By: Kevin Hill Brynn Schwartzman and Janiya Beason BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (April 3, 2025)-

A group of talented college students, all with different musical skills come together to create a unique sound that’s quickly gaining attention both on and off campus. The band Backyard Function is a student-run ensemble formed two years ago, and though they’ve evolved through different eras over the years, they’re proving that college bands are more than just a way to pass the time, but a way to really capture people’s attention and direct it to the local Bloomington music scene.
The band Backyard Function may be Bloomington’s hidden gem. It is composed of seven members, all trained in their craft. Members of the band consist of Aly the lead singer, Lucas the guitarist, Garrick the bassist, Peter the keyboardist, Mike the drummer, and lastly Nate the saxophonist. Each individual brings a different energy to the group that makes them a distinct bunch as a whole. From what we’ve gathered, Backyard Function is a cover band that does music anywhere from upbeat, to more of a chill vibe. So far, most of their gigs are at fraternity parties, and a local bar called Bluebird, but at times they book to play more private events as well.
This treasured band originally was founded by one of the band members’ older brother. The saxophonist Nate’s older brother originally created a band from a music club called Bloomington Delta Music Club. They formed a band and named it “Street Pennies”; this band was rooted mostly in blues influence. Years later when Nate joined the band his brother had already graduated, and the band went on to be named “Subject to Change”. They played a couple of shows together but eventually the upperclassmen that took part in that band graduated as well, and that is when Backyard Function was finally born.
We took the liberty of interviewing two members of the band, starting out with the saxophonist and one of the founders, Nate Cook. In his interview, when Nate describes how Backyard Function came together, he recounts it as some of the people he was in the previous band with, and some of his buddies that are in his fraternity had diverse musical talents like piano, guitar, singing, etc. and they thought it would be cool to mesh their talents and play music together, so they started recruiting more people.
When asked “How has the band grown?” Nate expressed his joy for how comfortable the band has gotten with working together and performing in front of crowds. He claims they have more chemistry, stronger stage presence, better scheduling habits, and that each individual in the band is getting better at their specific talents, whether it’s singing or playing an instrument. The interviewer also asked Nate if he had any hopes for the band. To which he answered, he just wants them to enjoy their time together while they’re here. Although Nate graduates soon and has plans of going on to become a lawyer, he still stated that he could absolutely see himself in a band again after college is over. “It’s been a great opportunity playing at the bird all the time. It’s been probably one of my favorite parts of college, and certainly one of my favorite parts of my musical career.” Emphasizing how meaningful music has been in his life so far. The last piece of advice Nate had to offer was how important it is to network, reach out, and meet people. Connections and socializing is crucial when it comes to anything in the music field. “… don’t be afraid to get out of your cocoon and be positive. I don’t think anyone wants to work with a negative person.”
The next band member interviewed was Will Zay, the lead guitarist and vocalist, as well as another founding member of the band. Will started out in the original band “Street Pennies” much like Nate, during his sophomore year with some friends of his. They played a couple of shows during the end of that year, but the upperclassmen went on to graduate. They continued to play as “Subject to Change” but went on to become Backyard Function.
During the interview Will was also asked “How have you seen the band grow?” Will states the biggest thing he’s noticed is people recognizing them and coming up to them saying they’ve enjoyed the show. He said they’ve just been getting a lot more recognition and praise compared to when they first started booking shows two years ago. When describing what the first gig was like, he recalls that not very many people were in attendance. They were doing an opening set for another band, and only his friends and some girls from a sorority showed up, but he still describes it as “the most memorable show” because the people who actually did attend were so energetic and encouraging. Will left us with a last piece of advice to close out the interview “Be open, there’s a lot of musicians out there, and a lot of people you can reach out to.”
Overall, for now the band remains grounded, focused on the music, and eager for what’s next. They’re enjoying this last month on campus together, booked and busy before the school year ends, and spending time together as friends before some of them graduate and go their separate ways. Backyard Function is one of the many hidden creative talents we have here at IU Bloomington, and we’re excited to see what they do next.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-YGHHUt2XvL3QruC6CmmETlMGb7mRz5f/view?usp=sharing 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yS97KIdou7XPF2f_clx0QMrsWoOf29hr/view?usp=sharing

Backyard Function bassist, Garrick Ton, soaks up the bonding moments during rehearsal. He cherishes these fun times trying to figure out their next gig.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZuIAMzqZlXevaP2b0X3T3fiR7e3H-MC_/view?usp=sharing

Backyard Function guitarist and lead singer, Will Zay, searches for a new song to perform on their upcoming set list. He suggests popular Bruce Springsteen song, Glory Days.