Remaining Native begins with a warning: This is a film that doesn’t shy away from abuse, violence, or any of the other crimes that darken Native American history. But that’s also the film’s strength: The feature-length documentary captures what it means to be a , balancing joys and tragedies in a way that will resonate with any athlete鈥攁nd any human being.

Remaining Native, which will be screening alongside a curated lineup of other top adventure films at this year’s 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival, is a beautiful, powerful, and important documentary by filmmaker Paige Bethmann, a Haudenosaunee (Mohawk/Oneida) woman. Bethmann鈥檚 great grandmother was stolen from her reservation as a girl and taken to an abusive Catholic boarding school. Tragically, Bethmann鈥檚 ancestral story is common to hundreds of thousands of Native Americans, including the subject of Remaining Native, Kutoven (鈥淜u鈥�) Stevens.

The film鈥檚 opening lines explain:

For over 100 years, the United States made violent efforts to strip Native American children of their languages, spiritual beliefs, and culture through federal and church-run boarding schools.

Many children resisted this assault on their Native identity by running away.

From this prelude, the viewer knows to take a deep breath and buckle up. But then, beauty: scenic shots of the desert landscape. A hawk high in a tree. The rhythmic sound of a runner鈥檚 footfall on an open dirt road. And we鈥檙e introduced to the boyish face and voice of the film鈥檚 hero, Ku Stevens.

Ku is a runner鈥攐ne of the best in the state of Nevada, having clocked the fastest time across all divisions in the high school state cross country championships. Through interviews, voiceovers, and scenes of Ku living with his parents on the Paiute Indian Reservation in the small town of Yerington, we get to know the teenager. We learn that he鈥檚 always wanted to run for the University of Oregon and pushes himself to be the best he can be.

Like most runners, he says that when he runs, he thinks about his breathing and his body. But, he adds, he also imagines running for his life.

Stevens’s great-grandfather ran away from the Stewart Indian Boarding School three times. His last attempt was a successful escape. That legacy is often on Stevens’s mind.

The film does a fantastic job of weaving together inspiring action scenes that any sports fan can appreciate with sepia-toned historical images set to haunting tribal music.

鈥淭his land I was raised on, it feels heavy,鈥� says Stevens. Through shots of barren landscape and close-up faces of those who live here, we feel it.

Parents of teens will appreciate the internal struggle of Stevens’s father, who loves and supports his son, but fears he鈥檒l lose his ancestral heritage by moving off the reservation. Still, he and his wife do everything they can to help the young runner reach his goals.

One of the most exhilarating scenes of Remaining Native takes place at a high school track meet, where Stevens attempts to run the 3200-meter under nine minutes鈥攁 benchmark that’s become the recruiting standard for distance athletes hoping to run for the University of Oregon. The racing drama is on-par with any Olympic final or Disney sports movie.

Among the most poignant moments of Remaining Native鈥攁nd there are many鈥攃omes with a slow pan of a black-and-white image from the Stewart Indian School. Native American children sit with pained faces, hair cut short, sadness in their eyes. A drumbeat plays, as if to hammer into our awareness that this bit of American history, when thousands of Native American children were stolen from their families and died or survived abuse, happened. It actually happened. And yet, people like Ku and his family keep fighting for their culture while trying to heal from their past.

At one point in the film, Stevens says, 鈥淚 really just want people to understand鈥攏ot just to know what happened, not just to learn from our history鈥攂ut to fully understand why we feel the way that we do.鈥�

At one point in the film, the teen explains that his name, 鈥淜utoven,鈥� refers to 鈥渢he eagle bringing the light from the darkness鈥� and that he doesn鈥檛 yet feel he lives up to its meaning. Viewers of Remaining Native will beg to differ.

See Remaining Native鈥攁nd other captivating documentaries from top adventure filmmakers鈥攁t the 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival, May 31-June 1 in Denver. This year’s festival will also host a group run and talks from top endurance athletes from across the country. .听 听

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One of the biggest highlights of the inaugural was its program of riveting adventure films. And this year promises to be even better. Curated in partnership with Mountainfilm, the lineup revolves around three core themes鈥攋oy, unity, and renewal鈥攁nd captures some of the most gripping personalities and narratives in the outdoor world.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a clich茅 to say you鈥檒l laugh and you鈥檒l cry and it鈥檚 better than Cats, but in this case it鈥檚 really true,鈥� says Micah Abrams, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 VP of content development. (He鈥檚 not much of a musicals guy, anyway.)

