The Grand Rapids guitarist for Hannah Rose & The GravesTones performed new solo tunes for Local Spins on WYCE, which also debuted ArtPrize-related songs from Caffein, Four Lincolns and more.
‘Embracing Everything’: Guitarist Justin Wierenga’s solo material spans numerous genres. (Photo/Anna Sink)
THE ARTIST: Justin Wierenga
THE MUSIC: Genre-spanning, instrumental guitar
WHERE YOU CAN SEE HIM: 8 p.m. Oct. 13 at Rockford Brewing in Rockford (solo); 7 p.m. Oct. 12 with Hannah Rose & The GravesTones at Vander Mill Grand Rapids; 7 p.m. Oct. 15 with Speakeasy at The Loft in Lansing
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Justin Wierenga calls them “soundscapes.”
The highly revered Grand Rapids guitarist who’s become a notable sideman for singer Hannah Rose Graves, multi-instrumentalist Eric Engblade and other West Michigan acts has been “steadily working” on a genre-blending solo project since he was a teenager.
In the Studio: Justin Wierenga performing during Local Spins on WYCE. (Photo/Local Spins)
That in-process project not only showcases the much-heralded musician’s versatility and prowess as a guitarist, but also his penchant for “structured improvisation” and stylistic inclusiveness.
“It’s the techniques that I pick up from each style of music whether it be metal and bluegrass. I take the picking patterns and kind of cross it over,” says Wierenga, who grew up in Shelby, Mich., listening to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and all manner of rock ’n’ roll bands.
“I take bits and pieces out of everything I hear and meld it with what I hear in my head and what I enjoy doing, and make it as living and breathing and organic as possible.”
Wierenga brought examples of that approach — and his inspiring guitar-playing — to this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE, performing two new songs, “Stony Lake,” and an as-yet-untitled work on the air during the show hosted by John Sinkevics. Listen to the full podcast here, with a video of “Stony Lake” below.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE with Justin Wierenga
“It’s a bunch of sounds I’ve been wanting to get out for quite some time,” Wierenga offers, noting he’s written about 75 percent of the songs for a solo album, which he hopes to release next year.
“I just want to make soundscapes that come in my head – just make a living, breathing piece of music that doesn’t really stop and is mainly guitar-based.”
A true guitar and gear aficionado, Wierenga concedes he “forever will be” toying with equipment, pedals, effects and techniques, something that clearly show up in his own instrumental compositions.
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As an in-demand sideman, he’s also learned to blend seamlessly into the musical vision of other artists with whom he plays: the blues/soul/rock of Hannah Rose & The Gravestones, the folk-hued Eric Engblade, the jazz fusion of The Underground Circus, and a duo vibe with vocalist and songwriter Alayna Plews. (He also performs occasionally with improvisational jazz outfit Brad Fritcher’s Moods, singer-songwriter Megan Dooley and drummer-percussionist Muruga Booker, and won a Jammie Award with Graves for their 2014 album, “Everything We Already Knew.”)
As such, Wierenga says he draws “a lot of influence” from jazz players and the way they collaborate, improvise and work off each other during performances.
For Wierenga, it’s really all about “taking down the lines of genres. Embracing everything. Don’t put yourself in a box. Embrace music from all cultures and all places and incorporate that into what you’re producing as an artist.”
The Oct. 7 episode of Local Spins on WYCE – a special ArtPrize edition – also featured the radio premiere of tracks by Caffein, Four Lincolns, Dale Wicks and Brian Criner, plus music from Heaters, The Crane Wives, The Concussions, The Accidentals and Flint Eastwood.
VIDEO: Justin Wierenga, “Stony Lake” (Local Spins on WYCE)
Copyright 2016, Spins on Music LLC
