Originally aired March 31, 2026.
Bruiser Queen’s journey is a testament to chemistry, grit, and creative evolution. In this lively conversation on Community Voices, Jason Potter and Morgan Nusbaum reflect on how a chance collaboration in the late 2000s sparked what would become their signature sound. Both were active in separate bands at the time, but when Nusbaum began writing songs that didn’t quite fit her group, she and Potter started jamming informally. The connection was immediate—and Bruiser Queen was born.
Though the band initially performed as a four-piece, lineup changes ultimately distilled the group into a dynamic duo. Rather than limit their sound, they adapted. Nusbaum developed a hybrid playing style, running her guitar through both bass and guitar amps to create a fuller, heavier tone—an approach that defined their early recordings and live shows.
Touring played a major role in shaping the band’s identity. From cross-country runs between 2016 and 2019 to standout shows opening for international acts, Bruiser Queen embraced the unpredictability of life on the road. They recall the joy of connecting with audiences in diverse cities, exploring local culture, and building relationships with fellow musicians and fans alike.
Now, with years of experience behind them, the duo is focusing on intention—choosing where they play and creating new music on their own terms. With fresh material currently in the works, Bruiser Queen continues to evolve while staying rooted in the raw, collaborative spirit that started it all.
PLAYLIST:
- Telepathic Mind
- Heart Strings
- Soundcheck Song
- Crushing Out
Transcribed by AI with human review for readability:
Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. I'm your co-host Jeff Williams. In the studio today, I've got the band Bruiser Queen . How's it going, you two?
Jason Potter:
Hey, good.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Thank you for having us.
Jeff Williams:
I was glad to be able to catch you since you were playing at George Ranks. We've played together a bit but tell me a little of the history. I know you, (but) I don't really know the history of how you started. I think the first time I remember that we played together was (a festival) …Fragile Porcelain Mice was also on it. And it was like a Mississippi Nights (festival). It was an outdoor (event), on the landing. And it rained like crazy! I remember Damon, our guitar player, was down there first. And I was like… “Dude, we're like 50 miles behind you! Should we just turn around? Because this is crazy what's going on right here!” And he said, “Dude! Keep coming! They're trying to say this mess is (still) going to go on! I can't believe they're trying to do this show right now! This does not rock, dude!” And I was like, there's no way that this is going to happen. Got down there… I was like, okay, we're here. And then the next thing you know, these dudes are pulling out squeegees and popping (water) off (the top of tents). I was like, how are they going to do this show? You know how you have to get into (mentally prepping for a show? And you think) okay, I'm ready. You know, you get your adrenaline, you kind of got that feeling. And then it kind of drops and it's like, this is not going to happen.
Jason Potter:
It's hard to get it back!
Jeff Williams:
It's hard to get it back! And so I remember that being the first time that we played together. It was like, man, you were drilling it! It was great! And I'd heard about yous, but I just hadn't seen yous before that. So maybe I can shut up for a minute and let you two talk about the history. (laughter)
Jason Potter:
There may have been a Firebird show that we're all on together before…
Jeff Williams:
We did a Firebird! The Firebird was after that!
Jason Potter:
Because that was awesome too.
Jeff Williams:
That was a really good, yeah, that was a cool show. Because Firebird was… was it on Olive? Right on Olive Street? Yeah.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Yeah. Because that's not around anymore. Correct! Well, we were both in bands. Jason was in Left Arm and I was in a band called the 75’s. And so, our bands had played shows together, and I was kind of working on my own thing, kind of writing my own songs that didn't really fit with what was going on in the band I was in. And I also wasn't the lead singer in that band, so I didn't really want to step on any toes. I was just a bass player.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, you didn't sing? No vocals at all? Some back aspect, right?
Morgan Nusbaum:
It was her band and I wanted to respect that. And so, (Jason and I) ended up hanging out and totally getting along. He came over and played drums for some songs that I was writing, and it just clicked. That was about maybe 2009-ish.
Jeff Williams:
About 2009, yep, right on.
Morgan Nusbaum:
We started jamming in the basement, yeah.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. So was there any point where you thought, I think we maybe get a bass player in, or were you just like, no, I think it's working(?)
