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5th Annual Hamtramck Music Festival: Artist Q and A!

The 5th annual Hamtramck Music Festival is a beloved event that brings the best of the community together to celebrate food, music, and all things Detroit has to offer.

This year the festival is boasting a roster of 162 bands at 21 different venues across Hamtramck. All festival proceeds will go to the Hamtramck Public Schools music and art programs, which makes this a great family event during the day and party-spot at night.

Wristbands are $10, so don't wait! You can purchase them online here or find a location near you on the HMF website!

We were able to catch up with a few bands playing this year's Hamtramck Music Festival to ask them some questions about the fest and themselves! Tart, Remnose, Go Tiger Go, and Mango Lane reveal all (just kidding, but maybe not?) in this HMF 2018 feature.

 

Have you played HMF before? If so, what's your favorite part about playing this particular festival? If this is your first time, what are you most excited about?

TART

TART: Yes, we have played HMF before.  I think this will be the third year that we've played!  The camaraderie between bands and musicians has got to be one of my favorite parts about HMF.  It's a great place to run into friends and acquaintances in the music scene (who you might not see very often) and have a chance to catch up and hear what they have going on.  You just never know who you might run into in the plethora of venues that participate in HMF.

Remnose
(credit: https://www.facebook.com/remnose/)

REMNOSE:  We have played HMF twice before, once at the Polish Sea League and once at the Polka Dot and both times were awesome.  What we love most about the fest is running around trying to catch all of our friends' bands...missing some and making others, but always seeing great shows and taking in what is an outstanding variety of Detroit music.

Go Tiger Go
(credit: https://soundcloud.com/gotigergo)

GO TIGER GO:  Yes! This is our third HMF now, so we're excited to be an ongoing part of this awesome fest. My favorite part is definitely how HMF energizes the whole city. There are so many great bands playing, and you see a familiar face everywhere you go - it's electric.

Mango Lane
(credit: https://www.facebook.com/mangolanemusic/)

MANGO LANE:  Yes, this is our fourth year in a row playing Hamtramck Music Festival. Our favorite part is the idea of all the venues being so close together, as well as it's a great time to meet up with all of our friends and see some great local acts.

 

How would you describe HMF to someone who has never attended the festival?


TART: I'd describe it as a lot of really amazing local bands playing in some of the coolest little venues...with a lot of PBR to go around.

REMNOSE: I would describe it as a weekend of beautifully organized chaos.  An adult playground, for music-goers and bar-goers alike.  So many random bars to stumble into and so many bands to bob your head to.

GO TIGER GO: HMF is like Detroit's answer to what something like CMJ was.  It's the best way to discover up-and-coming bands and veteran show-stoppers all in one city.

MANGO LANE: It's definitely raw in the idea it's unlike what most people think of in a festival. It's very focused on the community, and there's a nice eclectic collection of artists.



Which bands are you most looking forward to seeing?

TART: I recently saw the Cheetahs at Outer Limits Lounge and they BLEW ME AWAY!  I was stoked to find out that they are playing at Outer Limits Lounge again for HMF.  So I'll definitely be there for their set.  Also excited to see Asklepius, Brother Son, The Dropout & so many more!

REMNOSE: We love the Drinkard Sisters, anybody who sees the Drinkard Sisters will fall in love with them but unfortunately I know that we are playing at the exact same time as them at a different venue of course...  So, if you are not going to come see us Friday at 10pm, I can only hope that means you're going to the Drinkard Sisters.  Otherwise I am never missing a Honeybabe show, they are one of my favorite bands in Detroit and will be playing New Dodge Saturday at 9pm so that'll be a great place to start the night..  Also gotta see Black Shampoo at PLAV 6 Friday night at 12:15!

GO TIGER GO: Personally, I can't wait to see a few of my favorites. Bogart, Five Pound Snap, Mango Lane and Tart (who we are honored to be sharing a bill with this year!).

MANGO LANE: We're excited most to see Brother Son and Zilch.

 

How would you describe the music scene here in Detroit?

TART: I'd describe Detroit's music scene as being extremely diverse and full of talent.  I just don't think enough Detroit bands tour as much as they should, Tart included.  Haha!  I think it's important that bands from Detroit go and show other cities how great the music is that comes from here.  

REMNOSE: Bountiful.  We've got just about everything going on in this city, it never ceases to amaze me how many bands/venues are out there that I still haven't seen, heard of, or been to.

GO TIGER GO: Detroit's music scene is unlike any other city's. I work in music PR so I get a chance to be "a part" of a lot of different scenes, but nothing is as dense, lush, exotic, and adrenaline-fueled as Detroit. Any given night, there are several stacked line-ups playing in some tried-and-true venues. Everyone says that the city has a pulse, well I say that the music scene does too.

MANGO LANE: The music scene in Detroit is very odd. The scene isn't very saturated, but there is also a lot of unrepresented talent in the city.



How would you describe the type of music you/your band play(s)?

TART: This question always comes up when we're on long drives.  We've toyed with the idea of calling ourselves "Punk Pop", but none of us can figure out if that's stupid or not!  Haha!  

REMNOSE: We always have a hard time trying to pinpoint our genre, but it does fall somewhere in the extremely broad category of indie-folk-rock...my favorite is sand-swallowing grumble tunes.  There is also, at times, a touch of Neil Young and some other alt-country feels, too.

GO TIGER GO: Go Tiger Go (GTG) is sun-kissed indie rock with a gritty Detroit edge.

MANGO LANE: Happy music

 

Anything else you'd like to share!?

TART: We recently started recording some new songs and are planning a Single Release Show at Ghost Light in Hamtramck on April 7th.  We'll probably drop the single a day or two before the show.

REMNOSE: Hope to see you all at PLAV Post 10 on Friday night of the festival, we are playing at 10pm with many other great bands to follow!  Thanks!

GO TIGER GO: I'm obsessed with connecting with fans, musicians, bands, and everyone else in between on social media. You can follow GTG on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Or if you make it to one of our sets, come up and say hello in person!

MANGO LANE: We have a 45 coming out with two singles on it in the early summer, and a long list of shows around the city to keep an eye out for!

 

We can't wait to see these guys perform! You won't want to miss it, so get your wristbands and meet us out in Hamtramck this weekend!

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