It’s taken a while, but for Shelly and Ray Buhr, that has made the payoff all the sweeter.
After years performing together in cover bands across genres — from rock and country to blues — the couple has officially launched their original music project under the name 20 Years Late.
“A long time ago, I wanted to be doing original music,” said Shelly Buhr. “And it took a long time to convince my husband that it really was a good option for us.”
Their debut single, Last Card, now available on Bandcamp, marks the first release of what they hope to be many. The song, written from a woman’s perspective, dives deep into the emotional conflict of an unwanted late-night visit from an ex.
“In the very beginning, you're going to hear the singer sigh, and that's basically the woman in the song waking up about 2:30 in the morning by her drunken ex banging on her door,” said Shelly, “The rest of this song is her emotional struggle between still having feelings for them, but realizing that being with him is just a devastating experience because he has no sense of commitment to a healthy relationship.”
Bringing emotion to life through instruments
Musically, the track uses instrumentation to reflect that story’s tension. “There are two solo instruments in here. There's a saxophone, and the bass,” Ray explained, “The way I think about it is, the saxophone is the woman, and the bass is the man in the story... I play a fretless bass with some sliding. So, it's a little bit of drunkenness. And the saxophone is her retort.”
The Buhrs recorded Last Card in their basement, which they’re in the process of converting into a full-fledged studio. Ray shared that the production process, particularly the mastering, has been a challenge.
“You do it in your perfect listening space... and then you go somewhere else and oh, that doesn't sound right at all,” he said. Shelly added, “Then trying it on the different speakers in the house... You put it on this one, it's not bad. And you put the next one, that's a lot of bass.”
Despite the technical hurdles, both Ray and Shelley said the moment they heard the final mix was unforgettable. “Total excitement,” Shelly said, “Just, ‘Oh my gosh, there it is.’”
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What comes next for 20 Years Late
Shelly says that their songwriting journey has been long in the making. “I want to do this for a long, long time, and I do have some older songs,” she noted that they already have more music written and partially recorded, with plans to release more once their studio is complete.
While Last Card is on the mellow side, the duo says upcoming tracks will have more variety. “We've got other ones that are going to be a lot more rocking and a little different,” Ray explained.
Shelly added, “We have very diverse music. It's not going to all be this or all be that. We're all over the place because we can be.”
As their name suggests, 20 Years Late may have taken the scenic route, but they’ve arrived with purpose and sound to spare.
Their debut track, Last Card is available now by clicking here or by listening below.