Background Bros: Ann Arbor siblings Billy and Michael Harrington relish their roles as sidemen

MUSIC INTERVIEW

The Brothers Harrington show at Black Crystal Cafe: Adam Plomaritas, Mark Jewett, Michael Harrington, Billy Harrington, Ken Pesick, Kylee Phillips, Chris DuPont, Bobby Streng, GW Station, and Libby DeCamp.

Michael Harrington, third from left, and Billy Harrington, fourth from left, gather with Adam Plomaritas, Mark Jewett, Ken Pesick, Kylee Phillips, Chris DuPont, Bobby Streng, GW Staton, and Libby DeCamp for The Brothers Harrington show at Ann Arbor's Black Crystal Cafe in July 2024. Photo courtesy of Billy Harrington.

Musical brothers Billy Harrington and Michael Harrington relish performing and recording with different artists.

As sidemen and session players, the Ann Arbor-based musicians—known as The Brothers Harrington—have shared the stage and studio with several local acts, including Chris DuPont, Kylee Phillips, Adam Plomaritas, Kelsey Detering, Bobby Streng, and Mark Jewett.

They spend a lot of time backing those artists at The Ark and Trinity House Theatre and laying down tracks with them at Big Sky Recording and Solid Sound Recording Company.

“It’s cool watching from the sidelines and seeing where the artists go, where they play, and what their next album looks like,” said Billy Harrington, a drummer, percussionist, vocalist, and producer.

“It’s fun to observe, but it’s like having all these family connections, and you get to enjoy that—the fruits of your labor. You get to do a session, and it comes back with 10 to 15 gigs, so it’s nice for a freelancer.”

It’s also not uncommon to see guitarist/pedal steel guitar player Michael Harrington performing or recording alongside his older brother at some of those shows and sessions.

“We try and play as much as we can together—but sometimes with the [pedal] steel—it takes me to a whole different group of people that may already have a drummer, or maybe I’ve never met them, and we do it remotely,” he said.

To learn more, I spoke with The Brothers Harrington ahead of a January 18 FutureStars show at Pioneer High School, which will feature Ann Arbor high school students performing popular songs.

Q: How did your family inspire a love of music? 
Billy Harrington (BH): [Our paternal grandfather] had worked at Hager Music on the west side of the state in Grand Rapids. He went to school in Lansing and got an associate degree in band directing and general music. There’s a little bit of that in the family, but aside from that, Mike and I picked it up from school and the band program. We had a bunch of cousins that went through the program, too, and were a little bit older. Whatever instrument they were playing, we wanted to try out.

We had two cousins who went to Saline High School, and they were in the marching band. We would see them in parades and at the half-time show for the Saline [High School] football games. But they also had a drum set in their basement, which I thought was super cool. Aside from our dad’s drum set that he had when he was a kid that was falling apart, that was the only drum set I got to play if I asked permission. I went down and played [Oasis’] “Wonderwall.” We had another cousin who went through the band program and played trumpet, but he also played a lot of guitar. He got us into … Metallica, Ozzy [Osbourne], and Black Sabbath.

Q: Billy, how did your journey as a drummer grow from there? 
BH: I tried to figure out how to play a drum set on my own. I went through the band program at [Ann Arbor Public Schools] in fifth grade and did classical percussion. On the last day of eighth grade, I got up the courage to play the drum set for the first time in school.

On Fridays, Tappan Middle School band directors Fred Smith and Sandy Maconochie would have one percussionist play the drum set through the scales warmup. It was their test, and I wanted to do that, but I was nervous about it. I waited until the last day of eighth grade and thought, “If I’m not gonna do it today, I’m gonna regret it forever.” I built up the courage, and I worked hard to keep it together for three minutes. But I did it, and I played it. After that, I started playing the drum set more seriously in high school and stuck with it.

