Wake Up Tri-Counties Writer-Director Bill Pohlad Discusses his Movie ’Dreamin’ Wild’

Dreamin' Wild was the name of a failed and forgotten record from a pair of brothers named Donnie and Joe Emerson. The self produced album, created in a makeshift studio built by their father on their vast family farm, briefly did find some traction in the music industry. It appeared, for a moment at least, that Donnie would have the chance to make it big. That never happened. Then, in 2008, a miracle happened. A man found the record and listened to it and immediately fell in love with it. He became an evangelist for this obscure, late 70s rock record and band. He helped get the record in front of studio executives who were equally enthusiastic about this incredibly obscure record. The record company tracked down Donnie and Joe and after decades of heartbreak over the failure of their record and Donnie's failed dream of being a recording artist, the Emerson Brothers were given the chance to do it all over again. That's the backstory of the new movie, based on the true story, written and directed by Bill Pohlad, the director of another music business masterpiece, Love & Mercy. I was lucky to chat with Bill Pohlad about Dreamin' Wild and getting to the heart of the crossroads between movies and music. Dreamin' Wild will be in limited theatrical release on August 4th and should soon after become available on many streaming rental platforms.