This week’s edition of the radio show also featured music from Sleep Cheaters, LVRS, Jeremy Ensley, Lushh, Skyking, Ttypes and An Dro. (Story, podcast, video)
In Studio X: The Founding performing during Local Spins on WYCE. (Photo/Local Spins)
It took a while for mandolinist Joel Tyrone Myers to pull all the pieces together, but The Founding has successfully embraced – and built upon – the tradition of Irish and Scottish music in its own inviting way.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Jammie-Nominated: The Founding returns to Grand Rapids for the WYCE Jammie Awards show on Feb. 9. (Photo/Local Spins)
Myers, who grew up playing Celtic songs in his hometown of Chelsea, knew he wanted to assemble a band that explored that rich genre when he moved to Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University.
At first, he didn’t find many takers among fellow student musicians, but eventually, he formed the group Blarney Castle which later changed its name to The Founding to better reflect the sonic direction of the group: Myers, Elizabeth June on vocals, Patrick Harrison on guitar and cello, John Robey on fiddle and vocals, Lukas Stanley on keyboard and cajon, and Kyle Pitcher on bass and vocals.
“We want to take Irish and Scottish music and extend it as far as we can,” said Myers, the group’s songwriter along with Stanley. “Sometimes, we add from other genres. Sometimes, we take the roots of the genre itself and build it from there.”
What emerged on the band’s Jammie Award-nominated debut album, “Form,” is a captivating mélange of Celtic-hued strains, klezmer and more, delivered with crisp musicianship and fetching vocals.
They displayed all of that live this week for Local Spins on WYCE, performing the songs “Fox” and “Timepiece” in Studio X. Watch the video for “Fox” here with the full radio show podcast below.
VIDEO: The Founding, “Fox” (Live for Local Spins on WYCE)
The band plays a “Hometown Harmony” concert with Wayland High School students tonight (Friday, Feb. 2) at Wayland Union Schools Fine Arts Center, then returns to the Grand Rapids area to perform at the WYCE Jammie Awards show at The Intersection along with two dozen other nominees on Feb. 9.
The Founding, “Form”
The band also plays Old Dog Tavern in Kalamazoo on Feb. 10, Flanagan’s Irish Pub in Grand Rapids on March 10 and Meyer Theatre in Monroe, Mich., on March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day).
“Our goal is take it as far as we can go,” said Myers, noting the band is booking an East Coast tour for the summer with more recording and video production also in the works.
“The music community is awesome in Michigan. … Every time we’re able to open for a band or have a band open for us, we’re wowed by the kind of talent there is here as well as the different kind of opportunities that are being provided.”
Read more about The Founding at Local Spins here: Kalamazoo’s The Founding sheds Blarney Castle moniker to reflect ‘new style’ of Celtic music with new album
The Feb. 2 episode of Local Spins on WYCE also featured the premiere of the first single from Molly (aka, Molly Bouwsma Schultz, former lead vocalist for the Grand Rapids band Vox Vidorra) and the on-air debut of tracks by LVRS, Jeremy Ensley & Friends (with Rick Chyme and Shanee Laurent), Lushh, El Brandino, Sleep Cheaters, Skyking and Ttypes, as well as a 2013 track from An Dro. Listen to the podcast here.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE with The Founding (2/2/18)
The Founding at WYCE (Photo/Local Spins)
