Finding Joy And Grit In Fresno’s Music Scene

We sit with Brother Luke to trace a Fresno kid’s path from skate decks to songwriting, the small rooms that shaped his voice, and the hard truths about patience, grief, and joy in a local scene that rewards endurance. The talk moves from “Cellular Tree” to writing through loss and lands on clear advice for artists who want to last.

• Fresno roots, skateboarding to first bands
• learning to write, lead and build projects
• the Fresno scene’s range and why access matters
• “Cellular Tree” origin and crowd response
• writing through miscarriage and finding release
• burnout, comparison and returning to the work
• joy in small shows, community and craft
• practical advice for emerging musicians
• where to find Brother Luke’s music

Find me on Instagram and Bandcamp. Each album is like two bucks. Instagram, Brother Luke and the Comrades.

Follow us @ brokeboyz_ff on Instagram and TikTok
Intro Music by Rockstar Turtle- Broke Boyz (999)
Christmas Intro Song by Nico

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Welcome back to another episode of the Broke Boys. I'm Martin. I'm DJ. And today we have another special guest. Please introduce yourself to everybody that's watching and listening. I'm uh Brother Luke of Brother Luke and the Comrades. Happy to be here. Happy to have you. Yeah, thanks. It's uh it's a pleasure in seeing your performance and just like I said, your controlled and vocals and just really putting yourself out there. Like, tell me, tell me your journey. Tell me more about you.

SPEAKER_04 1:05

Yeah, so I grew up here in the valley, uh here in Fresno, born and raised, and proud of that. And um, yeah, I got into skateboarding, you know, in like junior high, high school and stuff. And um, and then out of nowhere, like I think freshman year, all my friends picked up the guitar, like everybody, you know. And honestly, like I was like, oh man, this is dumb. Like, let's go skate, let's go skate, you know? And um, they're like, let's jam. And I mean, it just sounded like garbage. And I was like, So uh my dad had taught me a few things. Um, he plays guitar, and again, I kind of put the guitar to the side, focused on skateboarding. But um, some friends asked me to join this band. We were super bad, like really bad alternative kind of rock. Okay. Okay. Um, and uh it's it was horrible. I even found the record the other day and listened to it's like really bad.

SPEAKER_03 1:55

But we were young, you know, we were just trying to figure it out.

Growing As A Writer In The Valley

SPEAKER_04 1:57

Yeah, and uh it was called Nerve. Uh shout out to the homies. Um yeah, so it was really bad. Uh, but I did start like I learned about they would teach me more chords, they would teach me how to play more, they would teach me, they just they were much more advanced than I was. Okay, okay. And so, and then I think it just kind of stuck from there. Uh I I went to Europe for a little bit and came back and uh started playing more and being in more bands and um asking others to join my bands, and that was like back in the day, so that was like uh late 90s, early aughts. Um and so that's when I really feel like I kind of came into my own as like uh a writer, as someone who can um bring people into a band. Right. Uh whereas before I was just like one, I mostly wanted to just go skate. Yeah, uh but two, um, I was like, I was learning a lot. Yeah. And then I took what I learned and started to apply it to my own life. And so I think I've been in like Central Valley bands, like 10 different Central Valley bands. Um like I was in Rotomacher for a little bit, I was in um I was in this band called Circles and Circles. I played in the Fay Rays for a little bit. Um and I love those experiences. So it music and the Central Valley scene has just brought so much like positivity and joy to my life. So I I I don't know where I'd be without like the local scene and the California scene. And yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:32

Do you feel like there's a lack of talent here at all?

The Fresno Scene’s Talent And Variety

SPEAKER_04 3:35

In Fresno? Yes. No, no, I don't. I I'm amazed. So I'm older, like again, when I was first coming on the scene and like trying to figure out how to play shows and stuff, I was 16 about. Right. So I'm 44 now. Um, and I'm always amazed at um the styles and the genres and the little scenes amongst amongst the Fresno scene. Um, the new kids coming up, the younger kids, um, whether that be like hardcore or punk or uh goth, the goth scene right now. I'm seeing a lot of more goth shows are happening. Yeah. The jazz stuff that Johnny Q's doing is really so and I like like all of those genres, and um I don't have enough time as I'd like to get out to more shows. With I got two little ones at home, but um yeah, I I don't know. I'm always blown away by the talent and the drive and the and also like the bands that and the promoters and the venues that are so supportive and helpful, and there's not a ton of money to be made, but like seems like the vast majority of people are doing it just be like we were talking earlier, just because they enjoy it. Yeah, and they just want to help promote and highlight and put a spotlight on all the talented people. Right. So that's that's my little two cents, but no, yeah.