The stacked roster includes everything from a heartwarming, semi-animated short by watercolorist Max Romey, to a documentary about the struggles of a young Pauite runner coming to grips with his people鈥檚 history. In between, viewers will switch continents several times over, darting from Brazil to the Arctic Circle, and from the Hawaiian surf to the mountains of Pakistan. It鈥檚 a globe-trotting journey that captures all the joy, triumph, and heartbreak of a life spent outdoors.

The screenings will be held at Denver Public Library on Broadway, which just reopened after a state-of-the-art renovation. 鈥淲e鈥檙e 国产吃瓜黑料, so there needs to be a good reason for us to encourage you to come inside, but this year鈥檚 new film festival venue qualifies,鈥� Abrams says. The building鈥檚 purpose-built Park View event space鈥攃omplete with soaring ceilings and carefully designed acoustics treatment鈥攊s at once intimate and sophisticated. Plus, after a long day of festival revelry under the Colorado sun, the library鈥檚 air-conditioned quiet is a welcome respite, Abrams adds. 鈥淲e hope folks come in to cool off and leave inspired for their next outdoor adventure.鈥�

Here鈥檚 what viewers can expect from this year鈥檚 film lineup.

A Little Film About Forever

This short film about forever unfolds from the POVs of father (Max Romey) and son (Kip) as they attempt to write a book about what forever means. The father feels overwhelmed by all of the threats to forever, like forever chemicals, and calls an unlikely hero 鈥� Mark Ruffalo 鈥� to ask for help seeing the big picture.

Runtime: 10.2 minutes

Director: Max Romey

Showing: Saturday, 3:10pm

About Damn Time

In 1983, Cindell 鈥淒ellie鈥� Dale talked her way onto her first commercial river trip through the Grand Canyon. Like many women in the industry at the time, her place was in the kitchen. But determined to push against the tide of a male-dominated river-running world, she earned her spot on the oars and became one of the Grand Canyon鈥檚 legendary dory guides. Inspired by the trailblazing women before her, Dale is now proudly passing the oars to a new generation, declaring, 鈥淚t鈥檚 about damn time.鈥�

Runtime: 24 minutes

Director: Dana Romanoff

Showing: Sunday, 1:15pm

Arctic Alchemy

Arctic Alchemy follows renowned Alaskan adventurer and climate scientist Roman Dial and his team on a 112-mile research expedition above the Arctic Circle. Traveling by packraft and foot through Alaska鈥檚 mighty Brooks Range, their goal is to find the source of a mysterious phenomenon poisoning watersheds in the Arctic. Along the journey, Dial reckons with fatherhood, personal tragedy and the power of wilderness to both break us and bring us fully alive.

Runtime: 25 minutes

Directors: Colin Arisman, Zeppelin Zeerip

Showing: Sunday, 3pm

Beyond Beliefs

A young woman from Cleveland, Ohio earns a scholarship to attend a four-day river trip through the wild Green River鈥檚 Gates of Lodore Canyon. The only catch? She doesn’t know how to swim and is terrified of water. Join Danielle and her peers on this wonderful journey, and bear witness to her inspiring first-hand account of what it took to go beyond her beliefs about water, and how that expanded the vision for her future.

Runtime: 5 minutes

Director: Quamae Hall

Showing: Sunday, 3pm

Butterfly in a Blizzard

Butterfly in a Blizzard shares a deeply personal look into professional snowboarder Kimmy Fasani鈥檚 extraordinary journey into motherhood and what this new phase of life reveals about her past. Fasani and her family opened all doors to capture her metamorphosis from globe-trotting winter sports icon to mom, while exploring matrescence, a newly coined term that encompasses a woman鈥檚 transition into motherhood. Throughout the film, the blizzards hit again and again, coming in waves of identity shifts, childhood trauma, relationship struggles and a cancer diagnosis. Through raw and intimate footage captured over five years and supported by leading expert voices in maternal health, Fasani fights through life鈥檚 storms while maintaining her place in a sport she loves and evolving to become the mother she strives to be.

Runtime: 99 minutes

Director: Rose Corr

Showing: Saturday, 1:15pm

David Blaine Do Not Attempt: Brazil

From National Geographic and Imagine Documentaries, David Blaine Do Not Attempt is a thrilling six-part series that follows world-renowned magician and endurance artist David Blaine exploring the world through the lens of magic. David takes viewers on a fascinating cultural exchange and a jaw-dropping journey through extraordinary cultures, where he meets with performers and masters鈥攌indred spirits who inspire and share with him exceptional skills (and secrets)鈥攊n Brazil, Southeast Asia, India, the Arctic Circle, South Africa and Japan. David is widely recognized for his epic stunts and illusions. Through intimate documentary storytelling, the series also reveals a surprising and more personal side to David, which has rarely been seen before. In Brazil, David meets daredevils, artists, explorers and athletes who unite to help execute an audacious leap of faith that he鈥檚 long dreamt of.

