With new album, The Hacky Turtles aim to ‘let loose’ at final concert of 2025

Call it a Christmas story born in Traverse City.

When he was in his early teens, Marc Kanitz, future lead singer for The Hacky Turtles, excitedly called his pal Austin Spencer to report that he had gotten an electric guitar as a Christmas gift.

“I’m like, ‘Whatcha talking about, a guitar?’ What does this mean,” Spencer recalled. “There was just something about the magic of that guitar that got us trying to write our own music, and it just kept snowballing from that day. Marc and I got started many, many years ago.”

Fast forward through high school, official formation of The Hacky Turtles at Michigan State University, four years in Chicago playing dive bars while working corporate jobs and eventual relocation to Grand Rapids, where they made music a full-time pursuit, and this funk-, rock- and folk-fueled quintet has become a regional favorite.

In mid-August, the band released its sophomore album, “I’ve Been Here Before …,” which so far has racked up more than 1 million plays on Spotify for its 10 eclectic tracks. 

The band will play its final show of 2025 on Nov. 15 at The Big Room in Grand Rapids, opening for Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers in a benefit concert to raise funds for the renovation of Sullivan Field on the city’s West Side. Tickets, $38.50, are available online at thebigroomgr.com.

“We find a lot of joy in writing and performing our original music. I can't remember the last time we covered someone else's song,” Spencer said.

“We are influenced by the ups and downs of life — moments that leave an impact and nudge us to lean on our friendships to either celebrate that moment or work through something tough. That's what seems to inspire us to pick up a guitar and write a new song. This has not changed since the start of the band.”

Experiencing that camaraderie and celebration in a live setting makes The Hacky Turtles “relatable” to its fans.

“We want to be real, be authentic and be relatable and keep sharing our truth because it connects with people,” Spencer said, noting that the show with the band’s friends in The Rainbow Seekers shapes up as especially memorable and dance-inspiring.

“It’s just a chance to let loose. It turns into a tiny little bubble where nothing outside that room seems to matter. This is going to be our last performance of the year, so we’re just going to let it all out. … Honestly, there are moments when the brain can turn off and it seems to be an instinct.”

The band — Kanitz, Spencer and Alex Rushlow on guitars, Erik Krueger on drums and Ben Steer on bass and synthesizer — describes its music “like a backyard jam that turns into a block party,” with fans often comparing them to the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon and Rainbow Kitten Surprise.

Kanitz, Spencer, Rushlow and Krueger all grew up in northern Michigan, and the band added Steer to the fold after meeting him one night at O’Toole’s Public House in Grand Rapids. 

Their most recent albums, 2021’s “Dichotomy” and 2025’s “I’ve Been Here Before …,” were recorded at Jake Rye’s Social Recording in Adrian, with the most recent collection revolving around a mental health theme and coping with the challenges that life creates. 

“It’s a very important topic,” Spencer said, stressing the need to be “as open as you can and share what you’re going through. Learning how to express that has really helped us as individuals learn to communicate and take that into our families and other friendships. It seems to be when we’re going through something heavy that we are inspired to write music.” 

The Hacky Turtles plan to continue writing new music in 2026, with hopes for possibly even trying “a writing retreat together.” 

“I'd like to see us keep growing as friends, keep learning how to communicate and share emotions,” Spencer said. “That's been more rewarding than any number of streams.”

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