The Stick Arounds joined us at Impact 89 FM’s live studio ahead of their “10^th Anniversary Blast” at the Avenue Café in Lansing to celebrate a decade together. The five-piece band opened the in-studio gig with their song “The Curse” from their first album Mystery Garage with Matt Carlson and Jeff Gower on guitar and vocals, Joel Kuiper on drums, Ian Walker on bass, and Jason Lantrip on lead guitar and vocals.

Having met around the local music scene, Gower said that, “band practice started out like some people have poker night or bowling league… but around the mutual love of the genre of power pop.” With Gower and Kuiper coming from honky-tonk band, Gentleman Callers, and Carlson from The Pantones, “which is more of an Americana, indie kind of thing,” the band draws on influences from their past to arrive at their sound but have been consistently steeped in rock ‘n’ roll.

After 10 years together, the members have gone through “something of a golden age in the Lansing music scene,” and have been with the local music as it has evolved over the last decade. Gower explained that their label, GTG Records, “holds a great deal of responsibility for what the rock scene is in Lansing now. They’ve really worked tirelessly to bring about change and to make sure music is available to the people of Lansing.”

Similar to the local music scene, the band has plans for growth. With their latest project, Hot Singles Club, the band released a new song every month and put out 12 new singles by the end of 2019. “It was not only a good release for those songs but a good song writing and recording exercise,” Walker said.

In addition to the progression of song writing and releases, the band has extended their Michigan tour schedule to national venues in Columbus, Chicago and Milwaukee. Closing their in-studio session with the song “What Was Comin’” from their last album, the band leaves us excited for what’s to come.