Runtime: 44 Minutes

Director: Toby Oppenheimer

Showing: Saturday, 3:10pm

First In, Last Out

When competitive swimmer from Colorado Christa Funk joined the Coast Guard, she found herself stationed on Oahu, Hawaii for five years, where she discovered the world of surf photography. Inspired by the memory of her father and his parting words, Funk pushed herself into the world鈥檚 most dangerous and crowded surf lineups, becoming one of the best surf photographers in the world, and notably, one of the few women out there.

Runtime: 25 minutes

Directors: Keith Malloy, Andrew Shoneberger

Showing: Saturday, 3:10pm

Girl Climber

Professional climber Emily Harrington has summited Everest, completed numerous first female ascents of 5.14 routes, scaled 8,000-meter peaks and dominated the competition circuit. But her greatest challenge extends beyond the physical. To cement her legacy in the male-dominated world of elite rock climbing, she sets her sights on a career-defining 24-hour ascent of Yosemite鈥檚 El Capitan. Caught between the pursuit of personal ambition and the ticking biological clock of life, Harrington grapples with what she鈥檚 truly willing to risk. Equal parts gripping survival story and intimate portrait of a woman who deals with self doubt, Girl Climber isn鈥檛 just about breaking records. It鈥檚 about breaking barriers. Among Yosemite鈥檚 legendary boy鈥檚 club, Harrington doesn鈥檛 prove she is the best female climber ever 鈥� she proves she is one of the best climbers of all time.

Runtime: 83 minutes

Director: Jon Glassberg

Showing: Sunday, 5:00pm

Momo

From the humble beginnings of a small African village to the dazzling heights of Cirque du Soleil, Momo shares the story of a man who defied gravity and destiny. This short film is a celebration of resilience and the magic of flight, where Momo doesn鈥檛 just perform 鈥� he transcends.

Runtime: 2 minutes

Director: Mike Schwartz

Showing: Saturday, 3:10pm

OUTLIER: Common

OUTLIER: Common follows three Latina leaders chasing summit perfection. On an emotional journey through mountain ranges, a scientist, a filmmaker and a disruptor share the deeply personal, turbulent stories of their lives 鈥� while pushing toward the summits that define them. At personal crossroads, these women turn to the mountains for clarity and an exploration of mind, heart, body and soul. From British Columbia鈥檚 deep backcountry to the Tetons鈥� towering peaks, their journey reveals hard-won lessons on tenacity, joy and solidarity 鈥� even when the world feels like it鈥檚 crumbling.

Runtime: 26 minutes

Director: Dani Reyes-Acosta

Showing: Sunday, 3:00pm

Remaining Native

Kutoven (Ku) Stevens (Paiute), a 17-year old Native American high school runner, with the skill and drive to become an elite college athlete, strives for his goals. Even though he doesn鈥檛 have access to a coach, cross-country team or recruiters, he is determined to get a running scholarship. When the remains of thousands of Indigenous children are discovered across Canada and the U.S., Stevens鈥� painful family history re-emerges: His own great-grandfather Frank Quinn escaped an Indian boarding school by foot at age 8. In an act of reverence, Stevens sets out to run the same 50-mile escape route his great-grandfather took, interweaving Quinn鈥檚 story with his own journey to run a collegiate qualifying time. Will Stevens outrun his history or will he learn to run alongside it to achieve his dreams?

Runtime: 88 minutes

Director: Paige Bethmann

Showing: Saturday, 5:05pm

The Life We Have

What would you do if death felt just steps away? For Rob Shaver, who has faced multiple stage-four cancer recurrences over the past two decades 鈥� death has felt like an ever-present shadow. The Life We Have captures Shaver鈥檚 resilience, wisdom and deep appreciation for life, as he navigates his latest battle with the disease.

Runtime: 24 minutes

Director: Sam Price-Waldman

Showing: Sunday, 3:00pm

The North Face Presents: Trango

After a two-year attempt, renowned ski mountaineers Jim Morrison and Christina 鈥淟usti鈥� Lustenberger, joined by Nick McNutt and Chantel Astorga, attempt the first-ever ski descent of Pakistan鈥檚 formidable Great Trango Tower. What begins as a test of skill evolves into a profound emotional journey. They navigate risk, grapple with grief and face physical danger as they push the limits of human experience. At 6,000 meters, constant exposure and unexpected avalanches test their resolve, but it鈥檚 the unspoken trust and support within their expedition team that allows them to face the unimaginable together. Trango transports us to otherworldly places and reminds us that the best way to honor those we have loved and lost is to find the courage to truly live.

