spike the media
Reigning from Muskegon, MI comes a melting pot of rhythmical and deliciously rockin’ tunes that is Spike The Media.
When coming up with a band name, they hit the mark! As an homage to wrecking reality and what is “expected” from a group, they bring us into their world of genre-bending diversity. It is clear that by naming themselves Spike The Media, they intend to push boundaries as far as they possibly can. I was able to reach out to the band to get a little insight as to who they are and what we can expect from them!
Spike the Media consists of siblings Brendan and Lauren Martin, Devon Lamrock, and Matt Jeroy.
Getting to know the band, I learned that Devon is also related to Brendan and Lauren and that before Matt joined, their fourth, Jordan, was also a relative - making the band, at one point a familial venture! Brendan and Jordan’s dads were in music and encouraged the two to play in between their sets. The two cousins wrangled the band together and found a love of performance. Soon enough, even after Jordan’s departure, the band continued to grow their craft.
When asked how they approach composing music as a band, in short, they said “The process is variable and organic.” They truly collaborate and honor each other’s ideas and suggestions. They further described their methods as working off “rough skeletons - roadmaps that provide a foundation to build upon and flesh out.” They go on to say how they, in a way like Tetris, build out, snap sections, and piece the songs around until they take their final form. If ever they are at a crossroads they leave it up to whoever initially brought the idea, or “skeleton” as the final decision maker. In my opinion, this diplomatic style seems ideal in efforts to make sure everyone is heard and symbiosis is met amongst the group!
This rockin’ quartet, believe it or not, has been together for 10 years! In that time, they have been met with highs and lows. They expressed how one challenge they seem to encounter most is booking shows.
To me, this was most absurd!
I was introduced to Spike by a coworker (shout out to Jena!), and within 40 seconds I was hooked. Their latest album, Giant Space Ocean, is a profusion of pure gold hits. Their first track, Dorsia, gives off early Metallica or Stone Temple Pilots whereas Cabbage Patch sends us to a multiverse where harmonic melodies and background egg shaker percussions compliment the off-the-wall bass framework and guitar riffs. Waze brings a softer side of the band that emulates The Cranberries but with their unique twist bringing together layered aspects to the song.
Spike’s discography is trailblazing their path, pushing boundaries at each chord and hook - it was shocking to hear they’ve been met with radio silence when reaching out to venues! They expressed how it truly has been their fans requesting them that have landed them the gigs they have.
That in itself showcases the power of music and the power of fans!
Releasing Giant Space Ocean has been one of their top proudest moments as the endeavor in itself was a challenge. They were set to record at Third Coast Recording Company in Grand Haven Michigan, when the pandemic hit and plans for recording halted…or so it seemed. However, this did not stop Spike as they went on to produce the record at home! It was no easy feat. They outsourced a bit of help with their drum recording done by Ryan Jamgotch of Electric Moon Studios and mastering handled by Phillip Shaw Bova, but the bulk of the recording and mixing was done by Spike.
Not only is Spike The Media pushing the limits in their music, production, and camaraderie - they have their head on straight. They say talent can only get you so far, that it truly takes a combination of that and hard work — after getting to know Spike they are working the combo and are ready for their hard work and dedication to take off.
Coming up, the four-member group will be participating, performing, and dare I say, conquering at Battle of the Bands hosted by The Spray in Grand Rapids, MI, on March 16th. They let me know how the venue provided a sort of criteria for judging and rules for the showdown making the preparation an easy path. From there, they plan on doing some recon of the competition, perfecting their set list, and rehearsing until the final moment.
We have to show up and support Spike The Media for any of my readers in the Grand Rapids area who would love to catch this, the link to the show will be below!
Other than preparing for Battle of the Bands and other gigs, they did let me in on something quite juicy… “You better believe there’s new music coming! It’s in the oven as we speak!”
Before we close this out Spike wanted to say “I know we’re always looking for something new and exciting to listen to – something fresh to keep us inspired. We hope that when people listen to us, they find it fulfilling similarly – offering something unique that you can’t quite find elsewhere.”
It was such a fun time getting to know Spike The Media!
If you haven’t heard their music yet or are already a fan of the group, I hope you were able to get to know the band behind the music!
To Spike, continue pushing the envelope and creating awesome, euphonious hits! You have my heartfelt thanks for agreeing to this and sharing all that you have, not only with me but with our readers and new/old fans!
