Today we’d like to introduce you to The Westside.
Hi The, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The Westside started back in 2018 as just some friends having some fun. They quickly realized their passion for creating music. For several years the band focused more on writing and jamming. But in 2023, the group decided to try out the live music scene. Stepping into local music was eye opening. It has been amazing to be apart of a community full of collaboration, support and authenticity. You really don’t know how big and ambitious the local music scene is in Grand Rapids until you step inside.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have definitely been highs and lows. In the beginning, booking live shows can disheartening. Trying your best to get bookings and get your band out there. But the key to success is never giving up. Someone once told me, you can never fail at something if you never give up. Giving up is true failure. We just keep pushing, and now we can say we’ve come along way and are proud of success and friendships we’ve made along the way. What I find to be the best thing about being in The Westside, is that when I’m feeling any sort of stress or angst, it all goes away when we come together and play. You realize why you’re there in the first place. It’s for the love of music. Yes of course, we all have some range of wanting to be successful. But for The Westside at the end of the day, we really just love making music and that’s enough in itself. I think a lot of artists feel that way. We feel that success is not just measured in recognition but in many other ways such as being proud of the art you create.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We are a band of 5 out of GR. We love to get together and create sounds we love. We specialize in indie rock n roll. We are known for our energetic shows. Whether you are there to dance, sit back and watch the show, or enjoy the melody of music. We always ensure to put on a show you can’t and won’t want to forget. We are most proud of our most recent album, Spiked Mike & His Blue Dog. This album is overflowing with dreams and aspirations within the lyricism. It’s difficult to create and be proud of the a pieces of art you made. But we can say full heartedly, we poured so much time and love into our album. Each piece of creating the album was amazing, but a memorable one would be the album cover. Shot by Leah’s Lens, we carried Ashlyn’s (Bassist) and Elijah’s (Lead Singer’s) orange couch all over some iconic places of GR. Some you may notice within the cover, the blue bridge, the Calder, lookout park (Belknap), and of course our favorite corner store, Spike & Mike’s on Fulton/Diamond. What sets us apart is our creativity. Whether it’s the crazy dance moves you see Elijah hit, to sitting on a sofa in the bed of a truck riding around GR, or our electric, well thought out melodies. We always know how to have a good time, let loose and not let the outside world weigh to hard on our shoulders. We love music and it’s as simple as that, we’re just here to have fun and are welcoming to anyone who wants to join in!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Never give up. You can’t fail at something if you never quit. Your dreams are there, some take a lil longer than others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thewestsideband.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the___westside
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheeWestside/
