Minnetonka Motivates Music
Some locals may argue that the Minnetonka area is a dry source of artistic inspiration and, for our money, that couldn’t be further from the truth! While much attention is given to painters, sculptors, and authors, less attention is given to musicians who’ve discovered their motivation drenched in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. In 1912, Thurlow Lieurance found his greatest success in his song, “By the Waters of Minnetonka” which carried him to a level of fame that lasted a lifetime and pleased listeners for decades. Since then, the area has received musical notoriety through the Andrews Sisters and Prince in his famed quote, “Purify yourself in the water of Lake Minnetonka.” Now, in the 2020’s, Minnetonka has received yet another melodious callout and, personally, perhaps it’s most enchanting.
For better or worse, the onset of Covid19 brought massive change into everyone’s lives but, for Omaha based singer songwriter Owen Justice, it was the beginning of a new chapter in his life. From an early age, he found inspiration ion music and wanted to bring that same inspiration to those around him.
Despite being a self taught guitarist, and lyricist, he spent his pandemic-era free time playing at local open mic nights where he would meet the friends who would become founding members of the Owen Justice Band. While the group was still getting on its feet, Justice put in extra hours drafting songs by using the pleasant memories in his life as a springboard.
One such song would be drafted from his experiences taking weekend trips with a group to visit a friend’s uncle who lives on Minnetonka. The group would spend long days adrift together and pack as much fun into a day under the Minnesota sun as possible. A weekend trip proved so enjoyable that they’d find themselves returning to the lake for several consecutive years. These warm summer memories delivered the inspiration for his first song, titled “Lake Minnetonka.” Justice peppers the piece with references only he and his friends would understand, such as mentions enjoying Miller High Life and joking about Vikings footballer Chad Greenway. Fondly recalling the memories he says, “[Miller is] Not at all a beer we’d drink otherwise, but we were ‘going to Lake Minnetonka and we were getting Miller High Life!’”
During Covid, he would go on to write and record “Lake Minnetonka” in his basement and send it to his friends. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their overwhelming support motivated him to continue improving his songwriting skills and, in 2023, to release his first album titled Upstream.
The album features an array of melodies from the country genre but they worked tirelessly to keep the songs from bleeding together across the entirety of the album. Justice says, “We wanted a couple rockers on there, some Americana, and some folky-type songs. We were really excited about that.” Ultimately, their excitement and effort shines through each song with a radiant glow that gives all of Upstream the warmth and depth that makes it the perfect summer boating playlist.
Justice is excited that, not only is his band passionate and growing, but that there’s also a surge of country and Americana music coming from the central and midwest parts of the United States. “That’s something I think people should be on the lookout for; music coming out of our area.” The band is busy aiming that passion toward writing and recording a litany of new songs for a coming album which, Justice hopes, will be releasing in the near future. In the meantime their works, including both Upstream and “Lake Minnetonka” are available to listeners on iTunes, Spotify, and wherever you listen to great music.
For the author, the entire Upstream album will be part of his 2026 boating playlist. It really should be part of yours too.
See below what the Owen Justice Band has to offer and enjoy a summer soundtrack that lends itself to making memories in the sun!
Meet the Band:
Bass - George Cooper
Lead Guitar - Gabe Nelson
Drums - Grant McMullen
Second Vocals - Maggie McMullen
Rhythm Guitar/Vocals - Owen Justice
Many thanks to Owen Justice for sitting down with the Minnetonka Minute to talk about his band, inspirations, and what motivates his music. We wish him the best and look forward to what the future holds!