A Song That Became A Life Staple

SPEAKER_02 4:53

And that's what we're here for. It's it's an amazing experience being able to witness someone who's been in this for the game for so long. And I mean, I say that in terms of like it wasn't initially your first dream to be a guitarist or to pick up an instrument and learn to play and be in a band, but look how far it's gotten you. I mean, yeah, you've I want to ask you, is there a certain song that you've made that has resonated with you that you just know like that is your life song?

Writing Through Grief And Healing

SPEAKER_04 5:19

Oh man, I've never been asked that. Uh not that I've done like a ton of uh uh podcasts, but um a song that's a lifelong song. Um well I got I got a new song that I feel like I'm gonna that is kind of a crowd favorite um that I'm probably gonna play till the day I die. Uh it's called Cellular Tree uh that I was playing. Um I remember being a kid and going on the 41 North to Oakhurst, and that was like the first cell tower that was dressed up as a tree that I'd ever seen. And it like it like just blew my mind. I was like, I was like, is that at first I thought it was a tree, you get closer, you realize it's a cell tower. I didn't even have a cell phone at the time. And I was like, I was just like, what is that? Why is it that way? Right. And what does that say about like where I'm living in? I it just seemed like Star Wars or future, like futuristic to me, you know? And so um, so I was, I was and this was one of the songs that kind of came out of nowhere. I was just playing around with some cores and I just started singing these words, just kind of making them up. Yeah, and it got written so quick, which sometimes is really good. Yeah, and in this case it happened to be good. Yes, I I feel like personally. Um, and I don't know, I play that one alone. My son, my my five-year-old son will sing the end part, you know, uh of that song. And um, so yeah, I would say that that's a crowd favorite, and I'm pretty proud of how that one's come out.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

Yeah, absolutely. Was there ever a song that was so hard for you to write?

SPEAKER_04 6:48

Oh, a song that's hard was hard for me to write. Yeah, there was there's a song I recently wrote, I don't have a name for it yet. So um, in between my firstborn son and our second son, my wife had a miscarriage. And that was thanks. It was all good, totally water on the bridge. We're we're totally fine now. But that was really a tough time. Yeah, and so I just had to, like, it was like inside of me, it's almost like exercising a demon or something, or like putting your your shit out there or whatever. Um and so that took me a long time to write uh because I wanted to do that that time justice or like to tell a story about that time um in a way that isn't too like woe is me. Like we're great. I got two healthy boys, life is good. And at the same time, it was like I'm 44, it was probably one of the roughest times of my life. And if and if I'm saying that, I mean I've got a pretty nice life, if that's like the worst of it, right? So um, but that was a hard that's that's been a hard song to write. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

And it I would assume it kind of felt like a form of release being able to write it out and and produce, and then I mean, it's when it's done, the sense of relief, the weight on your shoulders being taken off. I mean, I could only imagine totally, yeah. That's yeah, that's insane. And and again, man, that's wow.

SPEAKER_04 8:10

Yeah, selfishly, it's very therapeutic for me. Yes, right. Like I feel like a lot of art and creative things are, yeah. And and with this song in particular, it's um where cell cellular tree is like kind of fun. It's heartfelt, like there's a heart to it, I feel like there's a soul to it, but like this is very um, it's one of the more genuine songs that I have seen about. It's just it's very from a uh it's very like core emotion, yes, you know? Yes, I don't know if that makes sense. Yeah, no, absolutely, it's more interpersonal.

Patience Over Hype In Local Music

SPEAKER_02 8:39

It's something that even if the audience can't necessarily relate to it, it's just like I'm glad it's out. Yeah, exactly. It's it's something that carries on for history. I think that's a beautiful thing. Totally. Thank you. Absolutely. Thank you. So, with that being said, I have a question. Yeah, is there anything here in the music industry or in Fresno in the music scene that you feel like is missing? Oh man.

