GTG Records announces The Wild Honey Collective + Jeremy Porter Together + Separate Southeast USA 2025 Tour! Lansing, Michigan’s award winning cosmic-folk-country-rock band The Wild Honey Collective team up with Detroit’s alt-country-powerpop-rock songwriter Jeremy Porter for a run through the Midwest and Southeastern states. The shows will feature the two entities both separately and together in various incarnations, collaborating on each other’s music in a classic-country revue-style setting.
For information about times, local support, and other details, please visit our websites and the venues’ websites or reach out directly.
GTG once again partnered with Madlantis Records to issue the 2024 full-length Fields Of None by the great No Skull. Primary writer and band mainstay RK Andrews is joined on this record by Jason Wicks on guitar and GTG veteran Dave Shilakes on drums and the power trio’s steel trap chops are on display throughout all 8 of the album’s tracks (with the vinyl presented as two side-long unbroken pieces of music). While the album may be titled after a Dark Tower reference, and “doom” may be a common genre umbrella these guys fall under, the album has a unique melodicism that colors the gloom in a bizarrely catchy way, leaving the listener in an unexpectedly bright headspace when the album is over. These guys do it right – the basic sound of it is a band playing live and the production effects are used tastefully. This record, as with most of No Skull/RK Andrews releases, was engineered and mixed by Corey Derushia, and the warm, heavy sounds of Fields Of None immediately show why they continue to work together.
Random notes – the record release party for Fields Of None was the final show at our longtime GTG House venue (2006-2024!). Hattie Plural and Adam Aymor have cameos on this record too – Adam almost made an appearance on every single GTG release of the 2024. So close!
The original concept of a rotating “collective” was slightly shifted by Wild Honey’s 2020 official inception being contemporaneous to a pandemic, thus limiting the pool of players into somewhat of a core band, but once the live music industry settled back into a regular groove different lineups and collaborations started naturally occurring. One steady lineup in the mix has been the improv-heavy duo of Tommy and Adam, so while the “full six” Wild Honey Collective band chipped away at lining up recording schedules for the Volume 3 LP, relaxed recordings started happening at Adam’s house with drummer Joel helping out (and eventually, some vocal assists by Danielle and the Rueful Duo of Nicholas and Jenny). The result, from essentially just two unplanned afternoon recording sessions, was this 6-track side EP that adds to the Wild Honey catalog while also serving as its own little path in the wilderness. In keeping with the general Wild Honey Collective composition, there’s arrangements of traditional folk songs informed by the ever-present Dead/Byrds-mid/late 20th century stew, an original song, a cover of a Jeremy Porter song, and, to shake things up, an actual Byrds cover and some Sonic Youth. Like the amorphous catalogs of these Collective inspirations, most of these tunes have made it into the performances of all the Wild Honey variants, lighting the way of yet another path forward for the musical future.
The stage was set by the 2022 debut EP and a handful of compilation appearances/singles for this Lansing gloomy indie rock trio to truly come into their own on the excellent The Ashen Glow (co-released by our family at Silver Maple Kill Records). The vocals of Jennifer Toms and Nicholas Merz are likely the initial draw for many – and with good reason as they expertly share lead and backing vocal duties, weaving in and out of parts with their wide ranges and differing approaches to “soft” and “heavy” styles. But the music is certainly no slouch, with Todd Karinen’s drums perfectly serving the songs with their pummel, forming a rock-solid rhythm section with Jenny’s bass while Nicholas’ grunge-jazz-noise-pop guitar covers each song with even more hooks. This record (and band in general) has elements of new wave, sludge, punk, and psychedelia, and put simply there’s something for anyone that’s enjoyed so-called “alternative rock” made in the last 40 years. A Rueful Noise also delivers the goods live, immediately showing that the musical and vocal feats of The Ashen Glow are not the results of mere studio magic – but they (and recording/ mixing engineer Jason Roedel) certainly did a hell of a job capturing it on record.
Wild Honey Collective has had a prolific first four years as a band – 3 LPs, 2 EPs, some comp tracks, and over 200 shows covering both peninsulas of Michigan and various midwest, east coast and New England spots. Volume 3 is the most “band” record of the bunch, primarily made by the regular live performing sextet of Tommy McCord, Danielle Gyger, Adam Aymor, Timmy Rodriguez, Dan O’Brien, and Joel Kuiper, but the formula of the first two Volumes continues with the record consisting of original songs, songs written by friends of the band, folk standards, string band tunes, and rootsy covers. It’s all kind of a blur but the sweet vocals and aching sounds of pedal steel and fiddle cut through the fog and, boy, it’s amazing this whole thing started as a way to keep our sanity during pandemic lockdown. The collective is rolling down the road and picking up new collaborators and spitting out new spinoffs all the time, come hang!
