WHY NOT is the Minneapolis trio's self-titled mission statement. Fueled by the tension and uncertainty of the time and the changes in the band's personal lives -- from graduating high school and moving out of their childhood homes to growing into and out of long-term relationships -- and colored by the joy of creating with each other and feeling inspiration in dark times.

Henry Breen, Isaac Dell, and Joshua MacGregor met playing in a middle school music class at Great River School in St. Paul, MN. The trio formed WHY NOT in early 2016 as Breen and MacGregor enrolled in high school at nearby St Paul Conservatory of Performing Artists while Dell continued at Great River. Before any band member could drive, they had released their first album and booked their first tour -- relying on Isaac's dad, Irve, for transportation to their shows.

Now based in Minneapolis, the band have pivoted from their math rock and punk beginnings, incorporating more of their wide variety of musical influences and showcasing their burgeoning songcraft. The result is an amalgamation of punching drums, intricate guitars, digital distortion, and whatever experimental recording technique the band uncovers all built around an incredibly memorable suite of songs.

WHY NOT was born on retreats to Dell's family farm in Viroqua, WI. Holed up with no cell service, the band spent most of their days set up in the living room, demoing songs, reading books, and taking walks around the property. When an idea would hit, they would chase the initial feeling, sometimes going through dozens of evolutions, building the original core demos into the album in its final form over time.

The band enlisted Minneapolis producer and brother of MacGregor, Caleb Hinz (Hippo Campus, Samia, Miloe), to produce WHY NOT, booking their first session at Flowers studio in Minneapolis at the end of summer 2020. The group confesses they didn't end up recording much during those sessions, instead using their time together to reconnect and get the human connection they were all desperately searching for throughout that summer. After six months had passed, the group reconvened at Hippo Campus' recording studio and finished the tracking over the course of the next couple of weeks. The result is a virtuosic, genre-fluid statement from a young band just beginning to harness the heights of their craft.

Past Shows


Oct
31
st
2024
7th St Entry
Sep
17
th
2024
Turf Club
Sep
17
th
2024
Turf Club

Charly Bliss

Forever and Ever Tour
with Raffaella and WHY NOT
Feb
29
th
2024
Fine Line
Feb
29
th
2024
Fine Line

Raffaella

★ Local Show ★
with WHY NOT
Aug
4
th
2023
Fine Line
Aug
4
th
2023
Fine Line

IVERS

'Best Behavior' Release Show
with WHY NOT, Aiden Intro and Chutes
Jun
24
th
2023
Bayfront Festival Park
Jun
24
th
2023
Bayfront Festival Park

Hippo Campus

with Miloe and WHY NOT
Apr
28
th
2023
Turf Club
Apr
28
th
2023
Turf Club

WHY NOT

with Honeybutter, Tommy Goodroad and KINFU
Feb
18
th
2023
First Avenue
Feb
18
th
2023
First Avenue

Samia

Honey Tour
with Tommy Lefroy and WHY NOT
Oct
5
th
2022
7th St Entry
Oct
5
th
2022
7th St Entry

Annie DiRusso

with WHY NOT
Sep
23
rd
2022
Fine Line
Sep
23
rd
2022
Fine Line

Landon Conrath

with Lupin and WHY NOT
Mar
13
th
2022
7th St Entry
Mar
13
th
2022
7th St Entry

WHY NOT

with Raffaella and Huhroon
Dec
4
th
2021
7th St Entry
Dec
4
th
2021
7th St Entry

Disq

with WHY NOT
Nov
28
th
2021
First Avenue
Nov
28
th
2021
First Avenue

Beach Bunny

(moved from Fine Line)
with Miloe and WHY NOT
Aug
14
th
2021
7th St Entry
Aug
14
th
2021
7th St Entry

WHY NOT

with Mike Kota and FruitPunchLoverBoy
Jul
29
th
2019
7th St Entry
Jul
29
th
2019
7th St Entry

Hibou

with WHY NOT and The Immaculate Beings
Jun
30
th
2019
7th St Entry
Jul
23
rd
2018
7th St Entry
Jul
23
rd
2018
7th St Entry

LOVE SEQUENCE

with WHY NOT and THE CLEAN TRAMPS

More Shows

Mar
1
st
Turf Club

Pert Near Sandstone

with Bronwyn Keith-Hynes and Feeding Leroy
Feb
28
th
Turf Club

Pert Near Sandstone

with Dig Deep and Katey Bellville
Jan
4
th
Turf Club

Gramma's Boyfriend

with Oyster World and Ghosting Merit
Jan
3
rd
Turf Club

HELL YEAH 2!! ⏤ A Rock & Roll Dance Party ft. DJ Mary Lucia

with DJ Shane Kramer (of Transmission), DJ Johnnie Johnson and Monica LaPlante