Comparison, Burnout, And Returning To Create

SPEAKER_04 9:02

Um, I think Fresno is a vibrant scene. It's um it's a beautiful scene. I've I've I've uh been around it since I was 16. And I I would say the vast majority of it is positive. Yes. Um well, I think with any art or with any uh creative endeavor that you that any individual or group of individuals takes, um it takes time. Yes. And so I've seen a lot of really talented people get burnt out or give up or stop. Yeah. And I just wish I didn't. Yeah. Like maybe slow down. Yeah. Like I've had slow down times. I've had times where I wasn't able to go to a lot of shows where I wasn't riding a ton, life gets busy, I get it, you know. But I I I wish and I again I don't think there's and I can't think of a specific person or a specific band. I can't think of it, but I just feel like there's it's hard, and people maybe uh get these huge ideas of what it needs to be in this like set amount of time, especially nowadays. And if it's not, I get it. They get jaded or they get like frustrated, they've pet spent a lot of time, a lot of money. It's not getting the attention that they thought it would. And um, I would say just give it some more time, stick with it, you know. And there's a lot of people that do. There's a lot of people that do. Yeah, um, but uh you know, I'll give a little shout out to all the old heads that like I remember playing shows with when I was 17, 18, so that's 25 years ago. And they're still playing, they're still touring, they're still coming up with records and d doing all this stuff, and like that is so inspiring to me. I'm just like I love it, like you know. So I don't know if that's a missing or if it's just like uh something like massive. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, you know, stick with it, play maybe one show a year. Yeah, I'll go, you know, I'll still go, you know. So um that would be probably about it. But oh again, overall, yeah, Fresno's been very gracious and very kind to me. Yes. Um, in my own little corner of what I do and where I play shows. I I I feel like um people can come here and if if they put in some time and some effort and make some connections, they can be playing shows really quickly, they can be on podcasts and doing stuff pretty quick, you know? Exactly. As opposed to maybe some bigger cities, right? Like LA and LA up in the bay.

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Which is why like it's something that I think we stuck with is like we don't need to go out to LA and we want to stay on that like hey, like you can build stuff here and further in the Central Valley. You can you can, but people don't see it like that. People want like you were saying earlier, they want it now. Right. So they they have a picture of like, okay, I can start this and within the year I'm already gonna be famous. Yeah. And it's like, hold on, like that's that's the ultimate goal. Right, sure. But you should follow it with your passion and what you want to do, and you gotta keep it going. Yeah, it's not gonna be just handed to you.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

Couldn't agree more. Yeah.

Community, Friendship, And Creative Therapy

SPEAKER_02 11:56

I think in this generation and in this time zone, everything is very fast-paced because it's like a competition, it's like a rat race, obviously, of who can get to success first or who can be the most talented, who can get that number one hit out first. And I think people need to slow down and remember when it comes to creating art, you're not gonna make your best piece in your first drawing. Right. When it comes to creating a song, you're not dropping your first hit the first year you start. I think it's just a level of coming back and being grounded to your foundation and realizing I'm doing this for me. I'm doing this because it's a passion, not because I need to reach a means of fame or or richness or anything like that. That if it comes with it clean, oh great, yeah. But it's not, it shouldn't be your priority to try and get there as fast as possible. If it works out for you, by all means. Yeah. I think it's a greater thing to see people blow up and off their first hit, and it's like, dude, you did it with no time, right? Yeah, yeah. But what are the odds of that happening, right? It's much more rare. Right. It's very rare, yeah. And I I think the thing about Fresno is the fact that we do have a lot of talent, we do have a lot of people who are committed to their journey, and people that have stuck it out year in, year out. I mean, speaking about JSP and Blood of the Captain, I mean, when I met both of them, they were in, they were, they were already established before then, but and then re-circling back to meeting them now, and they're still doing it, they're still, they're still grinding. And I always tell it to them, like, shoutouts to them. They they really stuck it out and kept going. No matter what the controversy was, no matter what people had to say about them, no matter of the burnout and being exhausted and feeling like, oh my god, I just I don't I don't think it's worth it anymore. Getting yourself out of that rut is the test of how bad you really want it and how much it means to you.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Yep. Yeah, and I always think about the reflection of I know that God forges your path. Yes, but that path is gonna come with a lot of obstacles. Yeah, that's gonna test you. How bad do you want to do it? Yes, how bad are you willing to sacrifice and continue going? Yes. And it's not it's not easy, it's consistent, it's continuously an uphill battle. Yes. But again, if you have the the love for it and the passion for it, then you'll overlook anything. Totally.