Morgan Nusbaum:
Right away we got an old high school friend of mine to play bass. And he actually played our first show, which was at the Firebird. And we were like, man, it'd be cool (if he also played guitar), because he's actually a guitar player.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, yeah.
Morgan Nusbaum:
He was just kind of subbing on bass just to do it. So, we were like, what if we got somebody to play bass, and then Ben could play the lead parts, would be super cool.
Jeff Williams:
So you have two guitars then you're (still) playing (guitar) at that point then, and then a bass (player) also, yeah.
Morgan Nusbaum:
So then we got Mike, who was actually the owner of the Firebird at the time. He came and started playing bass with us. And I think the first year we were kind of that lineup.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Jason Potter:
A lot of people don't know that our first full year was never really meant to be a duo. You know, we made it work like that. But yeah, our whole first year we were a four-piece. And we did a, Mike was, you know, again, the owner of the FuBar, so we did a bunch of shows in the Firebird and we played at the Pageant on a few things or whatever. So that's truly our roots. And then we just like to say people really couldn't hang, you know. So this is.
Morgan Nusbaum:
It just ended up being like, “Hey, do you want? Are you available to play the show? Yeah, I'm available to play the show.” And so, it just ended up being like us two in the basement jamming all the time. And I was like, well, what if I just started playing a little differently? And I ride the E string and I try to just play a little more bass heavy. What if I play out of a bass (rig) and (also hook up a) guitar (rig, both… for fuller sound!” And so, we played around with that.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, I wondered about that. Yeah, that's cool. So you're still doing that where you have kind of (play through both amps”)?
Morgan Nusbaum:
I do, yeah. And so yeah, I started out playing just like a 115 bass amp, an old Fender I had, and then, yeah, guitar amp on top. And we played like that for a while. And we actually recorded our first album to kind of mimic how we played live. Right, So I didn't put any extra bass on that record. I just kind of played out of both of those amps and we recorded both. (Music from Buiser Queen song ‘Heart Strings’ starts playing.) Lyrics: Pull my heartstrings Pull my heartstrings Pull my heartstrings Pull my heartstrings Pull my heartstrings Pull my heartstrings Yeah, pull my heartstrings Pull my heartstrings Pull my heartstrings Pull my heart.
Jeff Williams:
String. Oh, you guys opened for (the band) Otoboki Beaver?
Jason Potter:
Yeah. That show was so sick.
Jeff Williams:
Otoboki Beaver, dude, that was nice.
Morgan Nusbaum:
And they were so nice. And the other band.
Jason Potter:
Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, I think.
Morgan Nusbaum:
So nice too.
Jason Potter:
I think they were from South Korea.
Jeff Williams:
South Korea, yeah, I thought they were South Korean, yeah!
Jason Potter:
Oh my gosh, both bands were so sweet. They had asked (for us to play on the show). You know, sometimes… you never know how you're going to get put on a show or ask to play a show, but the bands themselves had asked for us to (to be on the bill as openers!) That's super. So that was a whole other level of.
Morgan Nusbaum:
It was a totally different level.
Jason Potter:
Yeah.
Morgan Nusbaum:
We didn't ask to be on it. We didn't get put into like open. They asked us specifically.
Jason Potter:
They specifically asked for us… that is.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Yeah.
Jason Potter:
So, the thing is.
Morgan Nusbaum:
It felt really good. Yeah.
Jason Potter:
That's great. Cause they are on point. Man. Those kids are so cool. Yeah, their drummer, Otoboki Beaver 's drummer. I didn't even know (that) she (even) had a band. I just (saw about the drummer) from, random videos pop up in her ‘feed’ or whatever. (Reel and clips of) this viral drummer that was just killing (it). (Not that it’s) just the drummer… they're all like that! Just the math of it… all and the speed and they're incredible.
Jeff Williams:
Yes!
Jason Potter:
Yeah, that night was…. we needed that big time too! That just came at a good time.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, did it? Really? Okay.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Everybody was excited. I was already going to the show, but now this is an extra reason to get there early!
Jason Potter:
Yeah, exactly. I get to stand, side stage and watch everybody play. That's the most fun about opening for a band like that is just direct access right next to that stage.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Then we all got on stage together and did like a big selfie with them. It was so cool to post that!
