A Tale of Yeah Bikes!

This post will kick off a series of musical musings, also known as the story behind the song. Since I just released Yeah Bikes! I thought I’d start with this song. Its orígenes date back to 2017.

In 2017 I moved to Riverwest and immediately felt at home. It felt similar to Willy Street in Madison where creative people strove to build community and be true to themselves. It was in Riverwest where I met the Yeah Bikers! Granted, it’s not an official group, but there was a time when it was not uncommon to hear someone shout Yeah Bikes! or Bikes Yeah! to fellow cyclists paseando por el barrio.

In 2020/2021 I lived below some guys who didn’t own cars and biked everywhere. Being the sanguine I am, I had many conversations asking them for tips and frequently considered selling my car despite the fact that I was probably not going to make that change. Regardless, I had a deep respect for these people. It takes a lot of courage and jeito to brave Milwaukee streets on a bike 365 days of the year.

Although I wasn’t as hard core as some of the bikers I knew in Riverwest, one thing remained true: I loved to bike. Biking always made me feel free. When I was in Middle School, I would bike around the neighborhood and just create one woman shows. I’d play different characters talking aloud. If I saw anyone, I’d immediately shut up. 

In college, I biked around Madison every Sunday to the arboretum or at night after hanging with friends. I’d often sing my heart out, with the wind in my hair, feeling alive. 

Fast forward to 2022 I did my first triathlon. It was so fun, but I did the worst in biking. Despite making up for lost time in the run and swim, I thought I better buy a new bike.

That was when I bought a racing bike from Vulture Space. Evan taught me how to patch my tubes, install racks for bags and more.

The song was born on the day I took the bike out on the Oak Leaf Trail for the first time. My biggest mistake was biking so fast when it was busy. Not a good idea these days because people wear air pods.

Basically, I yelled, “ON YOUR LEFT!” And the guy crossed in front of me on his bike #facepalm. Somehow I was the only one who fell. He looked at me while I was on the ground and said, “Sorry! I didn’t hear you!” “It’s ok,” I responded #facepalm. Fortunately the bike only got a minor scratch. I should have asked for his info, though, because I ended up going to PT a few times.

After the accident, my mom and dad picked me and my bike up so I didn’t have to endure the ride home. I was definitely shook up for a bit after the hit. However, the second I sat down at my kitchen table, I immediately thought, “I can’t wait to bike again!”

And that was when the song was born! All I knew was that the chorus had to involve a call and response with me singing Yeah Bikes! And the audience shouting Yeah Bikes! back. I wrote the song pretty quickly and then reworked it a year and a half later changing up the key, chorus, and bridge. It was tough to decide which version I liked more, but I chose to produce the newer one. Below is the original draft.

I’m excited to use the release of this song to do my first show as a headliner. Come check out the fun on February 22nd at 2:22pm.  I chose Linneman’s because it was the first venue where I played original music. There will be raffle prizes, pocycles (bike themed poetry), and the premiere of the music video of Yeah Bikes!!!! Stay tuned for the story behind the music video involving the Riverwest24, Uptowner, and more! The music video will release on February 22nd!