SPEAKER_04 14:06

Yeah, and like you're saying, I think there's like for me, I'll speak just for myself, like there's genuine joy and gratitude, and like it just enriches my life in and of the self, in and of itself. Yeah, like playing a little show at a little cafe and writing these little songs and having a few people that are like, hey man, that was really cool. Like, let me get a record. Like that to me, I mean that's it. Like that, like that's great. Like, I don't there's really nothing like anything more comes, it's just like extra and cool and awesome. But like I yeah, I it's it's just brings so much depth to my life, you know, in and of itself.

Advice For Emerging Musicians

SPEAKER_02 14:45

Wow, you know, and I love that, man, because it's it's it's almost like a minimalistic ideology or or way of thinking, but at the same time, like I'd I feel like I'd rather be like that rather than the person like, oh, I gotta hit a hundred, yeah, a hundred sales, or I gotta hit a thousand, because when are you ever satisfied? Right. Like the the sad the when do you ever reach the point of satisfaction as an artist when you're chasing numbers so much, right? Totally. Um, and I think that takes away the soul of why people do music, why people create art is the numbers. And you know, again, living in this generation is just really hard because social media being a huge thing and realizing you gotta compete with other people in terms of numbers, it takes away the genuine passion. So all I want to say is thank you for being genuine, even in the generation in a generation and a lifetime where numbers is a lot to a lot of people, right? Um, thank you for being passionate about what you create and not letting it jade you, not letting it uh take away from your creation. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_04 15:47

Yeah, yeah, that's beautiful. That's beautifully put, man. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

So with that being said, like even what DJ was saying, was there any tough moments or moments of doubt that you felt like, you know what, maybe I should stop doing this?

SPEAKER_04 15:59

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Um, like, and I think I talk about this with other musicians and artists in general, and like you were saying, getting jaded, yeah, where we I talk about this, especially with the older heads that have been doing the music stuff for a while, is like like there's a time where you're doing it and everyone's like at the kind of the same level. Yeah, and then one or two, like like one or two bands starts getting really big. Yes. And it it's and you're putting in a lot of time and effort and money, and it's easy to get jaded and to be like, well, why are they and not unlike we, you know, I think my stuff's just as good if you know, not better, whatever. Yeah, and so I remember I think I was in my like late 20s, early 30s, and I was just kind of over. I toured a little bit and come out with some albums and um and enjoyed it, but I I started to compare myself a lot to other people that had made it and were playing Letterman and like like Cobra kids, like like we I knew though, I met those guys through a buddy and booked them their first show here in Fresno, and they just like blew up and they're the sweetest guys. Yeah, great album, super cool guys. And you're just kind of like, oh, well, I mean, maybe I should just give up. Like, right, you know, they just say like their first band, they're getting so big. And um, and I I put it, I thought I could just stop. I thought I could just stop. I was like, screw it, I'm not doing music anymore. Right. Uh, I'm gonna go skate. Oh no, uh, it's way too old to skate, uh, too, not limber enough at all. Um and I couldn't stop. I still wrote, and um, my good buddy Jonathan had and Jonathan Lo Five, Dirty Limbs, and Rodamacker and all these bands. Um, he started a band called Dirty Limbs. They were so good, still one of my favorite bands of all time. And and so then I picked up my electric guitar again and and came up with a couple albums that were full band, like electric kind of rock albums. And so, yeah, I have gone through that time and I just can't. I can't, I if I stop and I have stopped and not played anything for a while. If I stop, I feel like something's missing. Yeah, you know, and even if it just sooner or later, or there's a season where it's just me and a guitar in my room and I'm just playing songs for myself, just for my own enjoyment, yeah, that is enough to like satisfy the the itch or the missing part because again, selfishly, it's very therapeutic. Yeah. And I think most creative endeavors or people that I talk to that paint or sculpt or woodwork or or even like in trade, like some people that are like they they do trade work and they they redo kitchens, but they do it in a like they're like that's creative outlet for them too, you know. So whatever it is, to scratch that itch or to express yourself in that certain way. I feel like most of them, when I've talked to them, they're like, it's very therapeutic for me too. Yes, you know? Yeah. So selfishly, it's like I've tried to stop and I just I can't. I can't, man.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Yeah. Where do you think you would be without music? Oh man. Like, let's imagine you never ended up like let's just say your friends at that time never created a band, you guys continue to skate. Where do you think you would be at?

