The story of Michigan Rattlers starts in Petoskey, Michigan where band members Graham Young, Adam Reed, Christian Wilder, and Anthony Audia grew up.

The four childhood friends began writing music and performing together while attending their Northern Michigan high school. They cut their teeth playing every local venue possible, from bars to cafes and everything in-between, pulling inspiration from the likes of AC/DC, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Bob Seger.

It’s no surprise that those early days have shaped who Michigan Rattlers are today—the band thrives when they’re performing on a stage. In addition to the stages they’ve conquered in their hometown, Michigan Rattlers have also played Bonnaroo, Firefly, Electric Forest, and opened Bob Seger’s farewell shows in Detroit at DTE Energy Music Theatre.

Their latest release and third full-length album, Waving From A Sea, is their most immersive effort yet and maintains the heavy hitting lyricism that the band is known for. The record touches on the journey of growing up and the transition from adolescence into adulthood, including the realizations and lessons that we uncover along the way.

Last week, I had the opportunity to chat with lead singer and guitarist Graham Young before he and the rest of the band embark on their extensive U.S. and Canadian tour. Read ahead to find out how they’re getting ready for tour, what they’re manifesting as their next milestone, and why you should get a ticket to one of their upcoming shows.

asapmusicblog.ca: What was the first song in your memory that changed the way that you heard music?

Graham Young: ‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC. There was music up until that point and then I heard that song and it made me need to get a guitar and want to be in a band—I think that was the big turning point.

A: Obviously I like to do my research and you had talked about AC/DC before and talked about how one of the first instruments that you picked up was the recorder. That’s personally as far as I’ve gotten in terms of musical instruments, but maybe AC/DC recorder covers might be a thing to try out for someone.

GY: Yeah, that would be incredible. I would love that!

A: Being on the road seems to be a place where Michigan Rattlers really thrives. Starting in just about two weeks on February 12th, you’ve got 47 shows in 47 cities over the course of three and a half months. Is this the longest stretch of shows that the band has done?

GY: This might be the longest—we’ve been on some pretty long tours, but this might be the most condensed they’ve ever been.

A: What’s the process like in getting ready for a tour of this length?

GY: First and foremost, it’s a lot of rehearsal and just making sure that we’re ready come night one. We’re playing a bunch of new songs that we really haven’t played out very much yet, so there’s still some kinks and still some acclimating to putting those songs on the set list and getting comfortable with those. Then I guess, on the other hand, it’s just mentally gearing up for being in the van and being in hotels and sleeping on friends’ couches for the next three months.

A: When you’re in a different city almost every single day, is there something that helps you create a sense of a routine?

GY: I think one is trying to be disciplined about getting up and using the hotel gym. It’s hard to do sometimes, but that definitely creates a good start to a day. For me personally, I think that being organized is a big thing, just traveling and being out there so much, keeping everything in order and knowing where things are—that kind of creates a sense of being comfortable.

A: So you’ve previously played in VancouverI think it was in 2018 at the Wise Hall. Do you have any memories of Vancouver or of that show? It’s okay if you don’t, it was a while ago!

GY: I know, it was so long ago! I think the memory I do have, I remember playing to almost nobody and there was a woman—I can’t remember if she played before us or right after us, but I do remember that she was just solo. We were just a trio then, but Adam the bass player and Christian the keyboard player, they jumped up on stage and played with her, which was kind of funny because it was pretty low-key.

A: This is a fun question that I started asking bands that are playing in Vancouver. What do you know about Vancouver? There are no wrong answers.

GY: What do I know about Vancouver… I mean, the Canucks. Being from Michigan, I grew up and am a massive Red Wings fan—Detroit Red Wings fan, so hockey’s a big thing. I know there’s a lot of productions that take place in Vancouver filming, but that might be the extent of my Vancouver knowledge.

A: I think we have Todd Bertuzzi in common between the Canucks and the Red Wings.

GY: Yeah, Todd played in Detroit!

A: I’ll take any chance to drop Todd Bertuzzi’s name in an interview for my blog, so there we go.

GY: I love it.

A: If someone hasn’t seen the band live before, how would you describe the concert experience?

GY: It’s a pretty high-energy rock and roll show. We want to get the crowd involved and we want to get their energies up, because for us that’s kind of the most fun place to be. Growing up playing together, being a live performer in a live band was the goal and really what this band started out as wanting to be. I think we kind of hold the live show in high regard and try to make that a real energizing experience.

A: One of the themes in the new album, Waving From a Sea, is essentially around growing up and finding your place in the world. Where did the writing inspiration come from in the shaping of the record?

GY: I start out typically not having a real clear theme and I start gathering these songs. I get four or five, six songs and take a step back, then I’m kind of like, well, what are these songs actually about and what are they trying to say? I realize that they might be leaning in one direction or another.

With this album, I think ‘Heaven’ was a big touchstone song for the theme, which is really about kind of opening your eyes up to where you are in the world and in your life, and being present and realizing that it is flying by. You need to accept where you are, because it’s probably all you’re ever going to get, and really just digging into the aspects of your life. I think once we got to ‘Heaven’ and once we kind of unlocked that, a lot of the other songs fell into place from there.

A: On the topic of finding a place in the world, Michigan Rattlers have had some pretty impressive moments under your belts: all three albums you’ve put out have been released independently, you’ve opened for Bob Seger for a few of his final shows in Michigan, and you’ve also had had your own branded whiskey in your hometown. Is there anything that you want to put out into the universe that you want to happen next?

GY: That’s a great question. Let’s see… I think singing the national anthem at the Detroit Tigers game would be pretty fun. That’s the one that’s jumping out at me right now.

A: I think that’s a good one!

GY: It makes me nervous, but I think it’s something that you just have to do. I get nervous when I watch people do it, so I can’t imagine doing it, but I think it’d be good for me.

A: If there was a message you would want your music for the listener to take away, what would it be?

GY: Ultimately, the message that I’m interested in right now is the one that Waving From A Sea says: accept and dig into your life. I think we all have, at least I do, have a tough time thinking I have to wait for the right moment or I’m waiting for some moment of clarity—you’re going to wait your whole life. Just really digging into what’s going on is what I’m trying to do, and that’s what I want our music to do and to say.

Learn more about Michigan Rattlers and their upcoming tour dates at: https://www.michiganrattlers.com. Their latest record, Waving From A Sea, is available on vinyl on their webstore here.

The band will be playing in Vancouver on February 25th at Fox Cabaret—tickets are available now through Admit One.

Photo credit: Shelby Goldstein

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