Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Josh Toke. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Josh, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Pullstring’s most meaningful project to date has been our latest single release “Pull It!” This new song has signified a new direction that the band is heading in. The band has become much more collaborative to create our new selection of energetic songs and “Pull It!” is only the beginning.

Josh, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Josh Toke and I am both the lead guitarist and manager for the band Pullstring.

Pullstring is the modern everyday man rock band putting to words what it’s like to be a young adult. Hailing from the Twin Cities of Minnesota, they arrived on the music scene as venues began to open up following the lockdowns of the COVID19 pandemic. Their brand of alternative rock is influenced by many artists throughout the decades and brings what fans call “nostalgic vibes” to listeners. Pullstring’s palette of sounds ranges from bittersweet melancholy to upbeat anthems.

In the past couple years as a band, Pullstring has gone on tours and played to packed venues around the Midwest including 7th St Entry, Turf Club, and the Maintenance Shop. Pullstring has already been on festival lineups such as Eau Claire Fall Fest, KURE Fest, and Northwoods Rock Rally. Pullstring has opened for large touring acts such as ALEXSUCKS, George Clanton, The Melismatics, and We Are Scientists.

We’ve done some cool things and I can’t wait to see where we go next!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It’s odd that Pullstring was able to get off the ground like it did. The band started as a passion project of mine to finally have the experience of writing my own original music and getting to record in a studio. With a handful of demos, I recruited musician friends of mine to record these songs on my dime. I also met Alex Fuller indirectly via the Internet and invited him to join the project a month before we were scheduled to go in. It was a learning experience and our most well-known song “Sunday Afternoon” came from that session.

As the months rolled on, things moved at a snail-like pace where we played a handful of shows and tried to continue to write new music. Over time, Pullstring turned into my main passion but it wasn’t the same for others involved. For a while, we had a rotating lineup along with Alex and myself. It was frustrating at times and sometimes we wondered if the band will make it but we have been fortunate enough so far to have an amazing opportunity always come up.

In the end, our resilience comes from rolling with the punches and creating more consistency in the band. As the band grew, all the right things fell into the right place. So far, this has culminated into our latest release “Pull It!” and our recent Spring Fever tour that just concluded. I am excited to see where we go from here!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Whenever you are building something from the ground up, it takes consistency and time to grow. Everyone wants to have their viral moment but going viral is similar to winning a lottery – it’s likely not going to happen. As long as you are active and finding ways to improve your social media, it’s only going to grow.

Doing social media with the band provides an another creative outlet by creating content. I almost think of musicians doing TikToks as the modern day music video – it’s that visual component that goes with the music. The music is always the most important piece but social media is definitely always going to be a part of a music career in the modern age.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pullstringband.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pullstringband/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pullstringband
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pullstringband
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxLmSjGgWGAarph6H4u-ZKw
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pullstringband

Image Credits