The Flint-area rock band has released singles this year with more music, shows ahead. The band spotlight, with debuts of tracks by other Michigan artists — Luke Winslow-King, Hail Your Highness and more.
Heat Above: ‘We are not pretending: This is who we are.” (Courtesy Photo)
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When rock band Heat Above takes the stage at Leelanau UnCaged in Northport next weekend, fans can expect an emotional display and even a generous dose of unhinged fun.
“Our bass player looks like he has rabies when he plays on stage,” said Brady Lott, singer and guitarist for the Flint-area “melancholy dream rock” outfit.
“Every time we get done playing a show, there’s at least one person that comes up to me and is like, ‘You guys are great. Your bass player is crazy.’ He’s definitely an eye-catcher and I love that. … I think our live show is very much an expression of the emotion that our songs tie in. But we also try not to take ourselves too seriously.”
More Singles to Come: Jack Davis, left, and Brady Lott (Courtesy Photo)
After releasing two singles since mid-June, the band formed by Lott and bassist Jack Davis more than three years ago plans to release more tracks over the next several months while also eyeing a full-length album to follow-up 2023’s “Tell Me How to Feel.”
“There’s loose talks of trying to compile the songs – I don’t know if that means an album or if it’s an EP – which I would be very interested in doing,” Lott said. “I’m feeling very inspired.”
Influenced by the likes of such varied artists as Cage the Elephant, The Killers, Twenty One Pilots, The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen and more, Heat Above has experienced some lineup changes over the years; the band’s current drummer has recently stepped away, so the group is using a fill-in until settling on a permanent replacement.
But Lott, a graduate of Davison High School, and Davis, a Lapeer High School alumnus currently attending the University of Michigan-Flint, remain committed to creating songs that are “incredibly genuine and honest both lyrically and musically.”
VIDEO: Heat Above, “Cavity”
That’s certainly true for the band’s most recent singles, “Cavity” and “Sentiments and Dreams.”
“Almost all of the song’s lyrics come from a place of personal struggle and development,” said Lott, who’s the band’s chief lyricist.
“We always write our songs together, and each member shares equal authority, so it’s not just one person writing the songs, and the others just playing them. … The songs are about being yourself, following your dreams and overall struggles that come with doing both of those things.”
He added: “I think my hope is that people will sense that I’m being honest and being vulnerable. Even the way we carry ourselves on stage. We are not pretending; this is who we are. … We definitely have an element of, ‘We’re just dudes living life and so is everybody in the crowd.’ We’re not above you, you’re not above us. We are all in this together kind of thing. I think that’s the energy we try to bring.”
Playing Northport and Lapeer: Heat Above (Courtesy Photo)
The band is part of a robust lineup for Leelanau UnCaged, which rolls out for the 11th year on Sept. 27. More than 30 Michigan bands and dance troupes will perform on seven different stages in Northport as part of the free festival that also features children’s activities, art and food vendors, and other attractions.
Performers include The Go Rounds, Big Greasy Funk Band, Jeff Haas Quintet, Might Tundra Tones, Lipstick & Dipstick, Hot Biscuits, Betsy Soukup, Silver Creek Revival, Robin Lee Berry, Lost Swimmer, SkyeLea, Nic Gareiss & Ruby John, a variety of dance ensembles and much more. The all-day event – inspired by avant garde composer and philosopher John Cage – runs from noon to 10 p.m.
“We’re very excited,” Lott said of playing Leelanau UnCaged for the first time, taking the Mill Street Stage at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27. “We’ve heard it’s a lot of fun. Northern Michigan is beautiful and we love traveling all around to share our songs with other people.”
Find more information about Heat Above – which also plays Lighting Rounds in Lapeer on Oct. 11 with Ur Mom and Scorched Waves — online at heataboveband.com, with the full Leelanau UnCaged lineup and more festival details online at leelanauuncaged.com.
Northport is 170 miles north of Grand Rapids, 280 miles northeast of Detroit, 220 miles north of Kalamazoo, and 33 miles north of Traverse City.
For this week’s episode of the Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase, Heat Above featured the tracks, “Cavity” and “Fake Out.” The show also debuted music by artists from across the state, including Luke Winslow-King, JonPaul Wallace, Hail Your Highness, David Henry, Resurrection Blues Band, Hand of Giants and Whorled, along with a 2023 track by Hannah Rose Graves (who plays a “send-off” show at Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids at 5 p.m. Sunday). Listen to the radio show podcast below.
PODCAST: Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase (9/19/25)
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