As a young musician, Devin Weber leaned toward rock ’n’ roll as a sort of rebellion against the country music stereotype of his rural upbringing in Hopkins, Mich.

So, the band he later formed with lifelong friend and drummer Jordan Kerbyson, Devin & The Dead Frets, uncorked energetic, blues-propelled rock that even saw them compete in a metal-dominated battle of the bands.

But as that band faded away, Weber sowed the seeds of Local Commuters as COVID-19 set in. He found himself organically creating songs with his bandmates inspired by country music, Southern rock and legendary singer-songwriter John Prine.

“I guess we’d call it alt-country with some rock. Our influences are all over the place,” Weber said. 

“We really derive inspiration from many genres and eras. In our live sets, we’ve done everything from Thin Lizzy to Jerry Jeff Walker to Dire Straits to Alan Jackson to REM to Richard and Linda Thompson and everything in between.”

Weber also described it as “rock ’n’ roll country. It’s all kind of the same to me, honestly. We've got a pedal steel guitar on it, so I couldn't say that we tried to sound like anyone. I would say maybe it's like a Drive-By Truckers, Allman Brothers, but also we all kind of bonded over our love of John Prine.”

In addition to Weber and Kerbyson, the core band features lead guitarist and singer Ben Erhart (The Jetbeats, Brie Stoner), bassist Matt Allen (Boss Mustangs) and guitarist-singer Sam Starkie (Brie Stoner). Pedal steel guitarist Justin Wierenga and singer Alistair Beerens are also featured on the band’s debut EP, which was recorded at Tommy Schichtel’s Goon Lagoon studio in Grand Rapids.

Local Commuters officially released the five-track “Tired of Everything” EP last weekend during a performance at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, with keyboardist Tim Bober and pedal steel guitarist Andy Szumowski also joining the band on stage.

Weber conceded that the writing, recording and releasing of this long-awaited project took more than two years to complete.

“To be honest with you, we have so many more songs now that we really want to get back into the studio. … We’re looking to go in and do another EP before the end of the year and get that out. This is the best stuff I’ve been involved in and it’s a really collaborative effort. … The idea is to hit the ground running, but in a realistic way.”

As for the songs themselves, Weber said they morphed into a theme that’s lyrically “about aging and reckoning with life not going exactly the way you planned it.”

Support Our Work

Ottawa News Network is a nonprofit news service dedicated to providing the residents of Ottawa County with trustworthy, community-driven news. ONN treats journalism as a public good — something that enriches lives and empowers Ottawa County’s 300,000-plus residents to stay engaged, make informed decisions, and strengthen local democracy. Please consider giving today.

In recent years, Weber has been a key part of tribute bands created by Grand Rapids’ Hazy Past and Brian Haik, something that’s helped hone his guitar and vocal skills. 

“Certainly, as a player and singer, it’s helped immensely,” he said. “But in my heart of hearts, the thing that’s most important to me is making my own songs and our own songs, and kind of getting ’em out there for the people or maybe just for us.”

— Find more Michigan music news and concert listings at LocalSpins.com. Email John Sinkevics at john@localspins.com.