Montana Alternative Music Archive

My project, titled “Montana Alternative Music Archive,” is an attempt to gather the history of Montana’s underground alternative music scene throughout the entire state and across as many decades as possible, so as to address the lack of historical documentation on this artistic movement. My guiding reason for this project is due to a personal interest in the subject that has been difficult to develop due to lack of available material, as well as to honor the innovative spirit of generations of punk rockers who remained committed to their inspirations despite living in a regional culture that doesn’t necessarily prioritize art. To carry out this project, I'm compiling an archive of zines, concert posters, videos, photographs, social media posts and other relevant ephemera to create a useable database of historical information that can be used by scholars to understand the music of this era. This project is significant in that it addresses a gap in both Montana’s state history and the history of American art at large. Especially as Montana continues to grow and change, particularly in its cultures, this collection will provide background knowledge on the artists that have inspired generations of Montanans, as well as generations to come.