Today, Local Spins reveals the albums that have greatly influenced guitarist and songwriter Graham Young from Petoskey’s Michigan Rattlers. Check out — and listen to — his picks.
Revering Bruce Springsteen Almost Too Much: Graham Young (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
EDITOR’S NOTE: All musicians can trace their inspiration to key recordings that influenced their careers. Writer Ross Boissoneau today showcases music that changed the world for northern Michigan native and Michigan Rattlers frontman Graham Young. Scroll down for a Spotify playlist of his picks, including a current favorite and recent tracks by the Michigan Rattlers.
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Guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Graham Young may reside in the Golden State these days, but he’s forever a Michigan Rattler.
Now based in Los Angeles, Young grew up and attended school in Petoskey, along with his bandmates in the Michigan Rattlers, who’ve since gone on to critical acclaim and national stature as an Americana-driven outfit.
“There were different iterations playing together around Petoskey,” says Young. He recalls growing up surrounded by his parents’ music. “My dad was a big fan of Warren Zevon, Van Morrision, Paul McCartney, the Beatles. He was a Parrothead. It made me love guitar.”
His friends had similar upbringings, but after high school they put their band plans aside for good – or so they thought. “We all split, did our things for college. There was no real intention of getting back together.”
Fate had other ideas. Though Young left Chicago for L.A. in 2014, and talked his friend and former bandmate Adam Reed into moving there as well, the band reconnected. Reed subsequently returned to the Great Lakes State, which Christian Wilder and Tony Audia had continued to call home.
The band’s self-titled “Michigan Rattlers” EP attracted reviews from No Depression, Bluegrass Situation and Rolling Stone, which named the band one of its “Ten New Country Artists You Need To Know” in 2016. In 2018, the band released its debut full-length album, “Evergreen,” and the band’s second album, “That Kind of Life,” followed suit in 2021.
Today, Young and his bandmates continue to explore the rootsy sound their fans have come to expect. “We’ve ridden that Americana/singer-songwriter/rock line,” Young says.
1. AC/DC, “Back In Black” (1980) – That’s the beginning for me. When I think back to being a kid, everything changed as a 10-, 11-year-old. It made me want to play guitar. I was obsessed. “Hell’s Bells,” “You Shook Me All Night Long” – as a kid it was so raw, so exciting, the melodies are so good, so approachable, so simple. As I got older I realized how difficult it is to be so simple and still cut through. As a kid, I always loved live concert footage. AC/DC had a great live show at Donington in 1991. I watched … Angus (Young) running across the stage.
Listen: “Back in Black”
2. Bruce Springsteen, “Hammersmith Odeon, London 1975” (recorded 1975, released on DVD 2005, CD 2006, vinyl 2017) – In my eyes, I probably worship Bruce a little too much. I would pick any of his live albums. Again, it is super raw, super exciting. It was the “Born to Run” tour, with a young E Street Band.
Listen: “Thunder Road”
3. Keith Jarrett, “The Köln Concert” (1975) – Number three is a curveball. In the last couple years, I’ve been trying to expand my horizons. I was stuck in a songwriter/rock thing for a while. I spent the majority of my 20s in there. That was also me studying how to be a songwriter. Christian, the piano player in the band, put it (“The Köln Concert”) on in the van and let it go. I love the vamps. I could sit on that thing forever. I’m listening to a lot more jazz, a lot of Blue Note stuff, piano stuff, the Bill Evans trio. Saxophonist Joe Henderson, Eric Dolphy. I’m obsessed with tracking all the players. The Reddit jazz page is a wealth of knowledge. I’m returning to jazz, becoming a lot more open to pop sensibilities too.
Listen: “The Köln Concert – Part 1′
Currently Loving: The Japanese House, “In The End, It Always Does” (2023) – Last year and this year, (listening) over and over and over. It’s kind of indie-pop with rock instrumentation. There’s a lot of synths; it’s a very current-sounding record. It’s one of those things (going) back to being a kid, the songs were the kings. Any song that can be dressed up in pop.
Listen: “Spot Dog”
ALBUMS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: Adam Young’s Playlist on Spotify
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