MYLO BYBEE: Boise’s Hometown Guitar-Rock Heroes

Photo by Austin Townend

Fresh off their two-show Treefort debut, MYLO BYBEE is fast becoming one of the most popular bands in Boise’s local music scene. With their hefty guitar sounds and impactful lyrics, the Idaho natives have been steadily growing their following one high-energy performance at a time. I caught up with members Tyler and Wesley Schlagenhauf after the band’s show at Boise Brewing.

AM: There are some pretty famous examples of brothers not working well together in bands. How do you think the brother and three-piece dynamic influences how you make music?

Wesley: By just letting one person take the lead. Tyler orchestrates the songs and writes the lyrics. There are not a lot of egos involved. Nick, our drummer, and I do what we need to serve the songs. Tyler is not too precious about what our parts are. We have free reign to just do our thing.

Tyler: When I bring songs to the guys, they are by no means baked. They are still in their infancy, and there are a lot of directions they could go, which leaves room for them to do their thing. We always like the product we are turning out, and we have always worked well together.

AM: Has that always been your dynamic as brothers? One of you takes the lead, and the rest go along with it?

Wesley: Pretty much, he is four years older than me. I’m just happy to be here.

AM: You are a part of a wave of musicians that started making music during the 2020 pandemic lockdown. How do you think starting your career during such an uncertain time has informed your music?

Tyler: It really benefited us because we were forced to practice for a year without being able to play any shows. We were able to get our songs really tight and polished and just write and write and write. We recorded an EP before we had ever played a show. When we were able to play shows, we had content that we could tell people to find and follow and listen to. When we started, we did not have any expectations of what would happen or if we were ever going to play a show. 

Wesley: We were guilted into playing a show right before the pandemic hit, and we were not ready. We really lucked out on not having to experience any more of that. Tyler is also really good at marketing the band. I think a lot of people put out recordings but then do not do anything after that. It is Ty’s second full-time job.

AM: Being a rock band from the Pacific Northwest means you follow in the footsteps of heavy hitters like Nirvana and Built To Spill. Do you think being a part of that lineage helps or hinders your band in any way?

Tyler: I’m just happy to be a part of a music scene that is growing so quickly here in Boise. Built To Spill put Idaho and Boise on the map at a national level, but where we are at right now, we are just happy to be a part of this music scene. This is the first Treefort that we have played; obviously, that brings a lot of exposure. We are just along for the ride right now. We do not have any expectations of reaching a certain level or threshold.  

Wesley: Doug Marsh and Built To Spill have only influenced the scene in a positive way. We grew up listing to Built To Spill, and at the time, I did not even know they were from here; I just thought it was a band that everyone loved. Having that ingrained in what we do is awesome.  It is cool that they are not a dime-a-dozen here. Dough Marsh is kind of the north star in that regard.

Tyler: Boise has so many great bands that are from here. Not only is Boise becoming a great music scene because of all the things we have going on here, but the bands here are just so good that it helps raise our bar a little.

AM: What has your experience been like participating in Treefort for the first time? What role do you think Treefort plays in the larger festival scene?

Tyler: It has been amazing for us. This has been the biggest thing we have played as far as reach and exposure are concerned. We are super grateful to have not only made it into Treefort but to actually get two sets. Treefort is a unique festival in that the main focus is the music, but that is not the only thing that is great about Treefort. With all the support they give to other artists, it really is a festival for anyone and everyone. 

Wesley: It is so cool to see people come here for the first time. A friend of mine from L.A. is doing comedy fort, it is his first time here, and he was like, “this is amazing.” It is this weird little gem that a lot of people around town want to keep a secret, but there are benefits to not keeping us a secret as well.

AM: What music are you listening to right now that you are excited about?

Tyler: A band that I have been listening to for a long time and have recently started pulling inspiration from for my writing, We Were Promised Jetpacks. Instrumentally they are amazing. 

This interview has been edited and condensed.