Live album from Exclusive DIY Guys

For some musicians, making music is a pursuit that begins with a particular moment of inspiration; for others, it becomes a lifelong part of who they are and Northern California brothers Andy and Mark DuLong belong firmly in the latter category. Raised in a family where music was always close at hand, the pair were surrounded by the sounds of their mother, a pianist and singer, alongside an aunt and uncles who played together in their own rock band throughout the 60s and 70s.

That early exposure provided an encouraging introduction to the opportunities of making music, eventually setting the brothers on a creative journey that’s now stretched across almost five decades. Andy found his way into music through singing, performing in choirs before picking up the guitar and beginning to write songs during his early teens. Mark initially gravitated towards the piano before switching to drums, developing an interest in the instrument that would become central to his musical life.

Both brothers were drawn towards the uplifting, melodic rock of Boston, Journey and Styx, artists whose influence helped shape their appreciation for energetic arrangements and memorable songwriting. Those origins would remain important as they began developing their own sound, eventually forming a band and discovering that independence could be just as important to the creative process as the music itself.

An independent spirit is what ultimately gave Exclusive DIY Guys its identity and by not viewing recording and production as something separate from the act of making music, Andy and Mark embraced the opportunity to handle those responsibilities themselves. Home recording became a natural extension of their output, allowing them to continue creating and releasing material without relying on a larger production setup. Among their earlier releases was the album Four Wheel Drive, another step in a journey that’s been shaped by experimentation, persistence and an ongoing desire to learn.

More than 40 years spent exploring home recording and developing production techniques have given the brothers a distinctive understanding of how they want their music to sound. Their preference for genuine performances and live studio recordings reflects a desire to preserve the immediacy of two musicians playing together and that context makes their latest release, DIY Guys Live 2024, feel like a particularly fitting expression of everything the project represents.

Recorded over just two days in their home studio, the full-length album brings together the brothers’ shared musical history in a collection of nostalgic, feel-good rock music. With Andy and Mark handling the performances themselves and no additional contributors involved, the record is entirely their own creation. Its sound draws on the melodic energy of the classic rock records that first inspired them, while retaining the gritty character developed through decades of independent recording. There’s something appealingly direct about the idea of two brothers, one home studio and a lifetime of musical experience, captured in performances that prioritise the connection between the players.

The live format also gives the album an important sense of continuity with the way the brothers have approached music throughout their careers. Avoiding a heavily constructed studio production, DIY Guys Live 2024 places the performances at the centre, allowing their experience together to define the finished sound. The accompanying music videos extend that idea beyond the recordings themselves. Filmed by collaborators Craig and Colleen Padilla during the same sessions, the videos capture the performances as they happened, offering a visual record of the album taking shape.

After almost fifty years of making music together, Andy and Mark DuLong have arrived at a project that remains closely tethered to the reasons they started playing in the first place. DIY Guys Live 2024 celebrates the melodic, uplifting rock that first caught their imagination, while reflecting the independence and practical creativity that have sustained their work. It’s exciting homegrown rock in the most literal sense, offering music made together, in their own way and informed by a lifetime spent learning how to bring it to life.

Listen to DIY Guys Live 2024 below