Runtime: 45 minutes

Director: Leo Hoorn

Showing: Sunday, 1:15pm

As one of America鈥檚 longest-running film festivals, showcases documentary films that celebrate adventure, activism, social justice, environment, and indomitable spirit. Hosted annually in Telluride, Colorado, the festival brings inspiring stories to communities around the globe with Mountainfilm on Tour. 鈥�

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This summer, returns to Denver with an electric mix of music, adventure, and storytelling that鈥檚 poised to become a cultural touchstone for lovers of the outdoors and the artists who soundtrack their journeys. Held June 1鈥�2, 2025, at Civic Center Park and the Denver Art Museum campus, the two-day event blends live music with panel discussions, immersive experiences, and a community of curious, creative minds.

With headliners like psychedelic soul trio and indie rock darlings , the festival is built for those who find their rhythm as easily in alpine air as on a city street. But beyond the big stages, 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival is also a launchpad for rising voices in music鈥攁rtists like , whose introspective lyrics and mellow grooves are gaining momentum across continents.

We caught up with Hazlett for a deeper look into the music and memories hat shaped the music, and the rituals that keep them grounded. Here鈥檚 his take, in his own words.

Artist Profile: Hazlett

Hazlett:
Blood Bank by Bon Iver
It鈥檚 Too Late by Carole King
I Try by Macy Gray
Milk by Kings of Leon
Dancing In The Dark by Bruce Springsteen

What is your greatest Festival flashback. A festival moment you may never forget?听

Hazlett: Actually the whole reason that I got into music was from a festival. I think I was about 14 and snuck into a festival back home in Australia. Kings of Leon were playing the afternoon set, I walked in and the very first thing I saw was as they erupted into the song 鈥淔ans鈥�. I think my jaw was on the floor and I just thought it was one of the coolest things I鈥檇 ever seen. I remember thinking to myself right then and there 鈥渢his is what I want to do one day.鈥�

What do you do just before hitting the stage? Any nerves, rituals, and must-haves?

Hazlett:
Play Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum
Eat a handful of blueberries
Take a swig of coconut water
Blow hot air into my hands to warm up
Pour a glass of wine
Hug someone before walking out

The Weirdest Thing on your tour rider 鈥� and the story behind it?

Hazlett: I personally don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 that weird but I鈥檇 say blueberries. I try to stay as healthy as possible on the road and they鈥檙e full of antioxidants. Plus I just really like them. But now it鈥檚 turned into a bit of a thing and I get random photos sent to me of me walking around outside every show eating my little punnet of blueberries.

What鈥檚 in your bag: Festival Edition 鈥� a peek into go-to tour essentials.

Hazlett:
Toothbrush and tooth paste (fresh breath is a confidence booster before singing)
Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones (good noise cancelling to get some quiet time)
Coconut Water (hydration is key)
A Cap (I usually travel with about 4 in my rotation)
Room Spray (A nice person at an Aesop store gave me room spray once and now it鈥檚 become helpful to have familiar smell when being far from home so much)

Catch Hazlett’s set at 2025 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival on Sunday, June 1. The is out now. Join us in Denver鈥檚 Civic Center Park for two days of amazing music, a thrilling program, plus hear from global adventure icons and inspiring storytellers on the听 stage, and all kinds of outdoor fun.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the . Tickets start at $79.

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Mike de la Rocha is a difficult man to define. He’s an artist and an advocate. He’s the voice of a generation and a bit of a beach bum. He’s an award-winning change-maker and the co-founder of two businesses: a that provides work for formerly incarcerated people, and an internationally renowned that connects celebrities with social change movements. And now, he’s an author, too.

De la Rocha鈥檚 forthcoming book is an ode to his profound and emotionally complicated relationship with his late father. The man, Ismael “Mayo” de la Rocha, could be an enigma. He was at once a professor who mentored thousands of students over the course of his long career, and a closed-off figure who struggled to teach his own sons emotional intimacy. The tale de la Rocha weaves is an intimately vulnerable story about culture, the trappings of masculinity, and the capacity we all have for change. In ,听de la Rocha reflects on the enduring lessons of the ocean and how surfing and the natural world helped him break through the layers of conditioning and forge a deeper relationship with his father鈥攁nd with himself.听听

In the below excerpt, de la Rocha stands on the beach with his toes in the sand, looking out at the ocean and back into the past. As he reflects, he reveals some of the lessons his father did teach him鈥攅verything from how to whittle down your belongings (including toys) to the bare essentials, to how to withstand the shock of freezing water, even when your body begs you to flee.

