Wes Hadrich has been performing his gritty, heartfelt Americana songs for more than two decades now. He recorded four albums between 2007 and 2014. His timeless, heartfelt songwriting has outlasted greats like John Prine and Kris Kristofferson. The Eagles sang their final song on stage in 2024. Hadrich still performs in coffee shops and late-night bars. He’s even outlasted one of his regular performance venues: Amazing Grace Café closed two years ago. But like the Dewitt-Seitz basement stage — now Northern Waters Smokehaus — Hadrich carries on. A new release is planned for 2025.
Archives: Bands
Emily Haavik and the 35s
Emily Haavik, a singer-songwriter and former Duluthian now based in the Twin Cities, leads this harmony-rich, string-filled alt-country band. Her Americana, folk and glam-country sound has been featured on Good Morning America and 20/20. In her day job, she’s a Peabody and duPont-Columbia award-winning journalist. Her band, which gets its name from performing up and down Interstate 35, is composed of Lisa Wentworth, Alyssa Swanson, Bryan Wentworth, Matt Prois, Nate Weiler, Luke Mirau and Alex Nelson. A new Emily Haavik & the 35s album, Wingspan, was released in October.
The Groove Chat
The Groove Chat formed in fall 2024, bringing together guitarists Nick Stenstrup and Kaleb Montgomery, bassist John Zmyslony and drummer Brian Pfeifer, who holds a doctorate in percussion performance. Driven by a desire to push musical boundaries, they blend influences from Dawes, Lake Street Dive, Jaco Pastorius, Flea, Frank Zappa and Buddy Rich into their eclectic sound. In 2025, the Groove Chat will debut its original music in the Twin Ports and Twin Cities, with plans for a mid-summer album release on vinyl and streaming platforms. A potential regional tour will follow as they share their dedication to music that moves audiences.
Grand Holler
Stomping out country-rock ballads since 2022, Grand Holler’s gritty sound is one to take the backroads to. The roots-rock band features Mark Erickson on bass, Jesse Annala on drums, and Travis Farleigh on keys, with Andy Spaeth thundering on vocals and guitar. Grand Holler released the single, “Riverboat Queen,” just prior to last year’s Homegrown. It captures the band’s thrumming “dirt road rock” sound and soulful lyrics.