After an unplanned, break from recording, Kung Fu Hippies are releasing an album that has been a while coming but well worth the weight. It’s a sound of Minnesota and it’s soundtrack of times in our lives. You can hear them play tonight (Mar 29!) at Bunkers.
Last time we spoke was January 2021, you had just released Northwoods Boy. Can you catch us up with the last four years?
Unfortunately, there have been various setbacks. We’ve had band members who have fought (and fortunately, beat,) a bout with cancer, a pretty severe motorcycle accident, stints in addiction rehab, and divorce. Despite all of these setbacks, we’ve persevered, and I think you can hear that in the music. As of today, I’m happy to report that we’re all doing great!
And how does it feel to be releasing your new album, North? I know you were starting it when we last spoke. How much of the album has grown with you over the years and how much is a snapshot of four years ago?
It feels great to finally be releasing this album! Two of the songs were completed before the pandemic, and the other five afterwards. If I remember correctly, we knew which songs we were going to record before we started making the album. Even though it took half a decade to complete, it doesn’t really feel like there are ‘older’ and ‘newer’ songs. This could be because we’ve been playing all the songs on the album live for at least two years now, with the oldest ones going back as far as 2017.
I really like Brutus. It has such a lovely sound, and yet it speaks to a moment that frankly isn’t so lovely at the time. How did you decide to marry the lovely sound with snapshot of a hard time? I like it because, to varying degrees for varying reasons, I think most of us have been there and the song normalizes (in a lovely way) that hard part of a transition to a hopefully better place.
Thank you! You kind of hit the nail on the head there. It’s about making hard decisions that are going to bring big changes in your life, having anxiety before making those changes, and being unsure if it’s the right decision. So yes, I agree that it’s something most folks should be able identify with!
As Mostly MN Music, I have to ask about Ely Town. I’m going to love any song that mentions Ely, Tower and the Quarry. What inspires you to write a song about Ely? (And how does Ely feel about it?)
We all love the Iron Range, North Shore, etc. (Hence the album title!) We wanted to try and write a song in more of a folk vein that captures our love and fondness for that part of Minnesota. I can’t speak for everyone, but every time we play the song live, I picture downtown Ely, looking up the hill towards the State Theater at the top. I make it there at least once a year, and I always look forward to it.
Please tell us about the upcoming release show.
Our release party will be Saturday, March 29th at Bunker’s Music Bar & Grill in Minneapolis. Bunker’s has been our home-base for the last 13 years, so it was a no-brainer to celebrate the album release there! We’ve built up a decent following there over time, and it’s an iconic music venue that we’re proud and grateful to still be able to play after all these years.
Mostly Minnesota 