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Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are back on bikes for the fourth series in their epic motorcycle saga around the world. Over twenty years ago they filmed their first series, Long Way Round (2004), which followed the duo, still in their thirties, riding from London to New York鈥攚hat McGregor calls 鈥渙ne of the highlights of my life.鈥�

From his breakthrough role in Trainspotting to playing Star Wars鈥� legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi, McGregor鈥檚 star factor surely has skyrocketed since that first series. But in Long Way Home he鈥檚 still playing himself, riding along with his best friend Boorman as they film each other from cameras mounted on their crash helmets.

鈥淏ecause of the shared experience of doing these journeys together there鈥檚 this bond that we have that I don鈥檛 share with anyone else,鈥� shares the Scottish actor. In Long Way Down (2007), the two rode from Scotland through 18 countries down to Cape Town, South Africa. And in the last installment, Long Way Up (2020), McGregor and Boorman rode on prototype electric Harleys from the southernmost tip of South America through Central America to McGregor鈥檚 home in L.A.

A lot has changed since filming their first Long Way series two decades ago, but you wouldn鈥檛 know it from their bikes: McGregor rides a 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado while Boorman chooses a rusty BMW R75/5. After riding into the future on electric bikes that they had to plug-in along remote stretches of Patagonia, McGregor said “the only way to go this time was back.”

In addition to riding vintage bikes, this time the two also are adventuring closer to home, from the rolling hills around McGregor鈥檚 childhood home in Scotland to Boorman鈥檚 home in England. But as always, they’re taking the scenic route. Zipping along a 17-hairpin pass in Norway up to the Arctic Circle, and then down to the Baltics and through the Alps they clock 7500 miles through 17 countries in 63 days. But they still manage to dive into different cultures and take on challenges along the way, including picking themselves up after a few hairy stretches and falling off the bike.

OUTSIDE: So why Long Way Home now? It鈥檚 been 20 years since your first Long Way motorcycle road trip.听

Ewan McGregor: We did our last trip, Long Way Up, just before the world was locked down with the terrible pandemic. It was in sort of a lucky accident that it happened, when it happened.

It had been a long time since we did Long Way Down. We got this very strong sense that it had meant a lot, to a lot of people who had been stuck inside, who hadn’t been able to travel for two years. And just by sheer luck or whatever Long Way Up came out when people were still sort of struggling to get back into coming out of their homes. It meant a lot to people, and it meant a lot to us doing it.

Long Way Up had its own complications鈥攚e did the trip on electric bikes which were quite difficult to find a plug for in Patagonia and such places [a fast charger would have been nice too, laughs Boorman]. But we did it, and we just love being back on the road together basically.

On that trip, when we were in Bolivia, we started daydreaming about another one. We came up with the Scandinavian idea; 鈥淟ong Way Scandi鈥澨齱e used to call it in our helmets as we were chatting to each other. I suppose after we’d been on the cutting-edge-of-technology motorcycles, the only way to go was to go back the other way.

Last time you were riding on super fast electric Harleys, now you鈥檙e riding a bit slower on old temperamental bikes. Why old bikes this time around?听

McGregor: Oh, I’ve always loved old bikes, and I always fancy doing a trip in old classic bikes. We just wanted to do one that was less stressful, more fun. More chance for us just to f***听around and have a laugh. And this sort of loop came out of that idea where we weren’t going to be. We’re not going to have to rush to get a boat from Egypt to Sudan on this one day, or else we wouldn’t be able to do it for another week. So we took the stress out of it, and we just had such a great time.

There were some intense moments when the power went out in Long Way Up and you needed to charge your bikes in the middle of Patagonia. What were the challenges this time?听

Charley Boorman: I don’t want to point any fingers [points to Ewan in the chair beside him]. With the high-tech bikes you can’t really fix them if they go wrong. But old bikes you can. There’s always somebody somewhere that you bump into who can help you, who has a little workshop in the garage. So the breakdown becomes part of the adventure. The times you get stressed because your bike is broken, you end up meeting all these extraordinary people that can help you, and then that becomes one of the highlights of the journey meeting these interesting, like-minded people. That bumping into strangers is part of it.