This record really ties together the punk rock history of GTG Records and the modern country/Americana etc that lots of us are playing these days. Jeremy’s done it all, and probably better than the rest of us, with Dynamite Alley blending powerpop, classic rock, country, and diversions into Latin music and a string-laden Scorpions cover. Now that’s how solo albums are supposed to be! The supporting players include The Tucos, Wild Honey Collective (including a song worked up on a joint tour in 2021 where Jeremy played in the band), Jay from Drive-By-Truckers, and many more talented folks from the Detroit scene and beyond. The varied styles and players hang together with Jeremy’s earnest vocal delivery and engaging song characters – elements that are certainly also part of The Tucos material but really shine here with the mellower backing. Michigan music veteran Tim Patalan manned the studio controls alongside Gabriel Doman, bringing the disparate studio environments into a cohesive whole that ties the whole year’s release catalog together.
At last, the final installment in the trilogy of EPs that started with 2010’s …Are On The Run (an all-time great release in the GTG catalog) and, like any good third act, this one is weirder, denser, and incredibly confident in its execution, leaving the listener slightly bewildered and ready to start it all over again. Singer/songwriter Chris Baratono and longtime bandmates Ben Southwell (guitar) and Josh Siwek (bass) are joined by drummer Dan Jaquint (Small Brown Bike, Fencemen, La Salle etc) to form the most precise and angular lineup yet of this progressive indie rock band, with longtime collaborator Isaac Vander Schuur at the studio console once again. “So Sobering” and “Little Bitch” have some of the biggest hooks in tandem with the most heart-wrenching lyrics yet from Chris’ pen, and the sound collage elements on “Brand New Spine” and “Mosquitos” offer a welcome new flavor to the Narc Out catalog. The release party for this EP unfortunately coincided with a drummer injury (but he’s well on the mend, don’t worry) so the band has actually yet to really support the record with show dates – definitely keep an eye on the socials for when they do get announced. In the meantime we recommend playing all 3 of the Narc Out EPs in a row, it’s a hell of a listen!
As always, we finished out the year with Bermuda Snowhawk and Jeremy one-upped as all again by releasing “Colorado Christmas” (another Wild Honey collab) in multiple formats and mixes. In addition to this Nitty Gritty Dirt Band chestnut, the whole holiday comp features an instant-classic bummer Plurals tune, further new material from A Rueful Noise and Cavalcade, the debut recording of the Grateful Dead-leaning Dead Honey Collective alter ego, whatever Cabin Fever is, and it all… well, maybe it doesn’t work, per se, but it feels natural. And thus begins the 20th year of GTG Records. Sure!
GTG Records announces the release of Dynamite Alley, the new solo album from Jeremy Porter – the Detroit-based singer/songwriter and front-man for Jeremy Porter and the Tucos. The album is his first solo release since 2019’s 1987 EP and his first full-length solo album since Party of One (Mag Wheel Records, 2010). The album, named after a 1980 episode of the motorcycle cop-dramedy “CHiPs” (s03e23), with a nod to Rod Stewart’s second solo album Gasoline Alley, includes ten songs ranging from sparse acoustic numbers to cowpunk-rocking classics and country-rock tear-jerkers.
The album took a year and a half from the first sessions to release, after some direction changes and a busy touring schedule with The Tucos. “There were periods of great productivity, and there were periods where it sat for weeks on end. Sometimes life happens and you gotta dodge curveballs, but we got there in the end.” Porter says.
Dynamite Alley features a multitude of contributions from friends David Below (Jennifer Westwood, India Green) on drums, Jake Riley (The Tucos, Big Shoals, Matt Woods Band, The Social Workers) on upright bass, Fritz Van Kosky (The Regulars, Pete Moss & The Fungis) on electric bass and beats, Nick Raeon on banjo, Jay Gonzales (Drive-By Truckers) on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ, Doug McKeon (GC5, Bedroom Legends, Magpies) vocals, acoustic guitar, and mandolin, Chris Yohn (Boys From the County Hell) on violin/fiddle, Noreen Porter on castanets, Harry Brish on accordion, Gabriel Doman (The Tucos, The Hotwalls) on bongos, Rachel Goldsmith on cello, and Liz Fornal (The Orbitsuns on harmony/backup vocals. GTG Records label-mates, touring partners, and collaborators The Wild Honey Collective are featured prominently with Tommy McCord on mandolin, Danielle Gyger on harmonies, and Adam Aymor on pedal steel guitar.
“It’s an all-star cast! Everyone brought their A-game and elevated it way beyond anything I had planned.” Jeremy boasts. “It wasn’t always easy to wrangle everyone, but they were all very generous with their time and talent, and again, we got there in the end.”
The album was recorded primarily by Gabriel Doman (JP & The Tucos drummer/producer) at his Pharmhouse Studio in Dearborn, MI and Porter’s studio The Basement in Plymouth, MI. Tim Patalan (Sponge, The Fags) mixed it at The Loft in Saline, MI, and Dan Coutant (War on Women, Jawbox, The Sword) mastered it at SunRoom Studios in Windsor, NY.
