Every great road trip starts with the right soundtrack. Whether cruising the Lake Michigan shoreline or heading out in search of something new, this annual playlist celebrates the best of West Michigan music in 2026.
Featuring a handpicked mix of local bands and artists from Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Holland, and beyond, these songs capture the diverse sounds driving the region’s music scene. From high-energy indie rock and infectious pop to laid-back Americana and open-road grooves, these homegrown tracks are the perfect companion for every mile of any summer adventure.
Listen to the playlist on Spotify at: bit.ly/revueroadtrip2026.
Finding Amelia – “Daybreak” | As its title suggests, Finding Amelia’s “Daybreak” opens with the promise of a new beginning. The Grand Rapids band’s uplifting blend of shimmering guitars, driving rhythms, and hopeful energy captures the feeling of watching the sun rise over an open highway with endless possibilities ahead. Equal parts reflective and invigorating, it’s the perfect way to kick off a road trip, setting the tone for adventure before the journey has even begun.
Jack Austin – “GET AWAY” | Fresh off a breakout run on NBC’s “The Voice,” where this Battle Creek native and WMU student earned a jaw-dropping three-chair turn, Jack Austin has quickly become a local rising star. His anthemic single “GET AWAY” pairs soaring vocals with dynamic guitars, easily amping up the open road energy. The track’s message of breaking free and moving forward helped earn Austin Rock Song of the Year honors at the Josie Music Awards in Nashville, adding even more momentum to his rapidly accelerating career.
Prior Noon – “Gone” | Blending polished pop-country appeal with heartfelt songwriting, Prior Noon’s “Gone” captures the bittersweet push and pull of leaving something behind while embracing what’s next. The Lowell-based group’s small-town start has taken them all over, racking up over a million streams, and finding them opening for some of their lifelong heroes, live onstage. Released last year and quickly becoming their most popular track to date, “Gone” is the kind of song that hits differently as the miles roll by and the scenery changes outside your window.
Sage Castleberry – “Silverado Seat” | Few songs feel more road-trip ready than Sage Castleberry’s “Silverado Seat.” The Battle Creek artist blends modern country storytelling with a warm, easygoing charm, painting vivid images of long drives, home-town longing, and the freedom found beyond the city limits. With its laid-back groove and nostalgic heart, it captures the simple joy of chasing the horizon with nowhere particular to be and all day to get there.
Vineyard Chicks – “Michigan Sands” | A love letter to the Great Lakes State, and our own local music scene itself, “Michigan Sands” showcases the signature harmonies and heartfelt songwriting of Southwest Michigan sister trio Vineyard Chicks. Blending country, folk, and Americana influences, the piano-led song evokes sun-soaked beaches, winding coastal roads, and cherished summertime memories along Lake Michigan. It’s the kind of simple song that makes you appreciate the beauty in your own backyard while inspiring you to keep exploring it.
The Reverend Jesse Ray – “96 & 131” | No one captures the spirit of West Michigan highways quite like one-man rock ‘n’ roll band The Reverend Jesse Ray. Already a fan-favorite in the Grand Rapids rockabilly firebrand’s catalog, “96 & 131” barrels forward with twang, grit, and a deep appreciation for life on the road. It’s a fitting inclusion on any Michigan road trip playlist, especially as Jesse Ray can’t be stopped, having just released a brand-new album in late June, proving there’s still plenty of fuel left in the tank.
Wilson Ave. – “grandma’s car” | Although describing their sound as “moldy basement indie rock,” Grand Rapids’ Wilson Ave. leans into warm nostalgia, turning a simple memory into a full-throttle sentimental drive on “Grandma’s Car.” Built on jangly guitars, easygoing rhythm, and a hint of youthful reverence, the track captures the feeling of piling into an old car and chasing nowhere in particular. It’s a perfect road trip moment, reminding listeners that the best journeys often start with something borrowed, familiar, and a little rundown.
saturdays at your place – “I’d rather be in michigan” | Few songs feel as instantly rooted in place as “i’d rather be in michigan” by saturdays at your place, the Kalamazoo emo band that has become a local touchstone. Now the namesake of the successful festival held at Bell’s Beer Garden this past May, the cut from the band’s latest album is built for winding West Michigan drives, while capturing the pride, and restless joy, of staying home while still chasing what’s outside.
Kyle Joe and Kylee Phillips – “Take It Easy” | The title track to the latest album by singer-songwriter Kyle Joe (who previously performed as Chain of Lakes) delivers an easygoing, sunlit groove. Now based in Alto, and joined by fellow Michigan singer-songwriter Kylee Phillips, the pair’s warm harmonies and soft, gentle acoustic accompaniment give the song a laid-back charm, encouraging listeners to relax and settle into the journey rather than rush toward the destination.
