Twin Cities fathers' songs, written to cope with pandemic, earns A-list attention
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- So often we hear about people turning to music to help make sense of the world. But a Minnesota dad who started writing songs as a pandemic project is now getting A-list attention.
It started with two fathers jamming out at an Eden Prairie picnic table.
"This is where the magic happened," Brian Kroening said.
But before the magic came, the sadness did. The pandemic shut the world down, and George Floyd was murdered, touching off worldwide demonstrations and riots. Tom Fugleberg, of Savage, struggled to explain the world to his kids.
"For me it was optimism has to go on the offense here, we have to do something to put a little hope, a little heart into the house," Fugleberg said.
He found himself drawn to a hobby he'd long abandoned: making music.
"There was something telling me inside, I think this is something to pursue," he said. "I said, I know who to call."
He called Kroening, a fellow advertising executive who was in the band Rocket Club, and also a father feeling the weight of the world.
"When he asked if I would help him, it wasn't even a second thought," Kroening said.
They started working with a local producer Matt Krkwold and things took off. Tommy Barbarella, Prince's former bandmate with the New Power Generation, started recording their instrumentals. Then an engineer for Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift hopped on. Now their songs of inspiration are being produced and recorded in Nashville.
"When you have a song others like and has meaning to it other than trying to get clicks and downloads, yeah it feels good," Kroening said.
The two have a brand new batch of songs and are about to head to Nashville again.
Click here to hear their music.