Zander Michigan
Detroit, Michigan, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | SELF
Music
Press
This Saturday Zander Michigan wants to take you into a whole new world. He has created his own slice of heaven called Zander Michigan 48018 and he wants to share it with you! You see, you cannot find 48018 on any map, you can only get there by heading out to a show and seeing Zander perform live.
The folk artist will be making a rare appearance with a full band at The Loving Touch this Saturday November 26th to release his latest full length album. He has invited The Gasoline Gypsies, The Messenger Birds and Anthony Retka's Big Parade to open the show and he has asked Hip In Detroit to host the show. This will be the first time that you can buy a copy of the new album and he will be selling special shirts to commemorate the night. It will be a night to remember and it's definitely not something you want to miss!
Zander is the kind of guy that always tries to include everyone, so he has invited Cave Radio to broadcast live from the event. So, if for some reason you can't make it out this Saturday, tune into Cave Radio, close your eyes, and transport your self to 48018 with the rest of us.
We had a chance to catch up with Zander himself before the show. Check out our interview with the man in the hat, then head up to The Loving Touch this Saturday, November 26th at 8 p.m. to celebrate with us. Tickets to get in are $10 and they can be purchased here. See you Saturday! - Hip in Detroit
Zander Michigan has started to make a name for himself locally. And with his new album, he’s made a town for himself as well. Yes, the singer/songwriter otherwise known as Zander Melidis realized that his musical moniker already sounded like a place you could find on the map of our mitten-shaped state, so why not register his own zip code?
Next Saturday, Zander Michigan releases his third album, 48108, thirteen songs of his signature folk-rock style, swelling with heart and heavy poetry, and sporadically sparked by a good handful of high-energy ballads.
Every instrument you hear on 48108 was performed by Melidis; sometimes pared back to a quieting ode of acoustic guitar and harmonica, other times firing from every cylinder with a drum kit, guitar and bass. The lyrics can go from a narrow focused introspection to a worry-tossing celebratory romp, from here-and-now heart-torn takeaways to a more existential search that slips beyond the surly bonds of Earth into bigger-picture-looks at life, itself. The poetry and the emotional intonation bent upon the notes have both considerably evolved over the last 3+ years of Zander’s steadily established foothold amid the greater Detroit area music scene. - Jeff Milo
Feature for Zander Michigan's CD Release Party for "Zander, MI 48018" on November 26, 2016 at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, MI. - Sam McClain
Zander Michigan has crafted a sound – and a look – so polished, it’s hard to believe he’s only been performing under this moniker for three years.
Coming up next for ZM is the release of his newest LP, Zander, MI 48018, on Saturday, November 26th at the Loving Touch in Ferndale. In advance of the new album, CBS 62’s Detroit Proud sat down with Zander himself to talk musical stylings, being an artist in Detroit, and…beauty pageants? You’ll just have to read on and see. - CW50
"American folk at its finest. Zander brings us the traditional bluesy folk that we’re all so familiar with. It’s homey and original with heartwarming harmonica and modest guitar riffs with sprinkles of roughed-up Americana and dainty duets. Zander’s, Zander The Great is a fun-loving record that feels like home, but takes your heart on the road with his folky, southern rock vocals and laidback lyrical style. You won’t be able to resist the beat, so don’t hesitate, get up and dance! We’re looking forward to some Zanarchy the next time he’s in town." - CW50
Zander Michigan is a folk/blues singer songrwriter from Detroit, MI. Zander is a multi-talented man, playing guitar, harmonica and even the fool on special ocasions. With a vocal sound inspired by Bob Dylan, heavy strums and cheeky lyrics makes him a classic sounding musician in a time of futuristic banter.
His Debut album, Zander The Great, released in March of 2015, has the power of all Greek Gods behind it. He has gone to long lengths in making his debut album a large production by not only using his harmonica and acoustic guitar, but also including drums, piano and electric guitar parts, on top of his characteristic howling vocals. With tracks titled '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 include a full band to add some depth to his music. He felt that the stripped versions of his songs didn’t have the same bite that he wanted.
What RattleMag think: Zander Michigan combines his folk/blues styled sound with his punk styled lyricing to create a well presented up-beat sound, something he does extremely well.
Rattle rating: 9/10
UK Tour dates:
November-
27th- The Goodship, Kilburn.
28th- Miners Arms, Leeds.
29th- Ingenious Rock, Saint FM.
December-
2nd- Basement 45, Bristol.
3rd- Percys, Whitchurch.
4th- Club 85, Stevenage. - RattleMag
"He’s got that Bob Dylan cadence when he sings and a Nashville undertone to his guitar playing, but songwriter Zander Melidis is firmly rooted in Michigan." - Detroit News
Feature for Zander Michigan's CD Release Party in Detroit, MI at Corktown Tavern on March 29, 2015. - Sam McClain
Review for Zander Michigan's CD Release Party in Detroit, MI at Corktown Tavern on March 29, 2015. - Sara Gerard
Feature for Zander Michigan's CD Release Party in Detroit, MI at Corktown Tavern on March 29, 2015. - James Dee
Feature for Zander Michigan's CD Release Party in Detroit, MI at Corktown Tavern on March 29, 2015. - Azad Abbasi
Feature for Zander Michigan's CD Release Party in Detroit, MI at Corktown Tavern on March 29, 2015. - Sadie Quagliotto
Interview with Ann Delisi on WDET radio from June of 2014. Review of River Days and Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Performance included. - 101.9 WDET radio
Interview and performance on Channel 4 News for the River Days festival. - Megan Ewend
Review of the Metrotimes Blowout! - Sadie Q.
