Coldplay, the Talking Heads, Phish and a band with 7,000 monthly listeners have something in common: They all formed in college.
What started in backyards and frat houses at the University of Colorado Boulder has led The Dirty Turkeys to their first nationwide tour and feature documentary.
Comprised of brothers Brad and Justin Hansen, a preschool friend Sam Baker and another from college, Ty Tullar, the band deliberately formed outside the spotlight.
“A lot of our early jam sessions were at Ty’s tiny little basement,” said lead guitarist Justin, who goes by Russ. “Just being in a confined space, we’d turn all the lights off and just fucking rock out man.”
Playing in the dark removed the uniform way they’d learn to master instruments. It made them truly feel — instead of just see — what they were playing. Once the reverie turned routine, fresh, experimental tones sprouted. Before they knew it, they had an original sound.
The band released their debut single “Benny” on streaming platforms in March 2024. It was followed up shortly by their debut record, “Cowboy Caravan” in April 2025.
Cowboy Caravan is an iridescent, 12-song entranced acid rock project that gives you tones from beach-punk to The Beatles. With a lot of the foundational sound from the creativity of Russ, the band decided to go back to their in-the-dark practices to piece together and complete the project.
“It’s a progression into more experimental and psychedelic soundscape,” Tullar said. “We really put everything we had into this album.”
After the LP’s release, the guys embarked on the “Feast Your Ears Tour 2025,” which took them across five states over the summer. They later upped the ante with the month-long, nationwide Turkey Tour that fall. Even with a handful of concerts along the West Coast being unavoidably cancelled, the guys were able to hit 14 shows across 11 states.
Kicking off in Denver, with an additional homecoming show at the Fox Theater in Boulder, the circuit took them all across the country. They got to play in venues like the White Oak Music Hall in Houston and the Grey Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina.
“This tour was definitely our most expansive and successful tour,” Tullar said. “[We] played some of our favorite shows we’ve ever played before.”
The campaign was just another pit stop in a lively year for the band, including some stirring initiatives slated to make 2026 a breakout year. Since July, a documentary crew has been following the boys around.
“I thought it was a joke at first,” said lead singer Brad, who goes by Gonzo. “Next thing you know, all these grown men flew out for our album release party and threw a contract in front of us, and now we’re best friends with them.”
The band did not disclose much about the project that’s set to come out in 2026. It’s supposed to show what life is like being a part of the band and will give each member a spot to share their insights with fans.
On top of the feature film, their newest record, “Soul Sugar,” is scheduled to hit the shelves in March.
“It’s a coalition of a lot of songs we made on the road,” Gonzo said. “New songs, old songs. I think people are gonna be really excited that there’s a bit of variety with this album.”
The title track, released as a single on Halloween, introduced a boisterous new energy to the ensemble. With the speed and punch of 2000s Green Day, the song powerfully sets the tone for the rest of the LP.
The guys followed it up with “Preacher’s Son” on Nov. 28, a grungy desert-twang-punk-infused single with modern tastes of The Black Keys.
“We’re really, really stoked to get it out,” Gonzo said about the project. “You have some really heavy stuff, some psychedelic stuff, some more punk stuff … I think we’re kind of finding our sound, and it’s very exciting.”
With the album releasing in March and the documentary premiering later this year, life has taken off for The Dirty Turkeys since graduating. Even with the business and commotion of being a full-time band, they stay true to supplying raucous, chest-pounding energy at shows.
“We’d love to take our tours to the next level,” Russ said looking forward. “[We’re] just going to keep touring and keep spreading the love and music, man. That’s what it’s all about for us.”