SPEAKER_04 19:05

Man, I oh, that's a hard question. I I don't think I'd have the friendships and relationships like I've had like I would have right now. I've met so many amazing, rad, cool people through music. Right. And I'm not trying to put like a smiley face, like it's not always that way. Yes, right? I've ran into a band here or there that are jerks, and that's life. That's life, right? I mean, that's life. But if you take like running into 200 bands, okay, it's been two or three. Yeah. Right?

SPEAKER_03 19:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:36

Everyone else has been super rad, super supportive, very cool, very like, hey, how did you where'd you get your album art done? Oh, I went here. How'd you get a show there? Oh, we booked here and blah, blah, blah. So um, yeah, I I I don't I don't like to think about where I'd be. Okay. Uh, but I I mean I'd be fine. I'm sure. I guess I'd be skating maybe more. Uh that was kind of my creative outlet before guitar. Yeah. But like some of my closest friends. Or through music, like people that I've met, like and when I go places where I travel places where I'm playing a show there or not, I hit them up. Are you playing a show? Are you in town? Right, do you want to hang out, grab a beer, talk shop, talk about those old tours we went on, and blah blah blah. You know, like it just has been so enriching in my life. Yes, a hundred percent just enriching my life. So that's cool. I wouldn't trade it. Yeah, man. I mean, no one knows me. Like, like no one knows brother Luke of the car. No one knows my stuff. And that's fine, man. Like, but you're satisfied, dude. Oh, dude. I'm so satisfied. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Like, I if I died tomorrow, I'd be happy. You know, so many people can say that. Yeah, not all. It makes me wonder what would happen if I would have just stuck with playing the trumpet in the fifth grade. Oh, do you play? Do you play music? No. I grew up in a family where we were all musically talented in our own ways. Like my mom played the piano and the violin, my brother the violin and the guitar. My dad knows how to engineer like beats on the on the computer. Yeah. My sister played the drums. I was more or less like percussion. I loved it. I loved playing the trumpet. I wanted to get into guitar. I got my first acoustic guitar and it had a missing string. Oh. And we never got it fixed. But I growing up, I never stuck to one thing. I was always just like, okay, try this. Okay, try this. Okay, try this. Keep myself busy. Yeah. And um, you know, I just I wonder about those things. Like, I I get that itch sometimes. Yeah. Where I'm like, dude, I want to go buy a guitar right now. Yeah, you should learn, just go teach myself. It's not that hard to pick up. And I bet you could do it. And I feel like I can. It's just like, oh, something, something in me one of these days is gonna give in and go walk in that guitar center. I love it. And go get one. I've actually been a guitar center. I found a guitar that just spoke to me. All right.

SPEAKER_04 21:41

If you do that, please send me a photo or something of you with a guitar. I just want to see. Like, dude, if you do it, let me know. Please let me know.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

Absolutely. That'd be awesome. Do you play music? I don't. I wish I I wish I was musically talented. Yeah. But no. That's fine. I've always been that that type of person to be a hard worker and just working. Yeah. Dedicated. I come from I've come from the long line of people just like, hey, get your shit together and start fucking working.

