{"id":2423470,"date":"2026-05-19T16:10:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2423470"},"modified":"2026-05-19T16:10:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:10:38","slug":"milwaukees-collaborative-music-scene-enters-a-new-era-with-pierhead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/milwaukees-collaborative-music-scene-enters-a-new-era-with-pierhead\/","title":{"rendered":"Milwaukee\u2019s collaborative music scene enters a new era with Pierhead"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Milwaukee music scene is a kaleidoscope of art that encompasses the entirety of this city. That\u2019s the kind of diversity you can expect from DIY \u2014 a cultural phenomenon that applies to more than at-home crafts. It\u2019s also intrinsic to the very survival of local musicians, regardless of the city.<\/p>\n

But survival requires evolution, and not the gradual Darwinian kind. Scenes like Milwaukee\u2019s shift on the regular, due in part to the ways in which the people within it care for each other. Bands and their individual members intersect, adding twang or scuzz or both to their sonic thumbprint.<\/p>\n

Then there are the bigger changes \u2014 genres exploding from the bellows of an acoustic guitar or the wires of an amp head. And if you\u2019ve been paying attention to the scene recently, you might be asking the same question I did:<\/p>\n

Are we in a new era of Milwaukee music?<\/p>\n

From studio to stage<\/h3>\n

The evolution within a local scene typically pushes the boundaries of people’s lives rather than necessarily creating a new sound. Then there are the true innovations that start in the studio and practically burst from a new record, like the recently released EP from Milwaukee\u2019s in shining armour<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The five-track spirit hound<\/u><\/i><\/a> from the duo of Seth Kaplan and Aidan Hoppens has embedded in it a level of professionalism that can only be found through constant trial and error. With some Rocky Mountain production help from Corey Coffman of Colorado alt outfit Gleemer<\/u><\/a> and Deep Down Studio in Fort Collins, the record redefines the band\u2019s potential, layering dozens of bells and whistles that would be difficult for a two-piece to recreate on stage.<\/p>\n

Somehow, though, the experience of actively listening to the music creates a new perspective, whether you\u2019re pressing play on the EP or going to one of in shining armour\u2019s live shows.<\/p>\n

Does that mean being a part of this proposed new era of Milwaukee music coming out of basements and bars requires a trip to Colorado? In the eyes of Kaplan and Hoppens, the answer is complicated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a similar set of influences coming from \u201990s emo bands to the current scene,\u201d Hoppens remarked from the band\u2019s warehouse studio. \u201cThe ethics of the scenes back then are influential with a lot of people in this scene, moving past the content-ification of art.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Milwaukee band in shining armour at a recent show.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Music comes first<\/h3>\n

They\u2019re trying to leave behind what\u2019s become the standard blueprint for jumpstarting a successful career: pump out viral social-media posts.<\/p>\n

An assembly line exists in the digital world that tries to maximize the potential for a short reel to get sucked into the algorithm. There are thousands of 20-second videos of an artist lip-syncing to what they deem is the catchiest part of their newest song, hoping it becomes a hit. It\u2019s a tactic that works for some, but it\u2019s a one-in-a-million chance.<\/p>\n

Obviously, there\u2019s nothing wrong with an artist trying to make money off their vision. The trap is sprung, however, when they start creating with the algorithm in mind and thus fundamentally change the spirit of their art.<\/p>\n

Artistic integrity and the music business rarely go well together, so artists actively rejecting the power of social media to focus on just making good music is a strong sign of authenticity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve talked to other bands about the double-edged sword of having an online presence,\u201d Kaplan said, \u201cand it feels like bands are taking it less seriously because there are so many artists making fun of themselves through their content. I feel like a lot of bands we look up to don’t take themselves seriously, but they take their music seriously, and that resonates a lot with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

For in shining armour and other bands around them, the music comes first.<\/p>\n

Evidence of this is all around the city, and you don\u2019t need to look that hard to find it. The DIY ethos and resulting collaborations are why most stoplights in Milwaukee are full of show flyers. It\u2019s an actual, physical community not hidden behind screens, and it\u2019s serving as the topsoil for local bands to take root and blossom.<\/p>\n

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Tending the garden<\/h3>\n

So maybe there isn\u2019t a musical<\/i> trend changing the Milwaukee sound, but rather an ideological one \u2014 a push to help each other become better artists and in turn curate a community based on art instead of algorithms.<\/p>\n

