We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Pretoria a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Pretoria, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

You only get one shot to make your debut album, and we feel endlessly proud of 2023’s “Where Will the Night Take Us?” as the culmination of our work so far. Most of the project was recorded in a home studio where we had as much time as we needed to arrange and perfect every song, choosing only the tracks we were most proud of for the final product. Many of our favorite Pretoria songs to date land on this project, and it’s been an honor to see listeners respond positively, with the album amassing nearly one million total streams in its first year.

Pretoria, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We’ve all been performing music since our early teens, and most of us met in high school while playing in various other musical projects. In early 2018 the entity known as Pretoria began to officially take shape, and we spent our first few years as a band grinding out as many shows as possible to make a name for ourselves in the Grand Rapids area. We kept things as DIY as possible for years, recording in various home studios and playing countless house shows, many of which we organized/hosted ourselves. In the autumn of 2024, we took the next step with the band and relocated to Chicago where we’re excited for the opportunities to come. We aim to create music for people to make good memories to, and to sound like nostalgia for things yet to come.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of our work is connecting with others, be they fans or other musicians. The road can get tough as an independent musician, but every time we receive a dm about how much our music means to someone, it makes the whole journey worth it. We’ve met some of our closest companions through the music scene, and it’s truly a bond like no other. There is no greater honor than creating something that impacts others the same way your favorite artists have impacted you.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In the summer of 2024 we finally bought a tour van. We assumed we’d need to make some repairs, but we didn’t expect to remove the carpeting and discover massive holes throughout the entire underbelly of the vehicle. With an east coast tour leg just days away, we pooled together our resources and spent two days straight making this van driveable. After a hefty helping of nails, sheet metal, rust-remover, and the vital guidance of our manager Drew Craven, we were able to just barely beat the clock and successfully drive 12 hours to play New York City for the very first time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pretoriamusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pretoriamusic/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/PretoriaMusic/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pretoriamusic?lang=bn
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZTQNoIgY_ovurknBTd0SBw

Image Credits

Brady Olson