The Michigan-bred Americana band has morphed from an acoustic-driven sound to a more electric vibe while retaining its lyrical Midwest charm. Local Spins catches up with the band ahead of the folk fest.
Lifelong Friends: Michigan Rattlers will bring a rock-tinged vibe to an Ann Arbor stage this weekend. (Courtesy Photo)
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The year was 2018 and I was backstage at Electric Forest.
Enveloped by the midday humidity and blinded by multi-color strobe lights, I wandered the underbelly of Double JJ Ranch, in search of the artists’ lounge. After traversing a river of cables, fences and interrogations from security, I found the tent canopy packed with couches, snacks and beer.
I also found the Michigan Rattlers. They were lounging in the refuge of shaded canvas and munching on the aforementioned snacks. One Rattler was sipping a Yerba Mate through a mighty mustache. Guitarist and singer Graham Young was rocking a white T-shirt, brown ballcap and getting acquainted with a bottle of Bud Light. His goatee was trimmed short and his hair was long.
Maintaining a Long-Distance Relationship: Michigan Rattlers (Courtesy Photo)
“We’ve been trying to broaden our horizons. I guess back then, it was pretty much an acoustic-driven group,” Young recalls during a recent Facetime call from Los Angeles, where he’s lived since 2014.
“Now, I play electric guitar all the time. We focused on expanding our sound, trying to incorporate things that inspire us and things that are fun. And we’ve played a lot of shows since Electric Forest.”
On Saturday, the Petoskey-bred Michigan Rattlers perform on the second day of the Ann Arbor Folk Festival at Hill Auditorium on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, on the same bill with the legendary Emmylou Harris and folk-driven acts such as Steve Poltz and Lizzie No. Friday’s lineup is headlined by Old Crow Medicine Show. Tickets range from $47.50 to $120 online here. (Read more about the folk festival in this Local Spins preview.)
“Very excited to be returning to Hill Auditorium,” the Michigan Rattlers proclaimed on Facebook last week. “Somebody punch us, ’cause this lineup is a dream.”
Nearly six years ago at Electric Forest, the conversation backstage was light-hearted, playful and steeped in the energy of the festival. Now, having weathered the pandemic as music industry professionals, chopped our hair shorter and aged a bit, our conversation is more tempered and to the point. Young looks the part of an Angelino: Slick black hair, silver hoops in his ears and red-tinted glasses.
His bandmates, Adam Reed (bass/vocals), Christian Wilder (keyboards) and Tony Audia (drums), each live in Michigan now. The folk-rockers will often rendezvous in Petoskey as a home base when they get together in person. It’s a cozy town, nestled against Lake Michigan, with magnificent views and unforgettable sunsets. Not a bad spot to write songs.
Playing Electric Forest in 2018: Michigan Rattlers (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
But it’s still a long-distance relationship, held together primarily by the bonds of longtime brotherhood.
“Life is never exactly how you think it’ll be, you know,” Young acknowledges. “Honestly, I didn’t think that I would be in Los Angeles and the rest of the guys would be in Michigan and still be able to make music together. I grew up with these guys and have spent so much time with them. It was a dream. But certain details are always a little different than you think.
“The band and music is always a priority, but when you get older, people have lives outside the band and music has a way of taking people to certain places. It all works out. Ultimately, it’s just so nice to be in this position with close friends. We’ve known each other since we were little kids, before we started playing music. We played soccer together. It goes back so much farther than trying to start a band. I feel very fortunate.”
As for the Michigan Rattlers folk festival set on Saturday, audiences can expect tastefully distorted electric guitars, a groovy rhythm section, ripping keys and a whole lot of on-stage camaraderie.
“We’re a songs-forward rock ‘n’ roll band now,” Young says, “that tries to represent where we’re from and what we’re feeling.”
VIDEO: Michigan Rattlers, “Pure Resistance” (Live from the Treehouse)
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