Brie Stoner – “Sunshine” | Brie Stoner’s “Sunshine” blends airy vocals and steady grounding instrumentation, creating a track that glows without forcing its moment. It’s a welcome companion for long stretches of highway where the light pours in and the world feels briefly unhurried, perfectly capturing the simple, priceless joy of sun kissed warmth on your skin, and gentle, easy motion.
Dan Rickabus – “See The Sun” | Radiating with optimism that perfectly reflects and refracts long stretches of West Michigan highway, “See The Sun” comes off Dan Rickabus’s newest solo album, “Ache In The Blooming,” released earliest this year. Also a member of The Crane Wives, Rickabus continues to expand his musical voice, with the gentle instrumentation and rising melodies here mirroring sunlight breaking through, making it a natural fit for any road trip centered on personal growth and reflection.
Kitten & the Tonics – “Sun Bleached” | Kitten and the Tonics’ “Sun Bleached” shimmers with hazy surf rock vibes. Fresh off their fun, four-song EP, “Get Lost!” the layered guitars on this one create a drifting, retro feel, like memory dissolving in heatwaves on the beach. It’s the kind of instrumental track that settles into the rhythm of the road, turning open stretches of highway into something scenic and cinematic.
Pablo Eskobear – “Getaway Ride” | Pablo Eskobear’s entire new album, “The Heat” could easily provide the chill-est backbeat for your whole summer, and “Getaway Ride,” in particular, pushes with pure rhythm. Bouncing with the best boombox kings, and turning the pavement into a place for dancing, it moves with a multicultural, multilingual, multigenerational groove that brings the world together in your speakers and keeps you moving in your sneakers.
Headband Henny, jharrxson – “Toyota Crunk” | More of a smooth, late-night cruise, than a trunk-rattling bass blast, this collaboration from Kalamazoo’s Headband Henny and jharrxson turns up with unmistakable backseat energy. The track’s production and playful confidence make it feel like a joyride through the city with the windows down and the volume way up, taking the party vibe with you wherever you go.
Wavy Awakening – “Blue Skies” | Mixing emo rap vibes with trap energy, Kalamazoo band Wavy Awakening look for the silver lining in even the darkest relationship clouds. A song about love and loss, “Blue Skies” does what the best music can, uplift, leaving the past in the rearview mirror with your head up high, and a full throttle chorus that kicks in just when you need it the most.
Cal In Red – “Smile, You’re Here” | Centered around the brotherly harmonies of Connor and Kendall Wright, Cal In Red blends punchy guitar work with earnest, hook-driven songwriting, turning fleeting moments into something worth holding onto. The track feels like a windswept reminder to stay present, even as life blows by you, making it a great fit here as any road trip eventually begins to wind down and exist only in memory.
Spencer LaJoye – “Resistance to a Move” | This beautiful track unfolds with intimate indie-folk vulnerability, tracing the quiet tension between staying rooted and stepping into the unknown. Spencer LaJoye pairs delicate acoustic textures with a voice that feels both searching and certain, turning personal hesitation into something universally resonant. It’s a reflective road trip moment, best heard when the miles blur and decisions feel both distant and immediate at once.
Rivereye – “The Longest Holiday” | This song from rivereye, the new project from West Michigan musician Max Lockwood, embraces the dreamy uncertainty that makes travel so alluring. Equal parts wistful and expansive, it captures the feeling of escaping it all on the open road, making every mile feel like part of an adventure that you never want to end.
Julie’s Bones - “Cigarettes and Souvenirs” | Restless and road-worn, the gritty rock of Holland-based band Julie’s Bones encapsulates the inescapable ephemera that’s often all that’s left at the conclusion of even the best road trips. Growing their grunge nostalgia for a new generation, with their latest album “Guerilla,” released at the end of June, the group’s affinity for the forlorn gives this playlist the perfect denouement, ahead of one last finale.
NEVER ENOUGH – “Sunset on the Midwest Side” | All too fitting of their all-caps band name, Holland’s NEVER ENOUGH return to where we began, soaring into the sky, even as the sun dips below the horizon. A definitive rock anthem for our state and the road trip state of mind, “Sunset on the Midwest Side” serves as the perfect closing chapter. Reflective yet hopeful, it leaves listeners with one last look out the window before heading home. It’s a fittingly uplifting sendoff, especially as NEVER ENOUGH’s future continues to look bright following May’s high-profile release of “Ghost,” a collaboration with Aaron Gillespie of Underoath.
