When Grand Rapids singer Hannah Rose Graves plays Local Spins Fest on Saturday, she’ll lean on her popular, throwback approach. The Artist Spotlight and Local Spins on WYCE podcast.
Continued Musical Evolution: Hannah Rose Graves will show that off on Saturday. (Courtesy Photo)
SCROLL DOWN FOR RADIO SHOW PODCAST. Local Spins Fest unfurls Saturday outside Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids with DJ SuperDre at 3 p.m., followed by Cabildo at 4 p.m., Hannah Rose Graves at 5 p.m., Full Cord at 6 p.m., Public Access at 7 p.m. and The Accidentals at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at listeningroomgr.com. Some seating will be available and supplied by Studio Park, along with standing room on the piazza. Attendees can also bring their own folding chairs. The show is rain or shine, but severe weather can cause delays or cancellation.
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Singer and songwriter Hannah Rose Graves refers to it as the “Miles Davis style of leading a band.”
For years, the popular West Michigan singer and her band, The GravesTones, regaled audiences with an eclectic blend of soul, funk, blues and jam-band vibes, allowing different musicians to “paint their own colors and keep it creative and interesting” within the bounds of a particular song structure.
And after experimenting with different styles and projects – including the country, folk and Americana-leaning Benzing Graves Collective – Graves is ready to return to her GravesTones roots with an even more eclectic groove.
On Fire: Graves hosts a Wednesday open-stage night at Tip Top Deluxe. (Courtesy Photo)
“Lately, I’m bringing back the old-school GravesTones-style lineup with hired guns for each performance. That way I get to feature my favorite heaver-hitters,” she explained, noting she’s enjoying her fusion of funk, soul and rock with old-school country and Americana.
“My band now is a continued evolution of that. Really starting to get back to my blues, soul, R&B roots currently. Most of my lyrical content is based on real people and events. I love storytelling.”
That storytelling will be on full display during Local Spins Fest at Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday, with Hannah Rose Graves and her band performing at 5 p.m. Get tickets, $20, and the full lineup online here.
Graves shared two unreleased GravesTones tunes for this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE. Scroll down to listen to the tracks and the full radio show.
Graves noted that two original members of the GravesTones – pedal-steel guitarist Justin Wierenga and drummer JD Jones – will perform with her on Saturday, along with bassist Devin Anderson (Avocadsquad) and guitarist Jeremiah Wenger and Eric Englblade. Fans can expect a musical stew, combining Graves’ myriad influences and passions.
‘A PROLIFIC FEW YEARS FOR WRITING’ AND CELEBRATING LOCAL SPINS
“I think I want to fuse all of those things and I think I’ve found a way to do that concisely to make it more radio-friendly, more poppy, more simple,” she insisted. “I’ve kind of like a blend of all those genres.”
Graves – who hosts an “Open Stage” mic night at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill on Wednesday nights – has a robust summer ahead, with performances at the Pond Jam, Big Fam and Cowpie Music Festivals, as well as gigs at The Deck in Muskegon. She also hopes to head on tour South and out West – “making my lifelong dream of traveling and sharing my music a reality.”
Hannah Rose Graves (Photo/Anna Sink)
She’ll also be releasing a GravesTones EP recorded live at Third Coast Recording Co. in Grand Haven prior to the pandemic, along with a release by the Benzing Graves Collective and a couple of singles.
“It’s been a prolific few years for writing, that’s for sure with the help of many wonderful souls along the way, of course,” she added.
For now, though, she and her band are gearing up for the first-ever Local Spins Fest to kick off the summer in downtown Grand Rapids.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the Local Spins anniversary celebration. To be on the bill with such incredible talent and to join with our community to celebrate this abundant Michigan music culture is such an honor,” she said.
“It is an understatement to say this music scene would not be the same without you all at Local Spins.”
The May 20 edition of Local Spins on WYCE – which showcases Michigan-made music at 11 a.m. Fridays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org – also featured new music from Entransient, Kyle Brown & The Human Condition and Kari Lynch (this week’s musician’s pick by Graves) as well as music from Hollywood Makeout, Jake Kershaw, Hank Mowery, Desmond Jones, The Legal Immigrants and The Accidentals.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (5/20/22)
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