12RODS

When Ryan Olcott, songwriter and frontman of Twin Cities’ iconic indie rock band 12 Rods, found unfinished Rods demos during lockdown, he was surprised. When he realized they were good, he was shocked. He quickly set to finishing and recording the compositions, which became If We Stayed Alive, the first 12 Rods album in twenty-one years.

Reacquainting himself with a twenty-year-removed craft and technique took some getting used to — some parts longer than others. He recorded all the instruments in a week, but the vocals took a bit longer. If We Stayed Alive is everything longtime fans have wanted, and the perfect introduction to what some called “America’s Radiohead” and what others have called one of the best indie bands of the ‘90s.

Despite these songs being written twenty-two years ago, their sound, themes, mood are evergreen.