This week’s Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase radio podcast digs into new music from two Upper Peninsula artists, not to mention more than a dozen other diverse acts from across the state.
Michigan’s Musical Potpourri: (Clockwise from top left) Big Air, Lena Maude, Headband Henny, Chloe Kimes, Molly (Courtesy and Local Spins Photos)
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It’s time to give the Upper Peninsula some props when it comes to talented musicians and songwriters.
Over the years, Local Spins certainly has dabbled in U.P. music from time to time — and Upper Peninsula natives such as Lindsay Lou, Graham Parsons of The Go Rounds, Michael Waite and others certainly have made their mark.
Still, its remote location and sparse population puts it off the beaten path in many ways, even when it comes to spotlighting new music.
But this week’s Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase radio show includes a couple of Upper Peninsula artists we’ve never featured before.
Take Raymond Little and Big Air.
Little, who lives outside Marquette “off grid in a little cabin,” recently alerted me to his band’s new album, “Zenith,” which features some songwriting collaborations with other Michigan artists many fans already are familiar with: May Erlewine, Charlie Millard, Sam Cooper. It was released during a show earlier this month at Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette.
“The album has some more folky pretty songs such as ‘US-2’ and ‘Tandem Bike.’ ‘Kickstand’ was written with May Erlewine. I Am James also helped with the birth of a song,” Little noted. “It was mixed by Mike Maple of Liquid Mike. Mike plays and sings on a few songs. It’s as Michigan as it gets in my opinion. Give a little MQT (Marquette) love if you have the time.”
Indeed, I did, so this week’s show features the track “US-2,” which Little describes as a Michigan love song inspired by walking the shoreline of Lake Superior.
This week’s show also features “Just In Case Love,” the title track from the latest album by singer-songwriter Lena Maude from the U.P.’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Maude — who describes her music as “indie-folk meets folktronica” — released the album in late August.
Maude is also a sketch artist whose bio paints her as “part kooky looping pop witch doctor and part indie-folk singer-songwriter” who uncorks “unfettered, heartfelt performances.” Fans can check that out when she plays Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti on Nov. 19, along with Dizygotic Energy and LaToya Kent.
As for the rest of the show, it unfurls more than a dozen wide-ranging tracks by artists from across the state: Traverse City, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Harbor Springs, Ludington, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Flat Rock.
Here’s the lineup and listen to their songs in the podcast below.
Molly – The uber-popular and ever soulful Grand Rapids singer and performer, Molly, releases a new studio album,”Soul Feels Free,” on Nov. 11. We feature the latest single from the upcoming release.
Chloe Kimes – The Ludington-bred, Nashville-based Americana and alt-country artist just released a new album, “Daredevil,” and plays an album-release show tonight (Friday, Oct. 23) at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids. Details, tickets online here. Red Thyme duo will open the 8 p.m. show.
Rachel Curtis – The Lansing native (and also Nashville-based artist) describes her latest alt-pop single, “Feelin’ Myself,” as an example of the fact that you don’t need a special occasion to feel good about yourself.
Harry Dean & The Dusty Boys – Grand Rapids country and Americana band Harry Dean & The Dusty Boys have a new single, “Delusional,” and will join Prior Noon and Gabe Fuss at The Intersection’s Stache in Grand Rapids tonight (Friday, Oct. 23) for a “Hometown Stache Bash.” Tickets and details available online at sectionlive.com.
Rachel Curtis (Photo/Joshua Tufts)
Chris Michels – Based in Harbor Springs, the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter just released an intriguing new studio album titled, “Straight to Nowhere.”
Mei Semones – This jazz-leaning indie artist just released the title track from her upcoming new album, “Howl.” Semones was born in Ann Arbor, graduated from the Berklee College of Music and eventually moved to New York City. The guitarist, keyboardist and singer will be back in her hometown early next year, playing the Ark in Ann Arbor on March 1.
Headband Henny – Kalamazoo hip hop and soul artist Headband Henny collaborated with the artist screenshare for his latest single, “Just Press Delete.”
The JR Band – Randy Juhl, frontman for this roots Traverse City band, says the group’s new single, “Send Someone,” takes things in a slightly different musical direction coming off as a reflective, acoustic-driven folk and Americana ballad that features lap steel guitar work from Luke Cyrus Goetze, who contributed to the track remotely from Germany.
Oxford Katusha – Welcome to a new super-duo of sorts. It was Oxford Katusha, featuring prolific West Michigan songwriter/producer Jeffrey Oxford and New York’s Jennifer Katusha. The show features a track from their new five-song EP “If We Saw the World Just Like You.”
Sam Vane – Detroit alternative artist Sam Vane has a new single, “Shut Eye,” after releasing his debut studio album “Exit Wounds,” in 2025.
Remnants — This Southeast Michigan (Flat Rock) indie-rock band deserves more attention for its music. Their latest single “Lonely Hours,” comes after the four-piece band dropped its debut album in 2025.
Aaron James Wright – The only older track featured on this week’s show, “New Orleans,” appeared on the Kalamazoo tunesmith’s 2024 self-titled album. But the Halloween timing for the song’s somewhat eerie vibe is appropriate because it’s part of the lineup for a new live project that features Wright and fellow Kalamazoo singer-songwriter Darcy Wilkin. Danger Dear will perform “folky, surfy and spooky tunes featuring themes of murder, monsters and mayhem” at two upcoming shows (with Mike Fuerst, Jay Gavan and Bryan Heaney): Devil’s Night on Oct. 30 at the Dormouse Theatre in Kalamazoo, and Halloween night on Oct. 31 at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids.
Jon Hayes – “NY Campus” is the latest single from Kalamazoo singer-songwriter Jon Hayes, who’ll be performing at The Stray in Grand Rapids on Nov. 7 along with Megan Stark and Rusty Vining.
PODCAST: Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase (10/23/26)
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