The Cadillac native’s latest release, “Flash-A-Magic,” nudged out albums by Headband Henny, Michigander, Adrian Wright and Avocadsquad. View the chart; sample the music at Local Spins.
Solid Base: Luke Winslow-King has a bevy of devoted Michigan fans. (Photo/Jeff Brinn)
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Although Luke Winslow-King resides in Spain, some 4,000 miles from his home state of Michigan, the rootsy blues, folk and rock singer-songwriter says he has the wind in his sails when it comes to support from his Great Lakes State fans.
“I haven’t lived full-time in Michigan very much over the past couple decades,” concedes the Cadillac native, who also spent 15 years in New Orleans to hone his musical approach, “but it really gives me a solid base and wind in my sails knowing I’ve got that home-state love to come back to.”
That “home-state love” sent Winslow-King’s latest studio album, “Flash-A-Magic,” straight to No. 1 on the Local Spins Hot Top 5 Chart for February — a chart representing the recordings by artists from the Mitten State which received the most radio airplay at WYCE (88.1 FM) in Grand Rapids.
“With ‘Flash-A-Magic,’ I took a different approach to recording. We tracked the album in Livorno, Italy, aiming for a live, and kind of synchronistic sound,” Winslow-King said of the Bloodshot Records release. (Check out the Local Spins review.)
“Our goal was to stay fully present in the moment, playing as if no one were listening and treating every take like it was the first time we’d ever performed the song. That mindset brought a real freshness to the music, and I hope listeners can feel that coming over the radio waves.”
Listeners in Michigan get a regular dose of Winslow-King’s live sets, too, because he regularly returns to the United States to tour the Midwest. He’ll play Blissfest north of Harbor Springs in July, with “a full list of summer tour dates” set for release soon. The schedule will be posted at lukewinslowking.com.
Before that, he’s touring Europe and the U.S. South.
“Flash-A-Magic” topped four other albums making their Hot Top 5 Chart debut in February, with Kalamazoo hip-hop/soul artist Headband Henny’s “Purple” at No. 2, Michigander’s latest self-titled release at No. 3, Grand Rapids’ Adrian Wright’s “The Great Let Go” at No. 4 and Grand Rapids’ Avocadsquad’s “Eshkeneh Radio” at No. 5.
Listen to tracks from all of the releases below.
LOCAL SPINS HOT TOP 5 CHART ON SPOTIFY: February 2025
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