Interview on The Rude Show on WAYN Radio (2/6/2014) - Rudy Grudich
Photos from Zander Michigan at Bluesfest at Dino's Lounge. (1/27/2014) - Jackie Smith
Video feature of Zander Michigan on TV Warren in January of 2014. Features the songs "(I Ain't) Never Going Back Home", "Don't Juice Me, Babe" and "Don't You Get Any Ideas". - Christie Laabs
Zander Michigan does his best Bob Dylan impression on Never Going Back Home. Not that I’m knocking him – if you’re going to emulate someone, aim for the very best. But the vocal inflections and tones are so Dylan-esque that the man who loves his state so much he’s named himself after it sounds like a tribute act, albeit with original tunes. It’s a hard thing to put to one side, which is a shame because the songs are strong – trad folk with smart lyrics. Bob wouldn’t be too upset. - Brett Callwood
“Zander Michigan is one of the hardest working original live folk singers in the country. His constant strive for pushing new boundaries in the genre and energetic live performances have earned him much praise the last few years.” - Yorg Stormrunner
“Zander is an amazing performer that crosses genres and scenes, appealing to every one that crosses his path. His tunes are catchy and his lyrics are both heartfelt and clever. The first time you see him live, you will walk away a fan.” - Sadie & Christie
“Zander Michigan injects a much needed dosage of heart, class and charisma into indie rock and neo-folk. With the rasp of Dylan, the post-punk riffs of the Strokes and the melodic sensibility of Big Star, suited up with old-fashioned showmanship and poignant storyteller poetry” - Jeff Milo
Discography
Kitchen Sink #3 (December 2017)
Kitchen Sink #2 (June 2017)
Kitchen Sink #1 (2017)
Zander, MI 48018 (2016)
Zander The Great (2015)
Never Going Back Home (2013)
Photos
Bio
Zander Michigan is a singer/songwriter from Detroit, MI. He plays the guitar, the harmonica, and sometimes even plays the fool. His howling vocals, heavy strum, and cheeky lyrics make him an iconic musician in an age of white noise.
Zander has just released his latest EP "Kitchen Sink
#1". This will feature four new songs in a brand new style. Born Again,
Feel Like Home, Our Last Words, and Something Special bring a new freshness to
Zander's sound, exploring pop coloring and sweeter melodies. The harmonica is
noticeably absent though you won't notice because you'll be too busy singing
along to the catchy hooks. Grab a copy of the new EP today! (You can find it
online wherever music is sold).
He also signed to a local music licensing company, Assemble Sound. Zander hopes to add this to his arsenal and team up with them to take the new songs to the next level! He has one song featured on the Netflix series Grace & Frankie and hopes to expand those horizons very soon. He has also dropped a brand new shirt design that is going to take the world by storm!
He has also joined the National
Association for Campus Activities (NACA) and will be showcasing at their event
in March for potential opportunities for college touring around the nation. He
hopes to gain momentum by booking a spring and fall college tour.
Back in July, Zander embarked on his second Zanarchy in the
UK tour, which spanned seven shows in eight cities in England and Wales over 8
days. He hit Torbay,
Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester, and Hitchin.
The name Zander Michigan was coined in early 2013. Zander, started writing folk songs in his room during his
senior year of college and recorded a demo in his cousin's
closet-turned-vocal-booth in the summer of 2013. The demo was called
"Never Going Back Home" and was the kickstarter to Zander's new
career path. He then moved home in the fall of 2013 and started playing open
mic nights around the Detroit area, meeting many people in the Detroit music
scene. By early 2014 he was featured on WAYN radio, TV Warren, and even made
the Metro Times Blowout line-up. By the summer he interviewed with Ann Delisi
on WDET, played Detroit River Days, Ann Arbor Summer Festival, and Arts, Beats,
& Eats.
We head into the fall where it comes time to record his first
full length album. Zander teamed up with engineer Yiannis Shafkalis at Dream
Studios to create what would eventually be known as "Zander The
Great". The duo worked through the winter and finally, in March 2015,
"Zander The Great" was available for the world to hear. Following the wildly successful release party of "Zander The Great",
Zander embarked on a Midwest tour spanning Chicago (IL), Madison (WI), South
Bend (IN), a Daytrotter session in Rock Island (IL), and ending in another
stellar performance at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival.
Then came the Zander Folking Michigan t-shirts. This branding
move was extremely popular and friends, family, and fans alike have all shown
their support for Zander by taking photos with his shirts and allowing him to
upload them to his blog. So far, over 200 t-shirts have been circulated
throughout Detroit and various parts of the world. Following the shirt craze, Zander embarked on the most exciting adventure of
his career to date, Zanarchy in the UK. The 8 day, 4 show, and 2 radio interview
tour was Zander's first international experience and a stellar one at that.
Meeting his European booking agent, Bubbytastic, and hitting the road, they
went everywhere from London, Bristol, Bath, Liverpool, Manchester, Shrewsbury,
and everywhere in between.
Following the buzz of his first record and his first
international appearance, Zander went back into the studio in July of 2016 to
work on his second album, “Zander, MI 48018”. In November of 2016, Zander had a release
party for the album with his great friends Anthony Retka’s Big Parade, the
Messenger Birds, and the Gasoline Gypsies. The reception of the album has been
fantastic and the buzz has been carrying through the year well.
Finally, that exciting bit of history brings us back full
circle to the present day and the months to come: A college tour and a
potential 2018 European tour. He says, “I’m making my way both eastward
and westward in my pursuit of becoming a household name.” The young Midwesterner
gets compared to 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. Metro Times magazine even said, “Bob wouldn’t be too upset”. Regardless
of his influences, Zander has some big shoes to fill and many miles to walk. He
is confident in his stride and has faith that what unfolds will help him get
there.
Band Members
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