The album will be released on limited-edition 180g vinyl, CD, and digitally on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms. Jeremy will spend the fall touring behind Dynamite Alley in a solo-acoustic setting across the midwestern and western US and Canada.
The first video from Dynamite Alley is “Big Spender,” filmed and directed by Noreen Porter in southeastern Michigan in July, 2024. The video includes several of the key players on the album and a super-cool 1998 Chevy Silverado called “The Bobcat.”
We’re pleased to announce the release of a three-disc compilation series celebrating our first decade as a band!
The discs can be purchased individually or together at a discounted collection price, as downloads on our Bandcamp page or limited-edition physical CDs with full-color folder art and professionally duplicated CDs in our web store. Pre-orders start now and will ship by the release date of March 11th. Physical CD pre-orders will include a bonus item with purchase. Shop at our web store and use the code Castaway at checkout to get an additional 10% off your entire purchase during the pre-order sale! (Why not grab a tee shirt or a previous release while you’re in there?)
Bottled Regrets: The Best of the First Ten Years Disc One, Bottled Regrets: The Best of the First Ten Years includes 21 songs, hand-picked by Jeremy Porter, including fan-favorites, live staples, and singles. All tracks are remastered from the original final mixes and a couple have never been available digitally. Disc Two, Castaways: Rarities and B-Sides from the First Ten Years includes 18 demos, outtakes, B-sides, compilation contributions, and EP deep cuts, all remastered from the original mixes, several never heard before. There are originals and covers, fully realized and pro-recorded songs and basement recordings, never intended for civilian ears. Disc Three, Patty’s Not Impressed: Live in Toronto captures the band live in Canada on their “Above (and below) the Sweet Line Tour” in 2016 and 2017. The shows were recorded live, edited together, and mixed by the band. It’s raw and loud, warts and all, and contains songs from the first three records, some early singles, and a couple covers .
“This stuff was all just siting there, gathering dust, and we started thinking about it during the lockdown, how to get it out there, let people hear it, and sort of say, ‘hey, this was cool – let’s clean the slate before we get back to the grindstone and start working on the next phase – album five, and a bunch of new songs, stories, and adventures!’ It was way more time, work, and money than expected (isn’t it always?), but I’m glad to see it finally realized.” – Jeremy Porter, February 2022.
Compilation artwork illustration was beautifully done by original Tucos’ bassist Jason Bowes, and all mastering was done by longtime Tucos’ partner Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs.
The Tucos are closing out their busy fall with a great hometown show at PJ’s Lager House on December 4. This will also be the final show for bassist Bob but the Tucos show ain’t slowin’ down – we’re already talking about 2022 releases and, of course, touring.
Bonus show – The Stick Arounds will be playing 4 sets at Horrocks Beer Garden on December 4 as well. Plenty of chances to get your powerpop in the mitten this weekend!
This is an eleven song slab of the kind of righteous rock and roll that we all desperately need right now. Great riffs, catchy choruses, simultaneously slacker-y and polished, hints of Americana, Cheap Trick moments, Lemonheads echoes, literal references to both Minutemen and Big Star… sign me up! Pick up the record, pore over the notes, and memorize these songs cuz as soon as it’s safe these guys are gonna be on the road to save rock and roll, again! Check out the lyric video with behind-the-scenes footage for lead single “Dead Ringer” below!
To start our New Year, Jeremy Porter and The Tucos have a new single called “Dead Ringer” to slink into your ears! And they’ve got a new album out on 1/22! Our friends over at PencilStorm have all of the details today, but you can stream/download the single below, and follow the link to pre-order the album on vinyl and CD! Happy New Year, already!
Capping off a staggering four releases this spring is Jeremy Porter’s solo EP 1987. Jeremy is our resident Detroit dude and he knows his way around a tune. This is our fourth release with him and it’s a pleasure to share more of his acosutic side after three punky releases with his band The Tucos. 1987 is available digitally and on CD now, get it!
To cap off a full year of touring – US, UK, and Canada, slackers! – in support of last year’s great LP “Don’t Worry It’s Not Contagious,” our resident Detroit rockers Jeremy Porter and The Tucos are kicking out a 7-inch to seal the fate of 2018 as a great year for GTG. “At Least She’s Still In Love With You” b/w “How About A Beer For Smokey The Bear?” continues this power trio’s winning streak of powerpop-Americana-garage rock that we’ve been privileged to be party to since joining forces in 2017. The guys have a pair of release shows this weekend to celebrate the new 7-inch – tonight at Village Idiot in Maumee, OH and Saturday for their only 2018 hometown show at PJ’s Lager House in Detroit! Stream the new 7-inch below and order it here!
GTG RECORDS 
