Our story

All the members of Desert Brothers have many years of music history under their belts. Literal brothers Mike and Aaron Wolking have played in bands together for more than 25 years, traveling across the United States and abroad at concert halls and festivals of every size and shape. Rob Paulin, a pastor and multi-decade professional musician, was pulled into the fold in 2021 and has been an indispensable member of the collective ever since. 

The band was born in the summer of 2026 when Mike had an idea. What could you do if you took a Venn diagram of bluegrass, western Americana, and alt-country musical stylings and put them together with the Gospel message at the center? This project is the result of that idea. Mike, Rob, and Aaron had spent some time writing songs together in the past, some of which are included in the band’s debut release, which is scheduled for Winter 2026. The band’s songwriting lifted off with a new vigor after Mike and Aaron had the opportunity to attend the C.S. Lewis Foundation Writer’s Conference, held at the fabled Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs, CO, which seemly unlocked a fountain of songs held within Mike. Shortly after these events took place is when Desert Brothers was transformed from a concept to a reality.