The eight-piece Big Rapids rock band Hand of Giants has boosted its lineup and expanded its sound, with a new studio album on the way. They play SpeakEZ Lounge tonight.
High-Energy Northern Rock: Hand of Giants is working toward bigger stages, bigger shows. (Courtey Photo/Josh Whitman)
More then a decade in the making, Hand of Giants’ brand of “Northern rock” has even upped the ante since spring 2025 with more musicians and a more expansive sound.
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The eight-piece rock band from Big Rapids added fiddle and percussion to its lineup and never looked back.
“Our show is pretty high energy with our self-branded Northern rock. We will most certainly retain this character but we’ll also be adding some long musical jams within some of the songs,” said band founder Michael Kreple of the group that plays SpeakEZ Lounge in Grand Rapids tonight (Friday) as part of the Local Spins Fridays series.
“It’s something that we’ve been doing more and more of and it just keeps evolving and getting better and better. We’ve gotten great feedback from fans about this new element to our shows. Hang on tight because you never know what you’re going to get.”
Initially hatched by the guitarist, songwriter and producer in Los Angeles as a fundraiser for his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma treatments, the Big Rapids-based band shaped by the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Journey and REO Speedwagon has released 11 singles since its 2017 debut album, “Picking Up the Pieces.”
The Band: The eight-piece Hand of Giants plays SpeakEZ Lounge in Grand Rapids tonight (Friday). (Courtesy Photo/Shelly Marsac)
The band features Kreple, bassist Zach Potter, keyboardist Randy Curioso, lead guitarist Paul Kwant, drummer Brian Arnold, fiddler Budd Greenman, percussionist Chris Jane and singer Jacky Kreple. Music starts at 7:30 p.m. at SpeakEZ; details here.
“Our music is really born out of the ’80s and ’90s, but also heavily steeped in the Southern rock genre, too. Cool riffs and grooves with catchy hooks,” said Kreple.
Added Kwant: “I would have to say if you’re a fan of AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, with big singable choruses. This is your band. Blackberry Smoke is a great example of what I feel represents the sound. But there’s a lot of influences that are from all of us in our music.”
Kreple said the band is “nearly finished” with its second album, recorded at his Big Rapids studio. “The album will consist of previously released singles and include brand new songs,” he said. “We’re aiming for a mid to late November release with a show to follow.”
VIDEO: Hand of Giants, “Take Me Down to the River”
Playing mostly original music, the band does weave a few classic covers into its sets, including versions of John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”
“We’re just happy to get in front of people, let alone do something pretty big like this show,” Kreple said. “It’s so much fun for us to just get it together and get on stage. There isn’t a moment when we’re not looking at each other with just big smiles on our faces.”
Hand of Giants “stands out as a dynamic and tight rock ‘n’ roll band,” Kreple insisted. “Our songs are memorable, relatable, inspiring and full of energy that translates to our shows and make it fun for everyone.”
And the future holds plenty more when it comes to writing, recording and performing.
“Next year we are working toward bigger stages, bigger shows, more new merch and, of course, we can’t ever stop writing and recording,” Kreple said.
Check out the 2024 edition of the Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase radio show which featured two tracks by Hand of Giants below.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (6/7/24)
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