The term “Flyover” is commonly used to describe the states in the central region of the United States, particularly those between the east and west coasts. Often implying that these areas are overlooked or passed over by travelers who are flying between the more prominent coastal regions. The band from Hays, Kansas, named “Flyover,” embraces this term as part of their identity, not only acknowledging their geographical roots but also challenge the notion that the Midwest is merely a region to be flown over by proudly showcasing their folk-country brand of rock music. Since 2022, Flyover has been actively building a dedicated following in their local area, contributing to the local music scene in Hays, Kansas. They contribute to the rich tapestry of regional music, proving that talent and creativity can thrive anywhere, even in the states that are often overlooked by those who merely fly over them.
“Let’s see, our first “show” was at a friends house-warming party in a garage on 8th street, I can’t remember the exact address but I do remember the cops came to tell us and the two other bands to turn it down even though we had a permit.”
7eight5: Tell us a little bit about yourselves.
Flyover: We are Flyover and we just love to play music and have a good time. We are from all different parts of the states, but were raised in the Midwest. Kind of crazy to think how fast the time has gone from goofing around with music after a Super Bowl party to today.
7eight5: What are your names and what do you play?
James M: I’m James Mindrup and I am the lead singer. I started singing around my sophomore year in high school. A couple of friends accidentally heard me singing in a car and encouraged me to try out for pop singers (Shoutout to my first music teacher Kathy Amrien). I’ve always loved music but that was the first time I thought I may have the confidence to do this in front of people. I also technically play a little bass when needed, but I would not classify myself as good with a guitar haha.
Dylan: My name is Dylan Hogan and I am the bassist for the group, but you will also see me from time to time doing some vocals. I am originally from Winfield, KS and moved out to Hays for college where I found my new home.
James B: I’m James Burke and I was born in Queens, New York and somehow ended up in Hays, Kansas for the last 5 years. I have also lived in Colorado and Florida, but have really settled into the western Kansas life and am thankful for that. I play the guitar and my 2014 Fender Stratocaster gets the most action. However, recently we have been dabbling with playing more acoustic based songs.
7eight5: How long have you guys been playing together?
James B: 3 Years. I met James Mindrup and Dylan at a Super Bowl LV party and we started jamming soon after. The Chiefs haven’t lost a Super Bowl since we started playing together so we hope this trend continues.
James M: We had 5 to begin with but two members moved away. Trevor (Starslinger, Billy and Glass Ladies) has really stepped up to help us out with the drums here lately and we are stoked to have him.
7eight5: How would you describe your sound? What kind of music do you play?
Flyover: When we started out I would say we went for a black keys-ish style of rock. A little mix of southern rock and alternative. Our first EP was definitely in that style. The more we have played I would say we have added more of a folk country focus. We still love to play rock, but I would be lying if I didn’t say some of our favorite songs are acoustic. We started out with more of a Southern Rock sound but have really been enjoying adding some acoustic sound and moving to more a Country style. We just love playing music that we think sounds good to us and can just have a fun time jamming together.
7eight5: Who were your influences growing up, and what impact has that made on your music?
James M: I have always loved Chris Cornell, the amount of effortless power and grit he gets out of his voice has always captivated me. My favorite band growing up was Coldplay, not the sound we have gone for but I love the energy Chris Martin brings to his performances. As far as writing, the others that come to mind would be Whiskey Meyers, Tyler Childress and Zach Bryan. I am always amazed how their lyrics seem like they could be stand alone poems even if you removed the music.
Dylan: Man I have listened to so many styles of music throughout my life and still like a pretty broad mix. I think something that has influenced me, as cheesy as it might be, was the late 70’s to 80’s rock. I just remember as a kid wishing I could be there at the first concert that a group like Journey performed an iconic song like “Don’t Stop Believin'” for the first time. As of late, I think I have really pulled inspiration from some incredible musicians like Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers that are just pure both lyrically and with their talent.
James B: Classic and blues-y rock is really what first inspired me to play. Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan were a huge part of my initial guitar journey. Recently, I have been practicing more bluegrass and country guitar which I think is a good fit for the direction the band is heading. Jerry Garcia, Brett Mason and Tony Rice also have a big impact on the way I play guitar.
7eight5: Do you remember your first show? What was that like?
Flyover: Let’s see, our first “show” was at a friends house-warming party in a garage on 8th street, I can’t remember the exact address but I do remember the cops came to tell us and the two other bands to turn it down even though we had a permit. It definitely was not our best performance but there was enough good that we knew we could do it. Our first “real” performance where it kind of felt surreal to just be up on stage was for a fundraiser for Rockalooa 2022. That was just a blast to be playing with other local bands and raising money for the event that highlight local musicians.
7eight5: How have you guys grown since starting to play together?
James M: Well we have had to make a few adjustments. Nick Hammeke is a fantastic drummer but he moved up to KC a little over a year ago. After that we had to focus on more acoustic so we could still play live. Honestly I think the best stuff we have written lately has come from that acoustic focus.
Dylan: When we play now we know how to just have fun with it and really just jam together. Starting out we were so worried about having the details right and hitting every note the exact same every time that I felt like we hindered each other’s creative side at times. As we have played more together we kind of just roll with whatever someone might be feeling. We have had some of our favorite originals come from just someone playing a little guitar riff that we all like and just build it from there.
