Soul Asylum

Formed in Minneapolis in 1981 as Loud Fast Rules and adopting the name Soul Asylum in 1983, the band first emerged from the Twin Cities independent scene, blending abrasive punk rock, alternative rock, power-pop melodies and touches of country rock. Centered on Dave Pirner, Dan Murphy and Karl Mueller, Soul Asylum built a reputation through frequent local shows—notably at First Avenue—and released Say What You Will... (1984), Made to Be Broken (1986) and While You Were Out (1986) on Twin/Tone. Signing to A&M for Hang Time (1988) and And the Horse They Rode In On (1990) broadened their writing without erasing the edgy quality of their early work. Their breakthrough came with Grave Dancers Union (1992), led by “Runaway Train,” a song that earned them a Grammy and whose video—focusing on missing children—left a lasting mark on the 1990s. Soul Asylum followed with Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995) and Candy from a Stranger (1998), then entered a more sporadic period marked by lineup changes and the death of bassist Karl Mueller in 2005. They returned with The Silver Lining (2006), followed by Delayed Reaction (2012), Change of Fortune (2016), Hurry Up and Wait (2020) and Slowly but Shirley (2024). Dave Pirner continues to lead Soul Asylum, now alongside Michael Bland, Ryan Smith and Jeremy Tappero.