Q&A: Riffing with Phil Lynch of Locust Point

Lansing’s own Locust Point debuted with a brilliant self-titled LP in 2018, an LP stocked with undeniable, Thin Lizzy-caliber guitar riffs and rock ’n roll hooks.  

Last month, the band returned with its second outing, the equally remarkable “Michigan Drag.”  Phil Lynch (guitar, vocals) chatted with City Pulse about the new record.  

When did the new album start to take shape? 

Phil Lynch: We recorded this one in the spring and summer of 2021. We did drum tracking at Marshland studios in Lansing and finished up guitars and vocals at our jam space — a home studio setup.  Compared to our debut, it felt a lot less rushed. We were able to take our time and give the material more breathing room this time around.   

Where did the title track, “Michigan Drag,” come from? 

Dave wrote the title track. To me, it refers to not only Michigan Avenue in the literal sense but also just that general feeling of Midwest malaise and drudgery that kind of became one of the themes of this record. 

Does Locust Point have a songwriting process? 

As far as the writing goes, Dave and I each bring our own individual songs in. Albert wrote a track, “In This City.” It’d be nice to have a more collaborative songwriting process, but in the limited time we have, we like to have material ready to go so we can move the process right along. At our age the whole, “Hey let’s just jam and see what happens” thing is not productive at all. That’s how you end up with albums like [Metallica’s] “St. Anger.”   

The riffs on the new album are amazing. What’s the trick to writing a catchy riff? 

If there’s a secret, I wish I knew (laughs). In my experience, when you write a good one, you’ll know it almost immediately. I would bet that a lot of iconic rock and metal riffs were written more spontaneously than some people realize.   

Do you have a favorite track on “Michigan Drag”? 

I think my favorite is “The Chaser.” The song starts out as this kind of Stax Records bass groove and just keeps building steam. For me, it highlights the rhythm section, too — which I think is an underrated aspect of the band. Just a well-rounded, centerpiece track. 

How did the almost-nine-minute “Texas Switch” come about? 

“Texas Switch” is an older song I had kicking around since before we formed actually. Very singer-songwriter-y. Obviously, there’s a heavy Dire Straits influence. We knew early on it would end the record. It felt right to let it just run on at the end. Now that you mention it, nine minutes does seem a bit much.