In essence, it\u2019s the orbit of people surrounding the scene that creates that collective shove to improve. It\u2019s not that bands like in shining armour are the sun giving life to the scene; they\u2019re more like individual drops of rain watering the garden.<\/p>\n

That metaphorical garden has an actual name: Pierhead, an artist collective started earlier this year that consists of dozens of bands and individuals pooling their resources to create art.<\/p>\n

The initiative sprung from the simple fact that running a band can get expensive fast. Studio time, merch, production \u2014 it all requires a lot of energy and money. Alternatively, it requires a curated list of individuals who can make cassettes, shirts and zines, or who know production tools like Logic Pro like the back of their hand. And if the work is pro bono? Even better.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s less of a record label and more so a function for helping people make tapes, art, merch or help people record music and distribute it,\u201d explained Henry Hopton, co-founder of Pierhead and guitarist of Milwaukee-based band Forktail<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

His fellow founder Max Juedes, drummer for Frantic Repair<\/u><\/a>, likens the collective to Numero Group, an archival record collective that showcases underground music via compilation mixes.<\/p>\n

\u201cA band isn\u2019t going to sign on to Pierhead for a four-album record deal,\u201d Juedes noted. \u201cInstead it\u2019s a platform that can benefit everyone. It\u2019s kind of a rip-off from what old emo bands were doing like Eldritch Anisette or BoySetsFire.\u201d<\/p>\n

All for one, one for all<\/h3>\n

Pierhead\u2019s mantra is built on altruism, which immediately sets it apart from your standard music industry record label that signs bands they believe will make them a profit. They provide the necessary resources to make a record so the artist can then sell out a national tour. In an ideal scenario, the artist makes enough money to pay back the label and take some home.<\/p>\n

For Pierhead, money isn\u2019t even a factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s say [Pierhead band] Human Ant Farm goes on tour with Camping In Alaska out in California,\u201d Juedes said. \u201cSomebody who sees them for the first time at a show can look at their bio, see Pierhead and then see a list of bands they\u2019re affiliated with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Notoriety for one means notoriety for all. Everyone benefits from each other’s success, which means everyone pushes each other to succeed. The strategy isn\u2019t to build up one band with the hopes of them going viral, but to instead share resources to build up as many bands as possible to thrive in localized scenes. The buy-in is simply showing up and helping out however you can.<\/p>\n

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Merch from in shining armour designed with help from Pierhead.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Artists have been providing mutual assistance forever. That\u2019s the easy part. What\u2019s difficult is building an entire ecosystem to reward that passion for helping each other. Pierhead is building it because the people behind the collective saw the potential in having those support systems in place.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s more than music, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a photographer, my goal is to capture moments that represent our scene and understand how that can impact the generations after us,\u201d said Nati Rodriguez, a visual artist deeply embedded in the music scene who represents the synthesis of art within Pierhead.<\/p>\n

Each individual in the collective brings a unique skill set that meets a need within the music business. After all, shirts, show flyers and album covers have to come from somewhere.<\/p>\n

Their ability to produce high-quality promotional work alongside merch demonstrates the necessity of collaboration within DIY music, which typically requires a musician to wear a lot of hats. With the Pierhead approach, spreading the work it takes to pursue a project exponentially grows that project’s potential.<\/p>\n

A launching pad<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s this idea that music made on the cheap has to sound cheap. But that\u2019s not the case. It comes down to the quality of the individuals involved with a project and their willingness to push limits. That\u2019s how you end up with a great record like in shining armour\u2019s spirit hound<\/i> and the next great record from \u2026 whomever.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody wanted to start their own band,\u201d Hopton said, \u201cthey could reach out to someone in Pierhead and practice in an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pre-existing relationships and dynamics can be tough to break into, but the collective provides a social safety net anyone can tumble into.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the earlier days of Frantic Repair when this wasn\u2019t a thing, we\u2019d go to shows, play and then leave. It got very isolating,\u201d Juedes recalled. \u201cPierhead is rebelling against that to create a community where everyone can feel welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s new in the city\u2019s music scene isn\u2019t a sound, but rather a perspective. Sure, this batch of Milwaukee artists could bet on becoming the next big thing. But they\u2019d rather bet on each other.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n