Bret Lunsford

Bret is a writer, historian, and musician living in Anacortes, Washington. Bret graduated from The Evergreen State College, where he met his wife, Denise Crowe. Together, they started the brief but storied GESCCO music and art venue in downtown Olympia. Bret joined the lo-fi indie band Beat Happening with Heather Lewis and Calvin Johnson in 1982. In 1988, he founded Knw-Yr-Own Records to highlight the music and culture of his hometown, Anacortes, Washington. He formed the band D+ with friends Karl Blau and Phil Elverum in 1996 and owned The Business record store in Anacortes for nine years. Bret and Denise have continued to spread an independent DIY ethos in Skagit County as organizers of the annual What the Heck Music and Art Festival. Today, Bret serves as the director of the Anacortes Museum. He is the author of multiple books focused on local history, including the 2021 title “Sounding for Harry Smith: Early Pacific Northwest Influences.”