standard American” opens more doors for a commercial approach towards our music. Meaning I’m excited to create more music the same way we have for the past 5 years, while distributing it nationally or globally the way we like to hear it.”
Thanks for chatting Gunnar! We appreciate your time, and can’t wait for your show on August 22nd!
“Thank you for the great write-ups! MinnesotaCountry.com is a vital part of our success in the Great North. We’re all Midwest working men making it in a genera unusually accepting pretty much every influence of music from our childhood. That music is Country.”
Check out the lyric video for Standard American by clicking here.
Show your support for the guys as they make their first appearance at The Cabooze this Friday night along with opening act 2 Mile Final. For tickets and more information, click here.
To all of you reading, thanks for the support and we look forward to seeing you all at the show this Friday night!