Indie rock is alive and living in Minneapolis! Songwriter Andy Flynn has teamed up with T.W. Walsh (Pedro the Lion) for a seductive trip through the quieter regions of the genre. Yet pop melodies do lurk beneath the cozy layers of melancholia--it is clearly not bedtime for Duplomacy.

After years of keeping his music under wraps, performing only for his household appliances and occasionally with local band Valendar, Andy Flynn has finally unleashed his indie-pop vision on the world. The vehicle is named Duplomacy.

The years of monastic musical focus have paid off. After accumulating some of the best results of his home-recording ventures, Flynn sent them off to T.W. Walsh, a well-known recording engineer and member of longtime indie favorites Pedro the Lion. Walsh’s reaction was immediate: he loved Flynn’s sound and brought him out to Boston to record what would become Duplomacy’s stunning 5-track self-titled EP.

A few copies were sent to musicians and publications, and a feature article in PULSE and offers to open for several local favorites arrived, quickly thrusting Duplomacy into the spotlight. The positive reaction to his first “professional” venture led Flynn to reconsider his one-man-band approach. Old friends quickly hopped onboard to help facilitate Duplomacy’s rapid rise on the local scene.

With Andy leading the charge, Adam Egerdahl started on drums, but has since migrated to his native guitar, being replaced by Judd Hildreth of Valet. The hunt for a bassist is underway. The switch from a one-man venture to a full band has changed the direction of Duplomacy’s sound, pushing Flynn’s simple melodic style towards a more dynamic, rockin’ sound. The band is currently moving forward with more regional gigs and a full-length album, due in early 2005.