“We would always jam and try to make little tunes with them in our short trips up to Michigan,” Samson Carlson recalls.
What began as something to do during summer visits eventually became New Troy, the Grand Rapids-area band the four cousins formed after Max and Samson moved to Michigan in November 2024. Tonight, they’ll play The Pyramid Scheme with The Capstone Volunteers, Ghost Lick and The Cabinet Under The Stairs.
The band’s name is a family reference, too: Their grandparents live in New Troy, a tiny unincorporated township in southwest Michigan.
We caught up with Samson Carlson earlier this summer as New Troy prepared for its busy summer schedule.
Grand Rapids Magazine: So, for people seeing New Troy for the first time, who’s who in the family?
Samson Carlson: Max Carlson (guitar/vox), Samson Carlson (drums), Aidan Kile (guitar/vox), Rowan Kile (bass).
Our mothers are sisters and our grandparents live in a tiny unincorporated township in southwest Michigan called New Troy which is why the band got that name too.
GRM: You’ve been playing together for a while now. How does songwriting work when there are four people contributing?
SC: We all write the songs. No song gets made the same. For the new one “disc rot” I actually came up with the drums and bass line a while ago but never knew exactly what to do with it. I had the structure formed and then my cousin Aidan wrote lyrics and it all just came together after that.
A lot of our songs come from improvisation and jamming though. We try to improve jam a lot of nights throughout the week to stay fresh and frosty and we also love to do that live on stage when time permits:)
GRM: What bands and artists have influenced you most?
SC: The bands/ artists that have influenced us the most are Kings of Leon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool, Dire Straits, and Led Zeppelin.
GRM: You’ve been building quite a list of West Michigan venues. Where have you played?
SC: We have played at the pyramid scheme, mulligans pub, park theater holland, pux cider, speciation cellar, turnstiles, Filkins winery, Lake time brewing and spirits, the Bungalow, McCollum’s restaurant and bar, Cameron’s restaurant.
GRM: You’re also handling much of the business side yourselves. What does that look like?
SC: Currently we don’t use any advertising or marketing or PR agent and do the whole workload of networking ourselves. Including making shirts, designing posters, designing album art, and booking shows.
GRM: Tell us about the new music you’ve been recording.
SC: We recorded our new song with Ryan Jamgotch at “Electric moon Studios” in Grand Rapids. We have quite a few other songs we’ve made with him currently being mixed and processed right now. He is a fantastic connection and friend and truly believes in our music and sound.
GRM: Samson, thanks for talking with us—and best of luck to you and the rest of New Troy tonight. Break a leg.
New Troy plays tonight, Wednesday, Aug. 19, at The Pyramid Scheme, 68 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids. The all-ages show also features The Capstone Volunteers, Ghost Lick and The Cabinet Under The Stairs. Doors open at 7 p.m. General admission is $15, plus $6.09 in fees.
Tickets are available HERE and at the door.