McGregor: No computers involved. There’s no chip. There’s not a chip on that bike, except for the occasional french fry that’s falling out of my pannier. They鈥檙e mechanical and therefore fixable, and on an adventure that’s quite a good idea. You don’t want something that can catastrophically fail.

So Ewan, you’re in all these films now, what do you like about working on something were it鈥檚 unscripted; you’re yourself?听

McGregor: I’ve always made documentaries. I did one about polar bears a long, long time ago up in Churchill, Canada.听I’ve made three different movies with my brother about the Royal Air Force because he was a pilot in the Royal Air Force. I’ve always enjoyed them because I don’t have the pressure of playing somebody. It’s just me.

I suppose it鈥檚 like a busman’s holiday in a way. We are filming, and we are filmmakers. Charley and I were thinking about getting things across for an audience while we’re doing these trips, but also at the same time, we’ve got an amazing, talented cameraman, Claudio von Planta, and Max Curtis who we picked up in Chile as our fixer there. And he’s such a great addition to the filming team that we had him come on all of this trip. So Claudio and Max sit on the same motorbike, and it’s just the three bikes for most of the time.

And because they’re so skilled we don’t really have to worry too much, just about being ourselves and meeting people and appreciating what we see, recording it, talking about it, and then hopefully inspiring people to look at this world that we鈥檙e lucky to live on. And if we can inspire some people to get out there and travel and experience the world, then we’d be very proud.

Charley, you’ve been in some serious motorcycle accidents over the years…What keeps you getting back on the bike鈥攅specially with the camera on you?

Boorman: Ah, there鈥檚 been a lot of crashes, and 2016 was a bad one, lots of operations to get back together. And then 2018 [crash] was much worse. But all my life, I’ve ridden motorcycles, I’ve ridden horses and stuff like that, and you tend to fall off, and you get back on again. The first one with the broken legs I woke up the next morning having gone through a lot of surgery. I’d broken three limbs, and I’d broken my left hand as well as my right hand.听 I was starting to go down into a into a very deep, dark hole.听

Then I realized there was someone in the room with me, and I looked over and there was a guy in the other bed, and he was in a much, much worse place than I was. And I remember looking at him, and I remember looking down at myself, and I remember thinking it’s not that bad actually. So from then on I was lucky enough to be able to sort of jump out of that hole and start to look at wanting to ride a bike again and wanting to have more adventures.

Somehow the motorbike was my therapy to get back on it. It鈥檚 very easy to get stuck in a trauma and let that trauma dictate your life and it’s a real rabbit hole. There is nothing you can do about what’s happened, so you may as well look forward.

And having friends like Ewan and knowing that people are around you to help but it’s taken a long time, 30 odd operations to get back and be walking again properly.

So I’m happy to be here with Ewan.

So what鈥檚 next? Will there be any more Long Way adventures?

McGregor: Well, you just have to wait and see. Who knows? We’re planning a big luxury RV trip.

Boorman: With helicopters.

Long Way Home premieres on May 9, exclusively on Apple TV+.

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In 1941, Swiss engineer George de Mestral was hunting in the Alps with his dog, when he noticed burrs stuck to his jacket, pants, hat, and his pup. Being the egghead that he was, de Mestral examined the burrs under a microscope. He discovered their 鈥渟tickiness鈥� was due to tiny hooks and loops. This discovery dominated the next decade of de Mestral’s life as he burrowed his intellect into recreating burrs鈥� 鈥済rab-ability鈥� with synthetic materials. And on one magical day, Presto Chango!, the world has Velcro.

This is probably the most famous example of 鈥渂iomimicry,鈥� the imitation of nature’s strategies to solve human design challenges. Now, a less well-known example but a much more intriguing one (sorry, de Mestral) is the life and music of 鈥淟and of 10,000 Lakes鈥� local Dave Simonett, founder and lead singer of Trampled By Turtles.

Simonett grew up in Mankato, Minnesota, about 80-miles southwest of the Twin Cities at the confluence of the Minnesota and Blue Earth rivers. Like the rest of the state, winters there are bitterly cold, summers are hot, muggy, and buggy. And as is ever the Minnesotan way, Simonett spent his youth loving that unloveable weather. No matter Mother Nature’s temperament, Simonett was in the woods. When he formed Trampled By Turtles in Duluth in 2003, Simonett’s lifelong connection to nature鈥攈iking, skiing, fishing鈥攃ombined in his music with other influences, like his love of the in-your-face tempo of punk and grunge bands and the songwriting of legendary fellow Minnesotan, Bob Dylan.