SPEAKER_04 22:05

But honestly, I think hard work can be very creative.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

Which is why like I'm so driven. Which is why I'm like my work that thick always speaks itself. Totally. Um, I mean DJ, we had these conversations a lot of times. It's I can run a podcast, we can do all these episodes. Yes. And then right after I can go clock into work or I can go do some other thing. Dang, dude. Like I like I'm just like a machine. That's awesome. That's awesome. Just keeps running. I love it. Yeah. Clearly. Yeah, this is lost out. Like, this is like, yeah, this is like super pro professional, man. Oh, thank you, man. I appreciate it. Well, before we we wrap this up, I do want to ask you if there's some a piece of advice or anything that you would say to the young generation or the next generation that getting ready to be, you know, inspired to be musicians. What's something that you would tell them?

SPEAKER_04 22:54

Yeah, I mean, and I don't I think a lot of um musicians are are people that do creative things um say similar to this, which is just just give it time like we're talking about earlier. Yeah, give it time. Like I don't think I don't think, especially in this day and age, but even in the 90s, you just don't see all the years of hard work and um investment of time, and time is something we never get back. Money will come and go, time never get back. And so I think we want things now, and we want to like put out a few videos, put out a few songs, be really big immediately, big, whatever that looks like for whoever. Um, and it takes a lot of time, like even people that you admire or bands that you admire, typically, if you hear their story, not always, there are some bands that play for a year and then they're playing, you know, Jimmy Fallon or whatever. But most, most have been putting in years and years with very little attention, and it seems like no one cares, no one gives a shit. And I would just say, like, again, if you like what you're doing and it's therapeutic to you and you feel good about like it makes you feel good when you're doing it, just keep doing it because that in and of itself, at least for me, is enough and worth it, you know. Um so don't, you know, just I I mean, yeah, don't give up, keep going. Um, but you might never make a ton of money at it. I don't know, like I feel like there's this message out there that people are like, if I can do it, anyone can do it, don't give up, dream big, blah, blah, blah. And that's great. That's great. But like the vast majority of us are not gonna make a million dollars at this. Right. So, okay, well, what what can I hold on to? What can keep me moving, keep me growing, keep me producing, keep me creating? And I'm 44, so the stuff I'm writing now is way different than what I what wrote younger. And I think personally it's gotten better as I've listened to my stuff. Yeah, so you grow, you change, you you try new things, you try new styles, you try, so yeah, like what is life if we're not like creating a little bit of something? Whether that's woodworking or you're you're a good painter, or you redo, like, I mean, I really get like abstract with it. Like it could be anything. You could be a construction worker, and just the way you do it is creative and cool. Like, if that, yeah, it brings you joy. Yeah, or like like uh that sounds super namaste of me, brings you joy. You know, pray love, eat pray love. I don't know what we're gonna. My new book, Eat Pray Love. Love, love, love. Yeah, love, love, eat, pray, and love more.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

I mean, but it's so real, and I love that because it's like don't let money be the main incentive after why you do things, right? That's that is the biggest takeaway for me out of that. Yeah, that I love that.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

I couldn't agree. Couldn't agree more. Yeah, thank you, Luke, for for being on, man. Thank you so much. Where can people find you?

SPEAKER_04 25:39

Uh so mostly on Instagram. I that's where I post a lot of my stuff. I'm on Facebook too. Um, Instagram and Bandcamp is where you can find my discography of songs. Okay. Super cheap. I think each album is like two bucks or something. Okay. Um, and yeah, that's I think Instagram is where for me it's like super easy to post. So Instagram, Brother Luke and the Comrades, uh, and you'll find me. You'll see my face and all that good stuff. So perfect sound. Two broke guys, right? Two broke boys. All right, man. Two broke boys. Thanks. Two broke boys. Yes. I like that. That's a better name than what I just said.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Two broke boys is way better than two broke guys. I don't know why, but it is. That's why a lot of people were like, wait, why'd you why'd you put broken boys? Yeah. And I was just like, well, it just sounds better. It does it does sound better. Like I can't be going around saying, oh, broke broke men from Fresno.

SPEAKER_04 26:30

Two broke grown men from Fresno. Yeah. No, that does not sound right. That just doesn't sound right. Well, that this has been a real pleasure, man. I really appreciate it, guys.

SPEAKER_01 26:38

Thank you. Thank you for being on. Cheers. Thanks, guys. Thank you. You guys have a blessed one. Much love. Peace.