While some of us were busy over-sanitizing our groceries during COVID, siblings Austin and Taryn Durry were forming a band. What started as an unplanned project has since evolved into two albums and a nationwide tour. Durry spoke to NYOTA about building their creative partnership, making “This Movie Sucks,” and keeping every part of their process in-house.

It feels weird to thank COVID for anything, but without it, Durry might have never come to be. How did that time at home inspire you both to start making music together?

For me (Austin), I think COVID was just a reset button. I was in so deep with my old band that I hadn’t even considered anything else. When COVID shut everything down, it kinda sent me back to the drawing board. I wanted to make something lighter, something poppier, more youthful, and Taryn was the perfect sounding board for ideas when we were locked in the house together. That really naturally turned into a creative partnership, and then into a band. From there, it really all just fell into place.

Did music have an important place in your household as you were growing up?

Oh, definitely. We were homeschooled by a music teacher dad and an art teacher mom, so there was a lot of value placed on creative fields, for sure. Most of our pop culture music influence came from our older brothers, but everybody in the house was a musician to some degree. 

The comments section for the “Who’s Laughing Now” music video is filled with people not only praising the song but also sharing their own stories of regret for not pursuing their music dreams. Has it been surreal to see how that song has resonated with listeners?

I mean, that’s always been the dream. Seeing it come to life is incredibly surreal, and it’s such an honor every time anybody chooses to spend time with our music. I also love that so many folks have felt inspired to chase their own creative passions. That’s part of what the whole song is about: nobody believes you can do it until you do. 

When it came to creating This Movie Sucks, what was the process? Did you already have a song created that you wanted to build the album around, or were there specific themes you wanted to explore, and then you took it from there?

After our first record, Suburban Legend, I kinda just started shooting out songs like crazy. We finished almost 30 tunes before we started cutting them back to start forming the album. It all felt super intentional, like we were sculpting something and discovering what it was as we went. The whole movie theme came up pretty early in the process, and I think those visuals definitely led to a lot of decisions going into the music. 

“idk i just work here” is made for a live show, when listening to it, I can picture a crowd yelling the lyrics and jumping as it’s performed. As you worked on This Movie Sucks, did you have any tracks that you created with a clear vision of playing live?

Oh definitely. “Start a Band” is 100% geared around getting the crowd to yell “I’m starting a band,” and “Porcupine” was all about getting folks to do the big “woo” moments. We love a good crowd interaction. 

People yearn for the days when musicians were making fun and creative music videos, and you’re bringing us back to that golden age through your videos for “Dead Media,” “This Movie Sucks,” and more. As you work on songs, are you simultaneously thinking through the visuals?

100%. I was planning music videos as we wrote the songs, and making musical choices to match the music video in my head. We didn’t really plan on having so many music videos, but we just kept coming up with ideas we loved and figuring out ways to do them for really cheap. Seeing all that come together into one completed package was so satisfying. 

There’s incredible attention to detail that goes into your song and album rollouts, which your listeners clearly appreciate; for example, putting a secret track on the This Movie Sucks vinyl. How creatively involved are you both when it comes to your rollouts and figuring out little ways to surprise your listeners?

Oh, we plan everything and design almost everything ourselves. “Dead Media” was a last-minute addition to the album, and having it be a secret track was the plan right from the start. We designed the whole record, the packaging, and the rollout. We film and edit all our own promo videos and advertising. It’s more than hands-on, it’s like true DIY. We have a great team that helps implement the plan, but basically everything comes from us directly. 

Social media has been a great way for you all to give fans a look behind the curtain at the making of your music videos, life on tour, and more. Do the interactions you have with fans on social media ever influence set lists, tour stops, or merch decisions?

Absolutely! I think it’s really important to remember there are real people on the other end of every comment. We really take fan reactions and advice to heart. We’re always gonna trust our own instincts first, but we love input and take it super seriously too. I always say at shows, “Being a band is a team sport, and you all made the cut,” because it’s true! We only function with the fans. That’s a part of the magic of it.

This story first ran in NYOTA’s Music issue. Read more from the issue here and purchase a print copy here.