In the runup to the in Denver (where Trampled By Turtles will create a booty-shaking ruckus on June 1), I interviewed Simonett for an episode of the 国产吃瓜黑料 Podcast, which you can listen to here. Here are some excerpts from our conversation that highlight Simonett鈥檚 decades-long love affair with Minnesota and its lasting influence on his music.

A MINNESOTAN SURPRISE

国产吃瓜黑料: If somebody stopped you on the street and said, 鈥淗ey, who are you? What do you like to do?鈥� Would you say, outdoorsman? Would you say, conservationist? Would you say, hunter?

Simonett: Yeah, I’d probably start with those.

国产吃瓜黑料: Oh, before musician?

Simonett: Well, it depends on what point in life I guess I’d be asked. I think right now, at this point, even though music still takes up more of my time than anything else, my passions are split a little bit more equally nowadays. It’s more like a life’s work.

国产吃瓜黑料: You are an outdoorsy guy. You were a scout as a kid. You grew up in Minnesota, which though incredibly maligned like the rest of the Midwest, is double stuffed with frothing outdoor folks and adventures. What makes outdoor adventure in Minnesota unique and inspiring?

Simonett: Well, the natural beauty here is not as obvious. I like to say humble, but听 it’s not of its own volition. It’s just the way the land is. We have our prairies and our hardwood forest in the southern part of the state, and then the northern parts are boreal and a lot of pine birch, kind of reminiscent of maybe what people would think of as Maine. What people think of here is lakes. And that’s something we have a lot of.听 The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is probably our crown jewel of a landscape that’s still left to be a wild place. It’s pretty far out and I’d put a sunrise there up against any sunrise anywhere.

DEAR BOUNDARY WATERS, DAVE LOVES YOU

国产吃瓜黑料: For folks who have not been exposed to the beauty of the Boundary Waters, give me your 30-second elevator pitch on it to those who might be like, 鈥淎hhhh, Minnesota, c’mon!鈥�

Simonett: Right? It sounds buggy.

国产吃瓜黑料: Well, the mosquito is the state bird of Minnesota.

Simonett: And you won’t find any more of them than in the Boundary Waters if you go at a certain time of year, ha! But the Boundary Waters is a little over a million acres of woods and mainly lakes, thousands of lakes interconnected by portages. It’s part of the Superior National Forest and it’s named the Boundary Waters because it’s on the boundary of Minnesota and Canada. When you get a couple lakes into that wilderness, you might as well be in 1849 or something. It gets pretty far out and you can go deep as you want.

When I was young, a little bit of an initiation in that place was to paddle out to the middle of a lake, dip your cup in the lake, and drink the cup of water. That鈥檚 just as an example of what a bastion of clean water it is. And so I do a lot of work now on that place. If I’m gonna spend my time involved in something, this is where I get the most meaning in these places. I’m gonna work on protecting that.

THE JOY OF COLDER THAN HELL WINTERS

Simonett: I like winter. Half the stuff I like to do outside is when it’s snowing.

国产吃瓜黑料: I love winter too. But winter in Minnesota is a different animal altogether.

Simonett: It’s a good time to write songs, ha!

国产吃瓜黑料: Exactly. You’ve said that Northern Minnesota winters have inspired your music. And I think, in regard to the Midwest鈥檚 unfair poo-pooed-ness, the bitter cold winters have a lot to do with that. What do you think is the most unappreciated part of Minnesota winters?

Simonett: It gets dark at 4:30 here and I crave my little writing studio and a guitar. And that’s when my psyche wants to do it the most. And I try to honor that. There’s lots I want to do outside in the winter too, but it’s kind of a time where you can give yourself the leniency to look inside and try to make something. That’s what I’ve always used that time for. And that is the thing I look forward to, writing

国产吃瓜黑料: Do you think that because of that, you are writing slower laments or are you writing dancier, more uptempo tunes?

Simonett: Like trying to overcorrect?

国产吃瓜黑料: Yeah.

Simonett: It’s hard to say, but I think that kind of stuff is more phase of life for me or reactions to creative whims. I think the weather in the wintertime will give me a space to do it. But I don’t know if that’s like, 鈥淥h, I’m gonna write sad songs ’cause it’s cold outside.鈥� That being said, look at reggae music and where that comes from. That’s a lot of happy stuff. Maybe I’m completely wrong about that. Hahaha!

DIRT-FOOTED HOOTENANNY VS. MELLOW INSTRUMENTAL

国产吃瓜黑料: I know that you don’t like labeling your music or boxing it into a specific genre, but I will say, Roots music, Bluegrass, Americana, Trampled By Turtles could fall under these if someone were to box you guys in. Ha!

