Drew Nelson Revs Up to Release Tilt-A-Whirl | Arts & Culture

Written by John Sinkevics

Surrounded by saws, drills, wood-benders and other tools of the guitar-making trade in his basement, Drew Nelson held the mahogany panel next to his ear and tapped it with his fingers.

"It really rings," he marveled. "It has a character and a sound to it."

That handsome slice of wood soon will become the top of another Nelson-made acoustic guitar, forming the vital soundboard that distinguishes each instrument, giving it a distinctive resonance.

Perhaps it's only apropos that the veteran Grand Rapids singer-songwriter has turned some of his musical passion toward making guitars the past four years: He's long been a lyrical soundboard for Michigan's rough-hewn common folk and its inspiring natural beauty.

Now, he'll share that poetic vision on a bigger stage.

Signed last year to a three-record deal with Minnesota's Red House Records, Nelson officially releases his fourth full-length album Feb. 14, with a pre-release show in Grand Rapids Feb. 3.

Unlike his earlier albums, Nelson's new release falls under the auspices of a national...

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