Why Not
Why Not is a high school band based out of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Starting with the idea of being a progressive metal band, Josh, Henry, and Isaac eventually found their sound-which is nowhere near a progressive metal sound. Why Not now creates music that combines elements of indie rock, math rock, and punk. Get to know them a bit and get excited for their upcoming tunes!
Let’s start from the beginning! Tell us how you all got connected.
Joshua: The story of how we got connected is very simple and to the point, we all went to school with each other! There are some interesting tid bits here and there though, like the fact that Isaac and Henry and a couple others were in a band before Why Not was formed. As that band developed they ended up parting ways, and eventually Why Not was formed in the summer of 2016, and well, the rest is history!
How did you all get into music in the first place? Did music come naturally to you?
Isaac: I have been playing guitar for around 6 years. At first I was influenced to do so just by bands and musicians I liked. First of all, playing music is fun for me so that’s ultimately why I've kept it up. I wouldn’t say it came naturally. I think starting something new is always gonna be hard but I progressed fast because I practiced a lot. I think I can say the same for Josh and Henry.
What has been the best parts of being a band so far? What challenges do you face?
Joshua: I would have to say that my personal favorite part of being a band has been just in general creating music with people I love and sharing it with people I love. Being in a band is just something extremely special that not everyone has the opportunity to do and I am super glad that I have been given this chance to do what I love.
So far I would have to say that the biggest challenge we have faced is a couple of months ago when we were going through a “show drought”. This was at a time when we were not as established as a band therefore it was a lot more difficult to get booking agents to say yes to booking a show. This was a big challenge because we did not want to go through a month without playing shows, especially because we were not as established yet, fortunately we ended up being able to get a solid amount of shows at houses and other great venues! The month we were most worried about ended up being one of our personal favorite months of shows!
How would you describe the band's sound? Do you have a specific/look you’re aiming at?
Isaac: would say we combine a number of genres to create something unique. As a guitarist, I draw influence from bands like Dinosaur Jr, Yo la Tengo and Tera Melos. We definitely work in weird time signatures but combine that with elements of punk, pop, and math rock to create something our own. We strive to make complex music that is still fun and driving. In a very early stage of the band we were trying to be like a progressive metal type band but it really wasn’t working out. Once I had freed my mind of trying to be one exact thing I was able to write songs that felt more natural to us, giving us a lot of tunes we still play live today. I wouldn’t say we are trying to have one exact sound or look. We are kind of just letting the music guide us.
Since you're an emerging band, do you guys have anyone to guide/mentor you, or are you figuring out the music industry as you go?
Henry: Well, the first person who comes to mind is Isaac's dad, Irve. He doesn't really point us in any direction at all, but he helps us with any/all shows and other band related issues. He also records every show on video, and puts it on a google drive for us to watch. I don't think we would at all be as far as we are right now if it weren't for him. He hasn't really guided us, but he has made it much easier to guide ourselves.
Who/what are some influences -musical or not- that give you inspiration and motivation for your music?
Henry: I would say we take a lot of influence from Dinosaur Jr., Pavement, and even a little bit of The Mars Volta (just to name a few). I also listen to a lot of Dave Brubeck, which definitely contributes to the love of crazy time signatures and weird dynamics.
Any goals you have your sights set on right now?
Isaac: Mainly just finishing our album right now. It’s been a very long and tiring process but also a great experience. We are in the mixing process now so you can be on the lookout for the project in the near future. After that I would say just keep playing hard, writing new stuff and possibly planning a small tour.