The Buck-Fifty Boys were born on a Minneapolis street corner on a summer afternoon. They had been busking for a while. When they stopped to count the money in the open guitar case, it was a dollar fifty. The band was named on the spot. A demo EP quickly followed, laying the foundation for a roots-driven touring and recording band with a heartland soul, acoustic grit, and a touch of recklessness and danger.

In the late 1990s, The Buck-Fifty Boys released one demo and one full-length record, followed by two U.S. club tours. Along the way, they shared stages with Gillian Welch, Dale Watson, Wayne “The Train” Hancock, Alejandro Escovedo, The Old 97’s, and many Twin Cities friends from a storied music scene. Based on the strength of their first full-length album, they were invited to play the legendary Bottom Line in New York’s West Village.

When the band parted ways after touring, they left behind a full album’s worth of songs—written on the road but never recorded. Life unfolded: art school in New York, bluegrass stages, farms, and Texas clubs. But years later, the band found themselves back in the Midwest. Around a fire, the spark returned.

In 2025, The Buck-Fifty Boys are releasing five new songs, recorded from that long-unfinished chapter—songs once played on the road, now finally committed to tape.