James B: We went from straight covers to having a setlist of original songs, recorded an ep, and changed our sound a bit. We are all good friends, so I expect us to continue growing together as a band and as individuals.
7eight5: What’s your social media status as a band?
James M: We always need to be doing better with social media, we have YouTube, Instagram and Facebook
Dylan: Seeking Long-Term Relationship With a Drummer. Lol
7eight5: What do you do outside of your music?
James M: Outside of Music I work as a transmission operator for Midwest Energy monitoring the power grid. I have been doing that for about 6 years now. I also enjoy playing golf and occasionally shooting hoops. I spend way too much time playing Warzone, the hours have not translated to skill. Last but not least, hanging out with my dogs lol.
James B: I am a flooring estimator, soon-to-be dad, and car enthusiast. I like to spend some quality time with my fiancé to maintain our strong relationship. When I’m all caught up with life which can be a bit tricky sometimes, I’d like to do a little build on my 2000 Camaro SS.
7eight5: Where do you get influences from when writing music?
Dylan: Mostly just life experiences or stories of friends.
James M: When it comes to writing it kind of depends. It seems like my ideas come out of the blue right before I fall asleep, I will pull my phone out and try to hum what I’m thinking of before I forget it forever. Probably coincides with what I have been listening to before bed, lately that has been Zach Bryan and Tyler Childress. After that I depend on James and Dylan to pull out whatever melody I thought I was hearing.
James B: Mostly, we start writing music with some kind of chord progression and rhythm on guitar in the middle of a jam session. The lyrics and melody usually come together in short order afterwards. Many of our songs are written spontaneously.
7eight5: What comes first for you, the lyrics or the music? Or is it more 50/50?
James M: For us it has kind of depended on who came up with the idea originally. For me personally its the melody and then the lyrics to match. I think James and Dylan have been similar for their inspirations. We mesh well when writing. James is excellent at coming up with riffs and melodies on the guitar, I can generally spit out random lyrics and find a way to make them work, and Dylan had the best ear of us for what is actually gonna work and differentiate it. Dylan is the perfectionist, which is great, because sometimes we get antsy to just go with the initial version and he is excellent at pulling us back in to focus on the details.
Dylan: A little of both. I would say we usually start with a concept or idea of a song and try to identify what kind of sound that is associate that with. Like if it the song is about running from the cops then we try to create a sound that might be upbeat and maybe a little mischievous to really capture the story of the song. I will say it is always easier when the guitarist come in with something they have been working on and we can build from there.
“Teamwork is also critical. You have to set those egos aside and be a cohesive group. Sometimes it’s better to play less guitar or turn down a bit.”
7eight5: Where do you want to be as artists in 5 years? What’s a goal you are hoping to achieve?
James B: I don’t have any set in stone goals for us. Life can be unpredictable and I try to go with the flow. Playing bigger shows would be a lot of fun for me. Definitely my favorite part of it all is playing live to people who are having a good time. Music brings people together and is an integral part in why I play.
Dylan: I would love to learn and incorporate some different instruments into our music. I grew up in Bluegrass country so I have always loved the Banjo and Fiddle layered into music. It would be awesome to just experiment and see where that takes us. Growing up in Winfield I attended the Walnut Valley Festival (AKA Bluegrass) annually where I absolutely loved the music, so I will say that I would love to aim to perform there.
James M: Well the ultimate goal would be to make enough money to where we can play for a living, gotta have big dreams right? But either way, we are having a ton of fun doing what we are doing and we are just happy to be able to play shows. When you first start out, even the idea of playing a two hour set seems impossible. It’s fun to look back and see how far you have come as a band. But I think the optimist in us always thinks about how much further you might go.
7eight5: How do you go about setting up shows to play?
Dylan: We usually try reaching out to different venues or take requests via Facebook or our other social media platforms.
James M: So far it has been that (Facebook) and word of mouth, very thankful for how supportive the scene is around Hays.
7eight5: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned since the band started?
James B: Having fun and bringing consistent energy, whether it’s a 30 minute or 3 hour set really helps keep the audience entertained. Teamwork is also critical. You have to set those egos aside and be a cohesive group. Sometimes it’s better to play less guitar or turn down a bit. Hurts me to say but maybe it’s not the best idea for every song to have a blistering 2 minute long guitar solo.
Dylan: Music is a lot of work. It is a time commitment and a blending of everyone in the bands artistry. You have to be willing to work together to achieve the goal.
James M: Consistency, you never know when your new favorite song might just appear right in front of your face while jamming. There are days where we are pumped to practice and accomplish nothing. Other times we don’t even really want to be at practice…someone hits the right riff and you’re energized from the melody for the rest of the night. Also, don’t forget you’re there to have fun. Sometimes practicing for that set coming up can feel like work, but the payoff when you’re killing it live makes it all worth it.
7eight5: How can people get a hold of you?
Flyover: Hit us up on Facebook! We are all notified of the chat messages in there on our FlyoverKS page and we will respond quickly. Any of these others work as well. Email is FlyoverKS@Gmail.com and Instagram is Flyover_music.
Check out Flyover when they play at CzechFest in Wilson, KS on July 27th! Before that, they sat down with Trevor Pfeifer at The Attic Sessions, check out a couple of those performances below!
