We had the good fortune of connecting with Huck ‘N Pray Fintan Canning, Cory Shishik, Will Berbaum, Axel Pearson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Huck ‘N Pray, how do you think about risk?
As a band, we are about to embark on our riskiest move yet. We’ve only been playing music together and gigging for a little over a year, so we’ve been relatively sheltered so far. We’re college students up in Boulder, so most of our music is played at local theaters, venues, frat events, and house parties. There hasn’t been much risk involved in our journey yet, besides things like trying out new material or branching into other genres, but that is all about to change as we head out on the road for our summer tour. None of us have ever toured before, or even played anywhere outside the Boulder area. Every day will be filled with risks—from the van breaking down to campsite shortages, food scarcity to gear malfunctions. Every little thing could threaten the entire two-month operation, and it is definitely gonna be a big adjustment for us. The silver lining, however, is that risk drives us forward. Sure things could go wrong—and some definitely will, but we will learn to adjust and overcome. Everything that happens will only serve to strengthen our commitment to the music and to each other as a band, and that’s a pretty special place to be in. Risks are scary, but the rewards are always worth it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
This band is something really special to us, as it is the first major musical project that any of us have been a part of. When we first started playing music in our freshman dorm rooms, we couldn’t imagine being able to go on tour at all, let alone sometime in the next couple years. This journey has been a wild one, and it’s still only the very beginning. What really drives us and sets us apart, in my opinion, is our passion and commitment to the project. We aren’t in this band because it’s gonna make us money or because we wanted something cool to put on our resumes, we’re playing music together because we like to play music together. We love putting on crazy shows and watching our friends and fans have a good time. It’s truly what keeps us going, and I don’t see that ever changing. For all of us four guys, music is the number one thing in our lives. We might tell our parents that are noses are always buried in textbooks, but the truth is that we take every opportunity we can to create music and take our passion higher, both personally and as a group. In our first year as a band we’ve played Boulder’s historic Fox Theater three times, played the Electric Honey Circus, countless house parties and frat shows, and still found time to hone our skills in the practice room for at least ten hours every week. Balancing life and school with the band can be difficult at times, as it is a huge time commitment, but it really doesn’t matter at the end of the day—this is something we want to be doing, so we’re going to make sure we can do it. We’re crazy excited to be taking our music on the road with us this summer, so please come out and see us if you’re gonna be on the west coast. This is only the beginning!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Colfax is always an interesting place to hang out. You’ve got great little hole-in-the-wall thrift and oddity stores like Scavenged Goods, as well as Twist & Shout Records. For some lunch, you can’t go wrong with an artisanal Bahn Mi from Sesame Sandwiches on east 22nd. Since we live in Boulder, most of the time we spend in Denver is at music venues. There is no shortage of cool and historic theaters in the area, such as the Bluebird and the Ogden on Colfax, the state-of-the-art Mission Ballroom in north Denver, and, of course, Red Rocks in Morrison. It might not really be in the city, but it is absolutely worth the drive. It’s a must-see for a first time visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Our team definitely deserves a shoutout. Our wonderful manager Berkley Robins has done incredible work for us with booking tour dates, organizing shows, and helping us stay on track and up to date. Our media team is photographer Phillip Adams and Videographer Ian Suroewic, who have been with us for a while now and are both crazy talented guys. Some other people would be the wonderful dudes in The Dirty Turkeys, a fellow Boulder band who have helped show us the ropes of becoming a gigging band. Their drummer and manager, Ty Tullar, has been especially helpful in organizing our tour, working with Berkley to book dates and providing very useful advice throughout the planning process. Our families also provide unmatched support, seeing shows when they can and cheering us on from the sidelines.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hucknprayband/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hucknprayband/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HucknPray

Other: https://linktr.ee/hucknpray?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafTQKrqVwmdlo4DHYmSrnu0_LDz5cH8de-2AVIYWBw87IdhukKENAoFsKsGyA_aem_zYVrmemR77CVHSMRDCOnrA

Image Credits
Phillip Adams, Megan McDougall

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