Michigan Rattlers

Michigan Rattlers have always had a knack for crafting heartfelt, melody-driven rock songs, but their latest album, Waving from a Sea, marked a bolder chapter in the catalog. The record expanded their sonic palette by building on Graham Young & Co.’s strong melodic sensibilities with experimental permission that wasn’t present on past releases.

We’ve always been fans of Michigan Rattlers’ heart-on-sleeve approach, but newer songs like “Gridlock” raise the stakes for the listener and the ceiling going forward. In this interview, we caught up with Graham to talk about the creative process behind Waving from a Sea, the challenges of road life, and what it's like to finally wave goodbye to some of the earlier fears that plagued the band.

Analogue: Great to talk to you again. Seeing Waving from a Sea performed live, it feels like you’ve taken your sound to another level. The melodies and hooks are as strong as ever, but there’s a new depth in the arrangements. Was that a deliberate evolution, or did it happen naturally?

Graham: Yeah, I mean, I think Waving from a Sea—I mean, we really set out to expand the sound, take our time, and push ourselves sonically in ways we hadn’t before. Whether that was just because we didn’t have the time before—I think it was a few different things.

Before, with earlier records, our timing was pretty limited. It was like, "We've got two weeks in the studio, and everything needs to be done in those two weeks." That was one aspect we were really set on changing—so we didn’t limit ourselves time-wise. Over about a year and a half, we would go in and out of different recording spaces, with one main studio in Nashville where we'd take a week, record, then leave, play some shows, and really listen to what we had done. Then we'd come back and work some more.

It was a slow process—coming and going—all the while listening to what we’d done in between. We also had more gear at our disposal, which allowed us to extensively demo a lot of the songs in ways we hadn’t before. Some of the songs probably have five versions—starting with a demo I did by myself, then full-band demos, just really turning each song over to see what worked and what didn’t.

We were sick of just doing the straightforward, "Here's the song on guitar, add some keys, put a drumbeat behind it, call it a day." We were tired of that. And I think, as you get older, you get over that fear of feeling like you don’t know what you’re doing. You stop being afraid to take chances and just throw stuff out there.

This time, we thought, "Who cares? Let’s just try it." Like, with Gridlock, I recorded myself having a complete freakout meltdown on a tenor saxophone because, well, it could be cool. That kind of energy creates something different. It’s just one example of how we went for it and captured a vibe we hadn’t before.

Analogue: Can you look back and identify a turning point when you went from the fear you mentioned to more of a devil-may-care attitude? Graham: I think one of the biggest ones was just that gut feeling of not being fully satisfied with our previous albums. Another was purely just messing around with GarageBand—exploring, having fun, and trying to find expansive ideas.

Before, we weren’t really willing to go down those rabbit holes. But this time, it was like, "Let’s just find cool sounds." We used to think of ourselves as this straightforward, heart-on-the-sleeve rock band, but then we realized, "Yeah, you can do that, but you can also dress it up and make it interesting." It was just a shift in mindset.

Analogue: That kind of freedom must have led to some surprises. Were there songs that took a completely unexpected direction?

Graham: Oh, absolutely. “Gridlock” is a perfect example. Originally, it was this fast, high-energy track with a pounding drum groove and a synth-heavy bassline. It was cool, but it felt a little predictable. Then we slowed it down, added a weird loop, and suddenly it had this entirely new vibe.

Another one was “Feel for Love”. It started as a straightforward rock song, but something wasn’t clicking. We kept reworking it—trying different tempos, textures, and arrangements. At one point, we added this arpeggiated guitar and horns, and it transformed into something much more atmospheric. That was a real “Aha!” moment.

Some songs never quite found their identity and didn’t make the album, which is always tough. You get attached to ideas, but sometimes you have to let them go.

Analogue: When you talk about multiple versions of songs, which track from Waving from a Sea changed the most from its first demo to the final product?

Graham: “Gridlock” changed the most—definitely. It originally had a double-time, straightforward drum groove with this harsh, synthy bass thing. It had a cool vibe, but something about it wasn’t interesting enough.

One day, I was at home, listening to what we had done, and I put in this halftime feel and a weird loop, and I was like, "Oh shit, this is actually really sweet." I was hesitant to bring the new version to the band, thinking it might be too crazy, but when I played it, everyone was like, "Oh yeah, this is pretty sweet."

“Feel for Love” also changed a lot. It started as an up-tempo rock song with an arpeggiated guitar line, but we stripped it down and added horns. Both of those songs went through a lot of iterations.

Analogue: Now that you’ve got some distance from the album release, and with this huge tour, have you already started turning to new material? Are you carrying over the lessons you’ve learned?

Graham: Yeah, for sure. It’s still in the early stages—I haven’t really brought anything forward yet. But there are definitely songs kicking around. I’m trying to take things even farther than where Waving from a Sea left off. We can try anything, do anything—Michigan Rattlers can be whatever we want it to be. There are definitely ideas floating around, but we’ll see how long it takes.

Analogue: At this point in the set, do you have a favorite moment?

Graham: Right now, I really like playing “Lilacs Bloom.” The way the set is structured, the first half ramps up through “Gridlock” and “The Strain,” and then we take a breath with “Lilacs Bloom.” It feels really good in that spot. Opening with “Heaven” is also fun—we start with an extended intro, settle in, and then, boom, we’re off for the next hour and a half.

Analogue: You're on the road for three full months. How do you feel about road life these days?

Graham: It’s the deal you make. The shows have been great, but yeah, the shadow side is being away from home and breaking out of your routines. We didn’t tour much last year, so we all got into comfortable domestic habits.

But at the end of the day, Michigan Rattlers is a band that plays live. That’s why we make records—to go out and play them. The first couple of weeks were an adjustment, but now, three weeks in, we’re back in that mindset. We’ve got two months left, with a few breaks here and there, but yeah—we're in it.

Analogue: That kind of long run must build chemistry. What are you noticing in that regard?

Graham: Yeah, we’re hitting our peak. We’ve played 14 or 15 shows so far, with five more on this run. The extended jams and transitions are really locking in, but everything still feels fresh. Since these songs are new to us live, we’re right on that edge between autopilot and still being aware of what we’re doing. That’s exciting.

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