Our annual Arts & Music Issue is the time when we here at Revue have the opportunity to bring attention to many bands, musicians, and other artists who are right on the cusp of breaking through to a bigger and wider audience.
Across all genres, and coming from all around West Michigan, it’s both a challenge and an honor to handpick only 10 of the countless talented acts putting in the work onstage, on tour, and in the studio, finding their voice, and mastering their craft.
So, take this list as just a start, and come back every month to dive deeper into our local music community.
Sonny Ski
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Rap/Hip-hop
Recommended If You Like: NF, Logic
Aiming to quite literally put Grand Rapids on the musical map by writing the definitive anthem for the city, rapper Sonny Ski, aka CDL Sonny, aka Jameson Botwinski, has a love for West Michigan that’s undeniable. His passion for his hometown, and the criminally underappreciated music scene, stands out front and center on his Jammie-nominated album, “States of Mind,” where he namechecks numerous landmarks and icons, all while introducing his own personal story. Alongside his contributions to last year’s ArtPrize-winning “Trauma Project,” Ski has a fresh lyrical voice that shows true respect for the old school greats, while speaking to a new generation.
Hannah Fae
Hometown: Battle Creek
Genre: Indie/Folk-pop
Recommended If You Like: Stevie Nicks, Suki Waterhouse
With a background in musical theatre, singer-songwriter Hannah Fae’s strong voice and sense of storytelling enraptures listeners with a captivating, often cinematic sound. Rooted in nature, while exploring personal discovery, and even fantasy – with nods to her love for Dungeons & Dragons – her debut album, “Underneath The Terracotta Moon,” released late last year, is filled with lush live instrumentation that accentuates her witchy vibes, and light whimsical soprano.
Blüejay
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Dub-step/Riddim
Recommended If You Like: Rezz, Rusko
No other artist has taken off like GR DJ Blüejay, aka Andrea “AJ” Jefferies, over the past year. She has burst onto the scene, opening for acts like Rusko and Subdocta, and landing not one, but three, appearances at last month’s Breakaway Music Festival, including opening up the mainstage, and performing at the official after party at The Intersection. Rising fast, she has explored her own sound, unafraid to get weird and wonky with deep dub pulls. The first resident DJ at The General Woodshop in GR, her sets should continue to become more and more a part of the vibrant and exciting EDM scene.
Yellowhouse
Hometown: Kalamazoo
Genre: Indie-Rock, Alternative Fusion
Recommended If You Like: Paramore, Lola Young
Made up of students from Kalamazoo College, WMU, and MSU, Yellowhouse updates classic ‘90s college rock vibes with an energy entirely their own. Lead singer Lucy Wallis has turned her experience with the band into her senior project, and it’s her powerful voice, with its striking similarities to Hayley Williams, that immediately grabs the most attention on their self-titled debut album release earlier this summer. But the band – also made up of guitarists Colin Frieben and Drew Jepson, drummer Nick Loken, and bassist Sam Vinkle – draws from a highly varied mix of influences spanning decades and continents.
Cuu Jousama
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Hip-hop/Spoken Word
Recommended If You Like: Chance The Rapper, Lecrae
ArtPrize-winning artist Joseph “Cuu Jousama” Spicer, creator and curator of “The Hai-Cuu Experience,” has played a pivotal part in bringing together poetry, hip-hop, movement, and visual art. A modern content creator, his blend of styles, and emphasis on open creative collaboration, engages his audience in a different way that’s more than hosting an open mic, or a “jam.” It’s about building a true community, breaking down barriers, taking over unconventional venues, and letting the message speak. Earlier this year he expanded even more, teaming up with GR comedian Mike Logan for a new experience merging the worlds of art and comedy.
Kat Karnage
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Punk/Riot-Grrl
Recommended If You Like: Bikini Kill, Hole
Describing themselves as “queer kids making music we want to hear,” teenage punk trio Kat Karnage formed early last year, and has already clawed their way onto the local scene. Ranging from 14-15 years old, vocalist/guitarist Margaret Buist, bassist Eleanor Wellniak, and drummer Miles Vargic have a four-song EP out called “Sucker Punch,” where they tackle tough topics like mental illness and the transgender experience – and, of course, cats. They embrace the anti-establishment ethos of early punk, with the support of their parents, and their music encourages their growing fans and peers to celebrate individuality and live openly.
Sinder
Hometown: Based in Grand Rapids
Genre: EDM/Performance Art
Recommended If You Like: CloZee, Lindsey Stirling
Originally from Georgia, Sinder (Ali Johnson) moved to Grand Rapids in 2017 to work with Glovation and Blue Crow Talent, where she showed off her skills in fire spinning, swing dancing, character acting and more. After the pandemic, she pivoted to DJing and music production, taking her unique combination of talents to surreal places like Electric Forest and Burning Man, along with local venues. She’s also a member of the SAW WAV Collective, and the founder of Melty Face Productions, where she creates her own custom merch, art installations, and immersive events.
King Ink
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Alternative/Rock
Recommended If You Like: Bleachers, The Killers
Originally formed around the songwriting project of lead vocalist JD Waldvogel, the group solidified as a four-piece in 2024 with Sean DeWard on drums, and siblings Becca and Evan Coberly on guitar/bass/saxophone. Heavily influenced by the heartland rock of legends like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, the group creates driving anthems with a modern edge. Their latest single, “Good News,” bursts with their signature big, bold choruses, complete with a three-piece brass section, accenting Waldvogel’s warm voice. It’s defiantly uplifting music, rich with personal reflection, and perfect for these dark times.
Mighty Big Rig
Hometown: Kalamazoo
Genre: Hard rock/Prog-psychedelic
Recommended If You Like: The Band, Umphrey’s McGee
Massive is really the only word to describe the three-headed rock beast that is Kalamazoo’s Mighty Big Rig. Featuring three lead vocalists/guitarists: Austin Whipple, David Balanda, and Steven Earegood – along with drummer Andrew Chiu and bassist Eric Culver – the band formed in 2019, but its members all have extensive formal training, ranging from college marching band and chorus, to the US Army Band. Featuring two or three-part harmonies on every song, and at least as many ripping guitar solos, their latest album, “Stitches,” released late last year, shifts gears with nearly every song, going from yacht rock chill to full-on heavy metal.
The Winter After
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Alternative/Hard Rock
Recommended If You Like: Badflower, Nothing More
The afterburner guitars on the latest album from hard rock band The Winter After shred right from the start. But it’s the band’s mix of sad, slow ballads, with face-melting guitar solos – reminiscent of peak Alice In Chains – that really distinguishes them. Released back in July at the Park Theatre in Holland, and available now on all streaming platforms, their new album, “War Theatre,” finds guitarist/vocalist Matt Clark, drummer Erin Paralee Stein, guitarist Luke Jones, and bassist Corey McClary, fighting the good fight, both internally and externally, with the aim of keeping rock eternal in every season.
