Straight out of the hallowed halls of Great River High School, ‘Why Not’ carry with them a knowledge of music well beyond their years. With fresh minds and music manufactured from the depths of their parents’ basements, Henry, Isaac, and Josh are living through high school as blossoming rock stars.  

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting the three boys in an interview before their gig at The Garage. The best friends have been making music together for two years and have written a variety of songs like “Guided Meditation” and “Waste My Time.”  

Although their show at the Garage was an exciting show for them, they’d recently come off of the high of playing The Amsterdam in St. Paul for a charity event. They played alongside Happy Children, another up-and-coming Minnesotan band.

Josh, the drummer of the band, is related to the lead singer of Happy Children, which proves to be very helpful for Why Not’s following.  

The boys, clad in youthful graphic tees, have a passion for music that is clearly evident. “We all had musical experience and we knew it was something we wanted to do,” they replied when I asked if they ever wanted to do something other than music. Their music takes inspiration from bands like Bjork and Pavement.  

When they are not playing on their Ultimate Frisbee team, they are recording songs for their upcoming album Friends. The album was recorded with free recording time as a prize for winning a Battle of the Bands. “We have a really good collection of songs,” Henry says as he describes the album.

According to the three boys, their success is due to inspiration from their “dedicated” music teacher, Zack Scott. “I think [music class] is where we all discovered that we really like playing music together.” The cohesion and unity in their performance is unmistakable, and their maturity belies their age.

Why Not does not just make good music between classes, they also represent a new trend of youthful intelligence. This “underground scene in the Twin Cities” motivates the boys and other people to start doing things they love at a young age. In Isaac’s words: “The younger you start the better you’ll be.”

It’s not uncommon for kids to be rejected by their superiors when they are trying to pursue their passions. Why Not has persevered despite this fact, embracing the attitude that “you can only improve” as you get older.

“Everything comes in time and hard work,” Henry says in the hopes that Why Not will find even more success in the future.

After seeing the band on stage and performing, it is clear to see that they carry much more wisdom than they know. Henry, Isaac, and Josh are a group of dedicated and determined musicians that do not succumb to the pressures of age and youth. I suspect their love for music will carry them to a future built for rock stars.