Biography
The Great Lakes Myth Society stand out as an uncommon folk-rock outfit that delivers genuine rock energy while preserving the enigmatic allure of age-old folk storytelling and updating it for contemporary times. Rooted in Michigan, the group draws primary creative fuel from everyday existence across the Mitten State, encompassing everything from Motor City decay to the icy majesty of the Upper Peninsula, and their word-rich yet fervent sound has cultivated a devoted regional audience throughout the Midwest along with an expanding listenership in other parts of the country.
Early in 2004 the ensemble came together after the Original Brothers and Sisters of Love, another Ann Arbor-based project with comparable thematic concerns, dissolved. That earlier band, launched in 1996, issued a pair of favorably received long-players and logged considerable road time, above all across the Midwest, yet by autumn 2003 its label, The Telegraph Company, had collapsed and violinist Liz Auchinvole chose to depart. The remaining musicians—Timothy Monger on accordion, guitar, and vocals, James Monger on guitar and vocals, Gregory McIntosh on guitar and vocals, Scott McClintock on bass and vocals, and Fido Kennington on drums and vocals—decided to carry on under a fresh moniker that underscored their concentrated geographic emphasis, thereby giving birth to the Great Lakes Myth Society.
GLMS moved swiftly to establish themselves on Michigan’s club circuit through their vigorous fusion of rock, folk, and Americana, becoming a reliable attraction within the Detroit/Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti circuit. By spring 2005 they issued their self-titled debut long-player on the Boston indie imprint Stop, Pop & Roll. The recording garnered warm critical notices and registered on the CMJ Top 200 shortly after its appearance, while live dates found the band sharing bills with like-minded artists including the Gourds, Danielson, Andrew Bird, and Saturday Looks Good to Me. In 2006 the group aligned with QuackMedia, an Ann Arbor multimedia music and publishing entity, resulting in the July 2007 release of their follow-up album Compass Rose Bouquet on that label, followed by a limited-edition single the next year.
Early in 2004 the ensemble came together after the Original Brothers and Sisters of Love, another Ann Arbor-based project with comparable thematic concerns, dissolved. That earlier band, launched in 1996, issued a pair of favorably received long-players and logged considerable road time, above all across the Midwest, yet by autumn 2003 its label, The Telegraph Company, had collapsed and violinist Liz Auchinvole chose to depart. The remaining musicians—Timothy Monger on accordion, guitar, and vocals, James Monger on guitar and vocals, Gregory McIntosh on guitar and vocals, Scott McClintock on bass and vocals, and Fido Kennington on drums and vocals—decided to carry on under a fresh moniker that underscored their concentrated geographic emphasis, thereby giving birth to the Great Lakes Myth Society.
GLMS moved swiftly to establish themselves on Michigan’s club circuit through their vigorous fusion of rock, folk, and Americana, becoming a reliable attraction within the Detroit/Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti circuit. By spring 2005 they issued their self-titled debut long-player on the Boston indie imprint Stop, Pop & Roll. The recording garnered warm critical notices and registered on the CMJ Top 200 shortly after its appearance, while live dates found the band sharing bills with like-minded artists including the Gourds, Danielson, Andrew Bird, and Saturday Looks Good to Me. In 2006 the group aligned with QuackMedia, an Ann Arbor multimedia music and publishing entity, resulting in the July 2007 release of their follow-up album Compass Rose Bouquet on that label, followed by a limited-edition single the next year.
Albums
