theyself

Commonly known as ‘Doc’ Pat Dougherty is the artist and multi-instrumentalist behind theyself. Getting their start writing songs in a borrowed storage closet on the West bank of Minneapolis Doc has performed and released records with several bands including Fairfax, AK and currently Elle PF.

After DIY touring the United States for a few years, Doc took a year off to write a song a week and formed the sound that led to theyself: a rootsy voice dripped in soul over a blend of blues, bluegrass, and house music. In 2017 the project was nominated for ‘Best New Band’ by City Pages.

Their debut EP Wolf Tower was tracked one night on an 8-track tape recorder in a hotel room using a pair of headphones as a makeshift microphone. In 2018 it was put at #7 on the list of ‘MN Records of the Year’ by KBEK FM, and 2019 KNO it’s visual companion piece was featured by Melodic Noise as a 2019 EP of the Year.

Most recently Doc was listed as an artist to watch in 2020 by Twin Cities Pride Magazine and released “roost” a lo-fi album of improvised piano pieces inspired by the fibonacci sequence. Harvested off of voice memos from a cellphone each track is a one-shot take played on the house upright performed under quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Minneapolis-based DIY performance space The Auks Roost.