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, no, that was a great night! You've also done some touring, right?
Jason Potter:
Absolutely. Lots of touring, yeah. And the after times, after 2020. Things change so considerably between venues and us personally and all that.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Our last major tour was probably 2019.
Jason Potter:
Yeah, so ‘19, I would say 2016 to 19 and that, we did a, several tours, of America. We've pretty much hit every corner, every little medium. medium to large sized, kind of like y'all in that kind of thing.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Anywhere from like Alex's in Long Beach, to like.
Jason Potter:
Play New York.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Yeah, (the club) Berlin… in New York City.
Jason Potter:
So we did several laps of the country. We have a couple of really good friend bands. One's called Faya. They're out of San Antonio. Members of this band called Girl in the Coma. So they took us out and that kind of thing. So yeah, we've spent a bunch of time. Now we're at a point where we just really want to go play the places we really want to play. Whenever we're sitting at home going, man, I wish we can go back. Okay, let's go do that. You're right, So yeah, we kind of skip over the pick and choose.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Yeah, the driving through like the desert.
Jason Potter:
We're going to fly there.
Jeff Williams:
We were label mates with this band, the Blue Meanies… and...
Jason Potter:
So Bill, right?
Is it the singer?
Jeff Williams:
That Bill Soldier, the lead singer of the Blue Meanies!
Morgan Nusbaum:
We've played his festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Jeff Williams:
Valley of the Vapors??? Man!
Morgan Nusbaum:
We played that twice!
Jeff Williams:
It's a great big game.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Shone n Knife we opened for. And then Peelander(-Z), the second.
Jason Potter:
Oh, Peelander Z, we played them.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, yeah. I remember when the Blue Meanies first broke up in he was like moving to Hot Springs, Arkansas. And we'd never played Hot Springs. We'd played like in Little Rock, but we, so I didn't really know much about Hot Springs before that. And then I remember when we first, the first time we drove there, I was like, man, it looks like that house is on fire over there. I didn't realize it's actually like Hot Springs or that. Much are going on. And then you see like that old hospital that was powered off of steam. It's, that was mind-blowing to me just seeing that sort of stuff.
Morgan Nusbaum:
How cool is that town? It's just the cutest little.
Jeff Williams:
All those bath houses and (buildings, and) places ….. it’s like a hidden gem! I'd heard people talk about it a little bit. And I remember when Bill said he was moving down there after the Blue Meanies broke up (from full time touring) … then playing Valley of the Vapors, I was like, my God. And another thing before we played there, at first I was like, man, that seems like bad timing doing it at the same time as South by Southwest (SXSW) . It's actually great. That's why they're here. This is actually a brilliant idea because like you said, these bands are all on their way… or they're leaving. So, this is the best time to have a festival. This is actually…. the best time to do it!
Morgan Nusbaum:
We actually did a festival like (it) in Savannah, Georgia called (Savannah) Stopover (Music) Festival, and it was the week before (SXSW Music Festival) kind of that same idea.
Jason Potter:
That's another one of those things is that small town that there's no other real reason for bands really to come through, but Savannah does it, and it's just the hospitality involved. and they're so they like the Savannah one, they gave us a like a host family.
Morgan Nusbaum:
We stayed at their...
Jason Potter:
… House, and they said it's almost kind of the same thing. They're like, they know that a lot of people aren't going to come through there otherwise, and they really seize upon that opportunity…. (The people there are like) Wow, thank you for coming and doing your music in our city!
Jeff Williams:
I started to mention about (when by band nil8) went out and did some (touring) with Mindless Self Indulgence for a while, which is kind of different for (us)...
Jason Potter:
She's a big fan.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, yeah!?! So that was that was cool… And (also went on tour with) the Vandals. That was crazy, but we didn't really get to hang out with them too much. It was more like our booking agent said, “Hey, would you guys be cool with letting another band use your equipment?” And I was like, “Well, yeah, I mean, (but, like…) what (band)? And then they're like, “Oh, the Vandals?” And we're like, “Yes! Of course! Whatever they need! We'll do that!”
