Check Out Pelican Museum’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pelican Museum. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Before we were a band, Kiana, Colton, and PJ were long-time family friends. PJ & Colton are father and son. PJ is friends with Kiana’s dad and Kiana is one of Colton’s older sister, Alexis’ best friends.

One evening early into the COVID lockdown, PJ came home to an ambush of Kiana and her Friend wanting to jam.

Prior to the lockdown, we had all been playing solo but we had not played together. In the beginning, it was a bit of musical chairs because each of us played multiple instruments. About the time we settled on acoustic guitar, mandolin/violin, and drums, Colton was walking down the hall. He had been playing bass in a school jazz trio and we asked if he wanted to join us.

In those days there was not much else to do, so we would get together several times a week and made music.

Although there are over two decades of age difference, musical tastes were very much inline. We spent our nights playing songs from the Turnpike Troubadours, the Pixies, American Aquarium, Tom Petty, etc.

When the world started to open up again, we decided to try for some public performances. Kiana‘s dad was having a small backyard barbecue. Nobody really remembers whether or not he asked us to play or we asked him if we could play. Nevertheless, that was our first show together, playing through a bass amp, and one amp for vocals, guitar, mandolin, and Electric drums. Yes, our Indie-Acoustic Americana band had its first outing with electric drums.

We played one more backyard barbecue with that lineup (and electric drums). We soon found ourselves as a three-piece without a drummer. PJ and Kiana had been doing a lot of open mics prior to the lockdown. As soon as they started back up, we were at the front of the line to continue performing with the added bonus of playing as a band.

It was at one of those open mics, at the House of Bards, that we ran into Jacob Logan Rodriguez a.k.a. Turtle. We made conversation with him prior to our three-song set, and he joined us on stage playing a cigar box Cajon.

Once we found out he was talented in the congas, percussion, and drum set, as well as the cigar box, we invited him to rehearse with us.

After that it was a matter of getting in as much stage time as possible, building up three hours’ worth of material, and start book shows.

After that we started playing out consistently. We had been amazed at the opportunities that we had.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Can it ever be a smooth road when you try to get four people with different backgrounds, life experiences, priorities, and goals to align their visions? Luckily we have good communication between the four of us and know how to set expectations and boundaries. Without good communication, you will end up with a lot of frustration.

There are always bumps in the road and disappointments but we have been very fortunate. Early on we’ve had support from local venues, Catalina Brewing being a big one. We also have been helped by incredible bands/artists who have given us advice, and connections and put us on their shows.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are a four-piece indie-acoustic Americana band. Both Kiana and PJ trade off singing lead. We have a focus on original music. In live shows, when we do play cover songs. Our intent is not to try and reproduce the original recording. We try to interpret that song in our style and put our own stamp on it.

We are most proud of our original music and specifically the two EPs we have recorded. We released “Parts” in January 2022. We recorded it with Armondo Quiroz in his home studio. It was a huge learning process for us. It challenged us to be better musicians and songwriters. Our second EP “Where This Goes” comes out soon and we think it not only shows our growth as songwriters but maturation in the studio.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Of course, we want to thank our friends and family. When we started down this route we were able to fill up rooms, sell drinks, and make venues happy because our friends would come out to support us.

We also want to thank the venues that support live original music. Yes the ones that book us but we also want to thank all of the businesses that support the Arizona music scene.

Drew Cooper has been a big mentor for the band and helped open a lot of doors.

Dan Marries, of KOLD, has a big voice in Tucson and southern Arizona. He has used his platform and supported us and never asked for anything in return.

Cancion Tequila is a supporter of live music in Arizona and has been a big supporter of ours and promoting our shows. It’s great to be associated with such a premium brand with a rich history in Arizona music.

We’ve also had a great support network with the local music scene in general. Tucson bands are supportive online and in person. We’ve also gotten support from the Phoenix music scene. With the way that the music scene is, it can be very tempting to get caught up in a competitive mindset. It’s been very refreshing to see the camaraderie in the music scene.

Contact Info:

• Website: PelicanMuseum.com
• Instagram: @pelicanmuseum
• Facebook: Facebook.com/PelicanMuseum
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@PelicanMuseum
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2DhOncyPUnI3lCoknM3LC4?si=grgudLZ-TOaHTKewfiJPxw

Image Credits
April Kraus Beau Bidwell Phil Kelly