Good Luck Finding Iris

Take a moment to Reflect.

Next time you’re shuffling through the top 50 playlists on an app, or listening to the radio in your car, how many of the artists you hear are women? Next time you see an article or video on a femme artist, what is it highlighting? Is it her sex appeal, or her new romantic interest? What did she wear to that event?
The Women depicted in today’s pop culture are often times portrayed in very shallow ways. When reported on, they are limited to a small list of interesting topics, if talked about at all. We rarely hear praise for women and nonbinary folk in music. When we do, we hear about their success in the context of what men got them there.
Even within our local music scene in Minneapolis, male artists have access to more resources, more air time, and are generally taken more seriously. Cecelia Erholtz of TABAH illustrates some of the frustration that comes with being a female musician, “I still get asked if i’m just someone carrying stuff into my own gigs.”
A Night To Remind Everyone That Women Rock.
Pondering the current state of women in the music industry, Guitarist Patrick Hintz, along with the support of his fellow band mates in Good Luck Finding Iris, Set out to create an event meant to remind us all “There are amazing women doing amazing things.” A space with the goal of creating somewhere everyone would feel safe discussing misogyny in music, through the lense of intersectional feminism.
Hear Her Voice kicked off at the Amsterdam in Saint Paul early Saturday evening. Destiny Anderson, A senior at Perpich Center For Arts Education, started with a spoken word she wrote inspired by her little sister, and addressed the importance of art to her as a women of color.
Following Destiny’s opening speech, Three bands, all lead by extremely talented women, preformed; Good Luck Finding Iris, 26 Bats!, and TABAH. Each set combined a mixture of music making and raw emotion. Michaela Stein of Good Luck Finding Iris, Shared a spoken word on the degrading, violent, and misogynistic tendencies of Hip Hop. Bailey Cogan of 26 Bats!, shared her experiences as a victim of assault.
As stories of personal struggle and vulnerability unraveled, the space slowly shifted from that of a typical saturday night show, to one of mass healing. An aura of empowerment seemed to thicken the air as the night came to the end. Closing the show, Claire Weatherly, spoke to the upliftment of all those around us. She addressed how we can use our given privileges to help our fellow human beings, and provide space for those whose voices are not as easily heard. She encouraged each person in the room to find something they love about everyone in their lives.
The Success of Hear Her Voice proves that we need more events like it. Spaces where stories can be shared, where people can heal, and communities can come together.
“We love women, we love music, and we are all about uplifting everyone.” – Cecelia Erholtz
For more info about the bands featured in this article, check out their Facebook pages! - Shine On Leaders

For a label that isn’t even a year old yet, Subaquatic records was able to draw a large crowd to the Triple Rock Social Club this past Thursday. There was a line outside the door an hour before showtime, obviously drawing great interest to tonight’s lineup featuring Good Luck Finding Iris, Nomenclatures, The Everett Interpretation, and the headlining act Tony Peechka.

Good Luck Finding Iris was the first on stage, playing to an already packed house. Among their set was their debut single “Color Me” which is taking off on radio stations both locally and across the midwest. Their upbeat set matched the high energy of the room, and had people smiling both onstage and off.

Next on the bill was Nomenclatures, Playing a synth heavy electronic set with careful, dense sampling and instrumentation from Chris Murphy. Nomenclature’s set consisted of all new songs, and announced a debut release in August under the Subaquatic label.

The Everett Interpretation (Formally PTSTD) Took over the stage afterwards with their fun psychedelic tunes. Their songs were jam heavy with minimal lyrics, letting their Instruments, including a funky electric piano, guide the songs. Their record “Tangerine Screams“ will be out Later this summer.

Tony Peachka, an all woman punk quartet, had the room jumping and dancing around, ending the night with their loud and fast set including a screaming encore. If you missed them live, you can find them at The Cabooze June 9th.

Subaquatic Records has amassed a great collection of artists under their label, and although still relatively obscure, they managed to keep the merch table busy throughout the night selling t-shirts and stickers, collecting pre-orders for the band’s latest releases, and even giving away a compilation cassette to some of the first few people through the door.

To find out more about these bands and listen to their latest releases, visit subaquaticrecords.com - The Show Last Night

Good Luck Finding Iris, a bossa nova-tinged pop quartet, showcase their song “Color Me” with a mysterious new video. Along with two other bands signed to Subaquatic Records (PTSTD and Nomenclatures), plus headliners Tony Peachka, Good Luck Finding Iris will play a “pre-release party” at the Triple Rock Social Club on May 26, and the first 30 people in line receive a limited-edition Subaquatic compilation tape. - The Current

“I’ve been drumming since I left the womb,” Lutalo Jones tells me over the phone (we meant to video chat but the sound didn’t work on my end-- a really professional start to my interviewing career). He’s in Good Luck Finding Iris, a chamber pop band from Minnesota that’s about to celebrate its first year together. He met Michaela Stein, vocalist, and Patrick Hintz, guitarist, at McNally Smith last summer. They hit it off immediately and Enzo Vinholi joined soon thereafter. His main instrument is piano, though he plays bass in the band.

