The Up-And-Coming Music Act From The Upper Midwest You Need To Know About

While most people around the country don't think of the Upper Midwest as a hotbed for talented musicians, there have been many with origins in our part of the country.

Here in Minnesota, where I call home, there are some pretty prolific names in the music world with deep ties to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Bob Dylan and Prince are the first two names that might come to mind, but Lizzo, Soul Asylum, Trampled By Turtles, Yung Gravy, The Trashmen (have you heard, the bird is the word?), and The Replacements also have ties to Minnesota.

Across the western border in North Dakota, you might think there might not be any big names with ties to the Roughrider State. You'd be wrong, though. Blues-rocker Jonny Lang, 1960's teen idol Bobby Vee, Lawrence Welk, and classic country star Lynn Anderson are all from North Dakota. Rapper Wiz Khalifa, while he has deep ties to Pittsburgh, is even originally from Minot, North Dakota.

There's another emerging act coming out of the state that I'm excited to watch as their career takes off not only as a music lover, but also as a proud Upper Midwesterner.

Meet Tigirlily Gold

Originally known just as Tigirlily, Tigirlily Gold is a music duo made up of two sisters from Western North Dakota. Krista and Kendra Slaubaugh call Hazen, North Dakota home, but they've been making some buzz in Nashville as of late as their country music career starts to take off.

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According to their website, Krista and Kendra have been playing music together since they could walk, officially forming "Tigirlily" while in high school. Pursuing their musical dreams, they moved to Nashville and were able to land a weekly residency at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row.

After releasing their first EP back in 2021, they caught a bit of fire with their 2023 song "Shoot Tequila", from their second EP called Blonde. That song reached into top-50 country airplay territory in 2023.

With the start of 2024, the duo released a new song for the new year. The new single, called "I Tried a Ring On" just came out today (January 5), telling a story of heartbreak. The song tells a tale of a woman deeply in love with someone, getting very close to marriage before the relationship ended.

This is just the start for what could be a big year for Tigirlily Gold. With new music and a tour ahead in 2024 that includes performances in Europe, the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and a music festival in Florida, these two North Dakota women are a duo to watch!