The West Michigan tunesmith known for his Chain of Lakes project while also leading a songwriters’ group reveals the recordings that have influenced him the most over the years.
Kyle Rasche: Powerful songwriters have inspired him. (Photo/Bryan Bolea)
EDITOR’S NOTE: All musicians can trace their inspiration to key recordings that influenced their careers. Writer Ross Boissoneau today showcases music that changed the world for West Michigan singer and songwriter Kyle Rasche, known for his Chain of Lakes indie-folk project. Scroll down for a Spotify playlist of his picks.
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Singer-songwriter Kyle Rasche remains enamored of the area where he spent summers growing up around Bellaire, Central Lake and Ellsworth.
So when it came time to name his music, rather than go with Rasche – too often mispronounced as rash-ee or simply rash – he opted for Chain of Lakes. It pays tribute to the 14 lakes and rivers, including Intermediate Lake, Lake Bellaire and Torch Lake, that flow from the Intermediate River in the north all the way to East Grand Traverse Bay.
Though at this point he says he’s opting for a new name, one closer to him that won’t be mispronounced. Hopefully.
Kyle Rasche
“I’m ditching that moniker. The next (recording) will be Kyle Joe,” he says. Whatever the name, he intends to continue plying the blend of folk and Americana that has garnered him fans and accolades over the years.
His interest in music goes back to his family’s listening habits and his music classes in school. His father favored some of the 60s and 70s singer/songwriters like Jim Croce, Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John and Dan Fogelberg. Meanwhile, his older sister picked up on Green Day’s “Dookie.” As for himself, Rasche proudly calls himself a choir nerd. “The music program at Okemos was so rich. We had a legendary choral director, Frank DeWald. I had a wonderful foundation. I got very lucky.”
He decided to attend nearby Michigan State University. “I was a big soccer player in high school,” he says, but rather than walk on at MSU, “I stayed home and played guitar. I found connections there when sports was done. I could play drums and sing and … got into a band in college. Then I learned to play guitar.”
Since then the Alto artist has recorded seven albums, and was named a winner in Kerrville Folk Festival’s NewFolk Songwriting Competition in 2022 (after being a finalist in 2021), and won a runner-up badge from Great River Folk’s 2021 Songwriter Contest. He continues to perform across the state as well as write songs for and with other performers.
1. Phil Collins, “… But Seriously” (1989) – I was 8 or 9 years old. “Another Day for You and Me in Paradise” – I just absolutely loved it. The Earth, Wind & Fire horns, the energy was unbelievable. In the last year-and-a-half I started (listening) again, re-acquaint myself with it. It still holds up. The arrangements, the big band horns, then strip back to ballads. It’s a wonderful stories, characters in a pop format. It’s very thoughtful.
Listen: “Another Day in Paradise”
2. Death Cab For Cutie, “Translatlanticism” (2003) – When I got into college, I bought two (albums) on the same day. The stories, poetry – I just loved that. You could just start songs with a pad of paper and a pen.
Listen: “Transatlanticism”
3. Bright Eyes, “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning” (2005) – Conor Oberst really drew me into where I am as a writer. He’s our generation’s songsmith for me. “If you hate the taste of wine. Why do you drink it ’til you’re blind?” I remember listening to that line (and it) taking my breath away. Around the same time, I was meeting other singer-songwriters. Andrew Lutes had relocated back to Traverse City from Brooklyn, he was making an album. The Stationary Set, Justin Stevens, Travis Atkinson. It was the first time I saw greatness made right in front of me by someone I knew. I started being inspired by my friends.
Listen: “Old Soul Song”
Currently Loving: Jeffrey Martin, “Thank God We Left The Garden” (2023) – It’s been on repeat since I first heard it. It’s just him and a guitar. Bare bones. It speaks to grief, growth, (it’s) beautiful, poignant, very dark and difficult, soothing. It’s the best kind of sad songs. Honorable mention to Spencer LaJoye, “Shadow Puppets.”
Listen: “Garden”
KYLE RASCHE’S ALBUMS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: The Local Spins Playlist
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