Zander Michigan - Zander The Great (2015)

Zander Michigan is a folk/blues singer/songwriter from Detroit, MI. He plays the guitar, the harmonica, and sometimes even plays the fool. His Bob Dylan style vocals, heavy strum, and cheeky lyrics make him a classic sounding musician in an age of futuristic banter. His second album has just been released. Titled Zander The Great, this album is going to have all the power of the Greek Gods behind it. Zander has gone full production with this record, using not only his harmonica and acoustic guitar, but drums, piano, and electric guitar, along with his characteristic howling vocals. With track names like “The Great” and “Bathtub Gin” the album sets the tone for an in-your-face, no cares given experience that everyone can get excited about. He decided to go full band to add some depth to his music. He felt that the stripped versions of songs didn’t have the same bite that he wanted.

From humble beginnings Zander Michigan has come quite far. In just four months of starting out, Zander had written enough songs to compile an album, so in the summer of 2013 he went to the studio. In September of 2013 he released his first 14-song album, "Never Going Back Home”. He since has been featured on Local 4 News, on Ann Delisi’s Essential Music, TV Warren, WAYN Radio, and in Metrotimes. Also upon releasing his album, Zander played shows whenever the opportunity arose. He has played at Arts, Beats, and Eats, the Detroit River Days, The Magic Stick, Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Metro Times Blowout Festival, Ann Arbor Art Fair, Birmingham Street Fair, Dino’s Lounge, Goldfish Tea, The Pike Room, The Plymouth Coffee Bean, The Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, Crazy Wisdom and many more. He hopes that by putting out his sophomore record, people will start to see the seriousness he puts into his work and the labor that goes along with it. He hopes to tour the US and get out the message of Zander Michigan with his new record Zander The Great.

He says, “I’m making my way both eastward and westward in my pursuit of becoming a household name.” The young Midwesterner sounds like Bob Dylan, but when people spout the word “Dylanesque”, he doesn’t mind. He thinks it’s endearing that people would compare him to such a great. Metrotimes even said, “Bob wouldn’t be too upset”. Who knew sounding dangerously like Bob Dylan could be such a perk?