Local musicians Jeff Desender and Mitch Bukarz have a lot to celebrate these days. Together they form the band Midnight Renegade, which has been nominated for Best Tribute/Cover Band for the Manitoba Country Music Awards. The band isn’t exclusively a country band, but as we break down their musical style it becomes clear that country music covers a lot of territory and many of their individual elements can fit the bill.

Desender and Bukarz had their individual roads to getting into music, but they both place a lot of importance on the connection between music and mental health. Midnight Renegade is not just a cover band but also performs original songs, and both musicians indicate that they bring a lot of their own life experiences to the songwriting process, both the good and the bad. A lot of their messages deal with resilience, going through hardship and coming out stronger.

“We have personally lived every aspect of our lyrics,” says Desender. One of the highlights of performing for him is seeing people of all ages connect with his music, whether it’s toddlers moving to the rhythm or adults resonating with the message. “We’re giving you all of us,” he says, “and you decide what you’re doing with it.”

The group, which so far has mostly been performing live, is planning to release its first two singles in the next few weeks. That means getting their message out to a wider audience, which for both Desender and Bukarz seems to be a big part of their drive to produce music.

Desender’s studio, Frozen Fire Studios, has also been nominated for Studio of the Year by the Manitoba Loud Music Awards. While their recording artist Indigo has been nominated for the past two years, this is the first for the studio itself and the nomination seems to be very meaningful to Desender. There are few music studios outside of the major urban centres, and he appreciates the acknowledgment of the work that he’s doing and the recognition that a rural studio can compete on par with any other.