Simonett: Haha! Yeah, if you wanted to limit us. Ha!

国产吃瓜黑料: Those genres very often present a frenetic dancey pace. They create a dirt-footed hootenanny. For instance, 鈥淲ait So Long鈥� and 鈥淐odeine.鈥� Those tunes of yours are incredibly aggressive. Where does that edge come from and does your time outside inspire it? Ease it? Do both?

Simonett: Both those songs are like 15 years old. When I was younger, I had a lot of punk rock left over. When I was a teenager, that’s what I was into. And I was a young man then. I had a lot of energy.

国产吃瓜黑料: Oh, so it was like angry young man music?

Simonett: Yeah, and you feel things real big and loud. I did anyway. It’s been a while since I’ve written a song like that. To be honest with you, I’m really trying, especially in music, but generally in life, as a husband, as a father, to grow older gracefully.

国产吃瓜黑料: Does that mean softer?

Simonett: I think it just means being true to where you are at the time. If I were to try to write a song like 鈥淐odeine鈥� now, I would be lying. It would be me trying to reach for something that’s not there.

国产吃瓜黑料: On the other end of the tempo spectrum is a song like 鈥淟utsen.鈥� That’s nearly a10-minute beautiful, mellow instrumental. So where does that energy come from?

Simonett: That’s easier for me to point at. Lutsen is a little ski town in northern Minnesota on Lake Superior.

国产吃瓜黑料: Love Lutsen. It鈥檚 the first place I skied in Minnesota where I didn鈥檛 hear my turn. I love Lutsen.

Dave: Ha, yeah!. It鈥檚 as close as we get to real mountain skiing in the Midwest. I’d been spending a lot of time up there. It’s incredibly beautiful. I was doing some skiing, but also just hanging in the area by Lake Superior. It’s kind of our version of an ocean up there, with the same kind of gravitational pull on the people around it. It’s cold,听 it’s harsh. You go down to the lake and it’s like a nightmare sometimes. Like if you could turn a nightmare into water. So many ships have sunk in that nasty body of water. It reminds you real fast about where you are in the pecking order of things. And at the same time, you might wake up the next morning and it’s glass, and the sun’s coming up, it’s beautiful. That 鈥淟utsen鈥� song was that. That’s what I was trying to capture, comprehending where I was.

MY VELCRO IS YOUR VELCRO

国产吃瓜黑料: In regard to your time outside, your conservation efforts, and your love of Minnesota, if you were to take one of those things away, could you still write and perform the way that you do?

Dave: It sounds kind of self-important or something, but to me those are just little different parts of who I am. We’re all a product of space and time, right? I’m a product of where I live, what’s going on with me at this moment. And so you’d have to put me in somewhere real hard to escape for me not to find my space outdoors. I mean, I sometimes use touring to find new places to hunt and fish, which has been great. Last year and last summer, we went out to Montana. And both of those times I ended up on some really great fly fishing days with some buddies out there. When I’m home, I wouldn’t pop out to Montana and go fly fishing.

国产吃瓜黑料: The greatest work boondoggle of all time, ha! The music is whatever, but really what I’m trying to do is land a giant rainbow.

Dave: Haha! Yeah! I think for me, I really just hope an audience feels like we did the best we could. I hope they thought that their time was well spent.

I can write a hundred songs in this room and never play ’em for anybody. They’d still be songs and they’d still be mine. But there’s an interesting relationship that happens when you open that up to the world and I try to remain mystified by that. It’s scary and beautiful. I do enjoy that part of it. I don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 like a 鈥渋f a tree falls in the forest鈥澨� kind of a thing, where it鈥檚, 鈥淐an a song exist if nobody hears it?鈥� I don’t know.

国产吃瓜黑料: I feel like there needs to be a bumper sticker that reads, 鈥淧eak Minnesota: Juicy Lucy, Tater Tot Hotdish, Trampled By Turtles,鈥� not necessarily in that order.

Dave: It’s a lot of responsibility, but we’ll take it.

You could win a trip to the 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival and meet Trampled By Turtles backstage!

Donate to Save the Boundary Waters at and you鈥檒l be entered to win round-trip travel, 3-night hotel stay, VIP passes to 国产吃瓜黑料 Festival, a signed Deering banjo, and even a Colorado adventure picked by the band. Enjoy VIP perks like private lounges, bars, and shaded seating while catching sets from Trampled By Turtles, Lord Huron, Khruangbin, and more.

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