Local band releases new album
Grant Reiff and the Riflemen Band will be releasing their first album next month. It will be available for preorder on all major platforms on Wednesday, June 14.
by Marsha Chartrand
Grant Reiff has been writing, singing, and playing music all his life, but he’s just now releasing his first full album with his new band, The Riflemen, and he’s pretty excited about it.
Having recorded albums in the past with other bands, he sees this one as special, because the band is new and the talent he’s gathered is something unique. “We are an American music road show and revival,” he says. “We pride ourselves as a true blend of heartland/southern rock and Midwest country/Americana.”
That may sound like a lot to take in, but take a listen for yourself after you pre-order the album, Rebels & Rogues (starting Wednesday, June 14 — Happy Birthday, Grant!), and you’ll understand right away what he’s talking about. The band consists of four musicians — Joe Cordell, originally from Texas, on drums; Conor Reed of Napoleon on bass guitar and background vocals; Mark Vironda, an Illinois native, on lead and rhythm guitar; and Manchester’s own Reiff doing lead vocals and piano/keyboard. Grant has also written or co-written every song on the new album, although the band also plays the occasional cover in their live shows.
The band met at the “open mic” series hosted monthly by the Tap, and Grant says it’s great that there’s a music scene like that right here in his newly adopted hometown. “I’m really grateful to Chris McCarthy and John Mooneyham for getting this started,” he says.
Grant, who grew up on a 400-acre family dairy farm in Indiana, started playing piano at 7 or 8 years of age and started playing several instruments after that. From there he started songwriting and music really became “a passion” for him. In 2010 he moved to Nashville for four years, where he met his wife, Lisa, who’s originally from Holly. There he also made plenty of connections that have helped him on his musical journey. In fact, he was able to get Garth Brooks’ fiddler, Brian McClure, to play with them on this album!
“One thing I learned about songwriting in Nashville, is to hit the least common denominator,” Grant says. “That is, touch as many people as possible with your lyrics, and that will bring you success.” So far, that advice has been working well for him. His tracks on the new album range from tender love songs — “I always write one for Lisa,” he says — to hard-rocking, Springsteen-style tunes with saxophone backup.
Needing a day job to support his family, who has grown to include 8-year-old Garrison and 6-year-old JJ, Grant and Lisa moved and made Manchester their home, where Grant found a job with Dairyland Seed as a Regional Manager for southeastern Michigan. They have truly integrated themselves into the hometown atmosphere, where they both volunteer in a variety of programs with the kids, including Grant singing the National Anthem at the MAYS season opener this spring and Lisa helping out with the Lamb Club at the Manchester Fair.
The Riflemen are also busy touring this summer, with friend Josh Silas sometimes standing in for Mark on lead guitar at some of their gigs. They’ll be active on the fair circuit, including, of course, the Manchester Community Fair, along with Oakland County Fair, Jackson County Fair, Hillsdale County Fair, Berrien County Fair (where they’ll open for Lee Greenwood), and a few more far-flung locales. They have a couple of dates set at Cherry Creek Winery, including their Album Release Party on August 4; some dates at the Tap; and a few gigs scheduled at the Valiant in Chelsea, including their Thanksgiving Eve Bash. So they have high hopes for getting their sound out there and building a substantial fan base to eventually make this more than a moonlighting gig.
No matter what kind of music you enjoy, it’s a pretty sure thing that you’ll find something to like on Rebels and Rogues. Take a sample on your favorite streaming platform starting Wednesday, and it’ll be available for full download on July 14. And carry a little piece of Manchester with you on your phone.
The Riflemen: from left, Mark Vironda, Grant Reiff, Joe Cordell, and Conor Reed.
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