The multi-instrumentalist touring behind a new prog-pop album, “Deviant Motions,” brought his impressive musicianship to the radio show, which also showcased tunes by a host of regional artists.
On the Road: Jake Allen is playing solo and band shows this summer before heading overseas.
Multi-tasking comes second nature to Jake Allen.
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Not only does the Grayling native turn his guitar into a percussive band of sorts during performances, but the multi-instrumentalist who started on keyboards (inspired by his musician father) and then took up drums plays most of the instruments on his studio albums.
His impressive skills have been on display in collaborative fashion, too, whether playing with the northern Michigan band The Cookies, his own Jake Allen Band or touring with Traverse City indie-folk sensations The Accidentals.
Jake Allen, “Deviant Motions”
But he doesn’t want his jaw-dropping musicianship regarded as just a “shtick” either.
“It truly is about making as much happen on the guitar that’s going on in my mind,” he says of the “full production” he strives to present during performances and displays in lush prog- and pop-rock fashion on his new studio album, “Deviant Motions.”
He demonstrated that approach for this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE, visiting the radio studios to perform a couple of songs on the air and chat about his busy schedule. Listen to the full podcast below.
After playing A Matter of Taste in Ellsworth, south of Charlevoix, Saturday night (July 28), Allen will play the Great Lakes Music Festival hosted by the Great Lakes Center for the Arts in Bay Harbor on Thursday, Aug. 2. The 8 p.m. concert on Center Stage, 800 Bay Harbor Drive in Bay Harbor, will also feature the Drew Hale Band from Traverse City.
Tickets, $20, are available online here for the event which annually showcases “compelling young indie/country/rock artists with ties to the Great Lakes region.”
Jake Allen (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
Allen and his band also will play Farmfest in Johannesburg on Aug. 10 and Hoxeyville in Wellston on Aug. 17. And, perhaps most exciting, Allen also will be heading overseas in the fall to perform in Lithuania, China and Japan.
When he’s on the road, Allen continues to work on his music. He even brought his studio equipment on the road with The Accidentals last year so he could mix the new album, which also features guest appearances by The Accidentals.
“I try to find time amongst all the chaos,” he said of writing and recording new music. “It’s kind of a fun, action-packed way to do it.”
For more information about Allen and a full schedule of upcoming performances, visit his website at jakeallenmusic.com.
Listen to the podcast of the latest edition of Local Spins on WYCE – which showcases local and regional music at 11 a.m. Fridays on 88.1 FM WYCE – here, a show that also included the debut of new music by The Extra Texture, Hand of Giants and more.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE with Jake Allen (7/28/18)
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VIDEO: Jake Allen, “If You Fall Apart”
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