Enzo explained to me that the name is a message to “lovers, hopers, and dreamers.” They all came up with the name after creating a sort of character, named Iris, who represents everything in life that someone might want, whether it be something tangible or emotional. “I’m a lover,” said Enzo. For him, ‘Iris’ means being in a relationship with someone he truly loves and spending their lives together. For Lutalo, Iris is more difficult to pin down. He wants comfort and love, sure, but he also wants to figure out what Iris is. Whatever Iris ends up being, Lutalo wants to make something that will live on after he’s gone. Like the flower for which it was named, Patrick’s perception of Iris is growth. He wants to make something that will continue to get bigger and more beautiful. He wants to leave an impact on the world through his art, he wants success and recognition. Michaela considered the question the longest, then told me that what she wants in life is happiness. Being able to define happiness despite its fluctuations and changes is something that she thinks about a lot, especially in relation to how a person’s outlook can shape their world. She also mentioned the value she places on bravery, especially using bravery to go after the causes she believes in.

As a group, Good Luck Finding Iris believes many things. They believe in the importance of writing truth in their lyrics, in capturing ephemeral beauty, and in enticing their audience to come up with their own meanings for Iris. Patrick also stressed that they believe in figuring things out, but that they’re “just as lost as anyone else”. He referred to himself and his bandmates as “just a bunch of idiots,” which might seem mean if you didn’t know how close they all are, like family. Lutalo agreed that they don’t spend all their time philosophizing, saying that they like to have fun, hang out, and live in the moment.

Their first EP, which they plan to record with Subaquatic Records, will be released later this year. Color Me, a single, came out in May. The song is about a lot of the things that are on the minds of high schoolers: change, growth, and self-awareness. Patrick also said that the meaning largely lies in how the audience wants to interpret it. The music video was filmed and edited by Michaela, though you’d think from watching it that someone much older and more experienced had made it. She says that the concept came from the location where it was filmed, and that the masked people demonstrate a lack of direction and purpose. Her biggest fear is that she doesn’t do something meaningful with her life.

What makes something meaningful? We don’t know yet, but my Iris is to find out. - Two Views Press

As summer approaches, the music scene is bustling with festivals, album releases, and emerging artists. Among the vast up and coming sounds, one that particularly holds resilience is Minnesota-based band Good Luck Finding Iris. The group, who produces under the label Subaquatic Records, comprises of Michaela Stein (vocals, guitar), Lutalo Jones (drums), Patrick Hintz (lead guitar), and Enzo Vinholi (bass).

“We had a lot of the different ideas,” said guitarist Patrick Hintz about coming up with the band’s name. “We wanted something that conveyed searching for yourself along with hanging onto something and we felt that the inclusion of the iris represents growth into something more beautiful.”

Still newly formed, the group nonetheless asserts their presence with an abstraction that demands attention. As heard in their single, “Color Me,” Good Luck Finding Iris has an entrancing sound, with sultry vocals, articulate guitar parts, and brooding bass. One might simply sweep the band under the overarching genre of “indie” but their incorporations of jazz, and minimal aspects of folk, are undeniable. This eclectic sound no doubt comes from the bands widespread influence, musically and lyrically.

"We listen to a lot of different stuff, respectively,” expressed Hintz. “Personally, I get influence from West Coast pop, I listen to a lot of Sub Pop and Run For Cover artists and I’m really inspired by what they’re doing and I try to incorporate that into our sound. That’s probably why Good Luck Finding Iris doesn’t have a particular genre, we sorta blend.”

When it comes to writing lyrics, the band uses this process as a coping mechanism in ways. The members write about what has happened to them or is happening to them, trying to make sense of their experiences. Through their lyrics, the band hopes to capture how their personal relationships and surroundings have and still are shaping their growth (growth being a main theme in most of their music). For the most part, they convey themselves in a thoughtful manner, showing their awareness of the world around them and within them

Regarding their single “Color Me,” right from the back-and-forth sounding guitar part and ominous harmonies within the opening, the listener is consumed by the vibe the band portrays. I look forward to more work and commotion coming from this still fresh and bright eyed group, they’re no doubt a force of nature that isn’t hesitant to contending some roots early on in their career.

Make sure to watch the music video for “Color Me,” paralleling the depth and blanketed emotions within the song. Ultimately, a abstruse visual, conceptual piece is created. Along with playing a few shows here and there this summer, the band also plans on starting their ep, so plan on keeping your ear open for that. - Melted Magazine