Morgan Nusbaum:
We'll bring extra equipment! (laughter)
Jeff Williams:
Give us a list of dates! We'll be their roadies slash opening band! (more laughter) So each night they're like, “Oh, that's so cool. Hey, you guys sounded okay. All right, we're getting on the plane! We'll see you later!” Then, they (the Vandals) were like, “We're out! (heading to hotel, while we pack the equipment). They're like, we're gonna, we're like, all right, get the equipment. Yeah, but it is kind of cool when you, no, it was, it was genius. I mean, it is a good way to do it, actually. But it is cool when you hook up these other bands that you kind of know when you're able to do different parts of the country and see stuff. But it is also when you first get out there and tour to see kind of like the nuances or little bits of difference, cultural differences when you get to different parts of the country, driving and just seeing these little like American subcultures that are out there.
Morgan Nusbaum:
We're built for it. We truly are built for it.
Jason Potter:
And it enriches us so incredibly whenever we (do). Wherever your hometown is, or whatever your home state is. You just kind of get in that mindset. You get all the way across the country and you see these other people, these other cultures. It's so completely, honestly different, especially like we'll play in the Southwest. We love doing that. We love Albuquerque and Tucson and (places) like that. We play in El Paso... And you're like, whoa, this is so wonderful. And these people are so wonderful. And Yeah, you learn so much. Just a totally different vibe by playing with people like that.
Jeff Williams:
What's also kind of cool is when it's like, wow, how do these people know? You know what I mean? It's like, it might not be like huge crowds, but it's like you're just connecting. They know, and it's like you're connecting with these people.
Morgan Nusbaum:
And they have the venues that this is what they're doing tonight. This is the thing to do.
Jeff Williams:
And it's nice just seeing the different parts of the of the country, or whatever part of the world.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Yeah, we wander.
Jason Potter:
We definitely wander. Yeah, the record stores, the libraries, the movie theaters.
Morgan Nusbaum:
We'll go to the museums!
Jason Potter:
To the museums everywhere. We used to (go to the) park.
Jeff Williams:
It was like, man, hey, they're showing a free…. it's a free movie on the history of whatever thing it is, you know, and it's like, let's go! AND It's air conditioned! (laughter)
Morgan Nusbaum:
We'll meet people up from the show last night for breakfast.
Jeff Williams:
We love to do that.
Morgan Nusbaum:
We socialize.
Jeff Williams:
So, yeah.
Jason Potter:
And it's easy just being the two of us too! I would say among some of the… I don't want to say disadvantages… of just being the two of us… it's a lot of sound to cover… but it's easier to invite two people, to breakfast or to stay at your house or something like that (than a band with many members). Yeah, So we definitely take advantage of being lean and mean.
Jeff Williams:
Right, exactly. The other side, I remember like when we'd be out, hey, I think we found a place for us all to stay. I'm like, you guys got like 9 people with you. What are you talking about? And then WE are going to be there too?
Morgan Nusbaum:
Oh my God.
Jeff Williams:
Usually when that would happen, it was like, this is going to be crazy, because if it's somebody's like… “No! (it’s okay!) come on, bring all the 16 of you!” It's like, you know, once you get to the house, it's going to be some crazy stuff going on! (laughter) You're not going right to sleep and getting a good night’s rest... No! (laughter)
Morgan Nusbaum:
Jason built a bunk in our van with a full-size mattress. So we would just be like, well, we have a place to sleep. Can we use your bathroom and park in your driveway?
Jeff Williams:
Totally.
Morgan Nusbaum:
And then we would go freshen up, hang out with everybody, and then go to bed in the van. Or like one of us might be down to party and the other one is…..
Jeff Williams:
Tired and might go to bed.
Morgan Nusbaum:
I do want to say that we have been working on new material.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, nice.
Morgan Nusbaum:
And we've been in the studio. So we're working on new stuff. I don't know when it's going to come out, but keep your ears open because we got more stuff coming.
Jeff Williams:
I've been in the studio with Bruiser Queen, with Morgan and Jason. They're in town for a while to play a show. And man, it was great. It was great talking to you guys! Thanks a lot!
Jason Potter:
All right.
Morgan Nusbaum:
Thank you.
Jeff Williams:
Community Voices is a production of NPR Illinois.