I remember going to The Neutral Zone, and at that time, it was down on Main Street, a couple of blocks from [Pioneer] High School. I remember thinking, “This is the coolest club,” and I went to see all the ska bands because ska was big at the time. I was jealous and thought, “Man, it’s so cool they’re playing in a band. They have fans. They have an album. I can’t believe it.” That was inspiring, but I didn’t do much outside of concert band and orchestra. I played in jazz band the last year [of high school] … and David Leach asked me to do it, and I said, “Sure.”

Q: Michael, what sparked your passion for guitar? 
Michael Harrington (MH): I played on and off in middle school, but it was reading tabs and trying to play Metallica stuff. I wanted to play clarinet in the [middle school] band, but I broke a reed as soon as they gave it to me. And then they said, “Anything else?” and I said, “Well, Billy played the drums, so I guess I could try that. I might be able to figure that out.” I did that in middle school and didn’t like it that much. It wasn’t that hard, and it came naturally, so I never practiced, and I would show up and play the snare drum. And then I got into guitar a little bit around 14 or 15. When high school came around, I said, “I don’t want to do this anymore,” and I played football. I didn’t do [guitar] for three or four years, but then I got back into it again.

I got back into [guitar] because of The Beatles. I constantly listened to that stuff over and over again, trying to practice [it]. A lot of the studio guys from The Wrecking Crew—like Tommy Tedesco—he was my biggest influence. He did all these things that no one knew about behind closed doors, and that’s so cool to me. Some of the early jazz guitar players I got into, and I was doing a lot of swing music. When I went to Eastern [Michigan University], I did an independent study on Django Reinhardt. I did a published article, and it was required if you wanted to graduate from EMU. After school, I wanted to do that music, and I [played with] Andrew Brown. We did that for a while, and that was my first gateway into playing a lot and working on stuff.

Billy Harrington plays drums during The British Invasion – Live on Stage tour.

Billy Harrington plays drums during The British Invasion – Live on Stage tour. Photo courtesy of Billy Harrington.

Q: Billy, you started as a studio art major at Eastern Michigan University, but later transferred to the University of Michigan to study jazz and music performance. How did that lead to becoming a freelance musician and session player? 
BH: Mike and I both started at EMU. I remember thinking in high school when I had to pick a major, and for some reason, I thought music at the collegiate level was too difficult for me. I became a studio art major instead because I could draw a little bit, and I thought I was gonna be an illustrator and would play [music] on the side for fun. It didn’t take long for me to realize that doing a four-hour drawing class and another eight hours of drawing at home every day got a little old. It [also] didn’t take long for me to realize, “OK, maybe I should give this music thing in college a shot.” Mike and I went through the same program, too. We ended up doing a jazz combo class with Mark Pappas, and he was one of the first ones in college to challenge Mike and me.

And then, I went to U-M to finish what I had started at EMU. It was an eye-opening experience because I couldn’t read music very well. I had [the mindset] of “I’m playing in a rock band,” so reading notation, understanding theory, and doing oral skills was way out of my league. But I did it, and I’m so thankful I did it because there was a lot of sight singing and choral stuff that I would have never gotten into if I hadn’t gone to U-M. When I walked out of U-M, I did get some training that was beneficial and formative to becoming more than a drummer—I felt more like a musician. I could talk to people about chords and how to write a chart and arrange a song. I felt well-versed in how to communicate with other musicians about that.

Q: Billy, how did your career as a freelance musician and session player evolve after that? 
BH: Because I saw what [drummer] Steve Jordan was doing, he was playing with all of these different people. I thought, “If you’re a studio musician, you get to do everything. You don’t have to be in just a rock band or be a classical percussionist.” [During] college, I was trying to play with as many people as I could, and I was interested in being a session musician. I didn’t want to just play jazz, but I didn’t want to just play rock either. You get one [gig], and then the bass player says, “I have a gig,” and you do that one. And then the music director for that gig says, “I gotta book another orchestra for next season. Can you do that?”

It ends up snowballing, but the good thing about being a freelancer or a session musician is that your contacts end up spider-webbing in all these different directions. If you’re in a rock band, you get the benefit of playing with your band all the time, and that’s a great thing, but you’re always on that same track. You’re always in that one seat and don’t get to have your hand in a whole bunch of different genres or areas in the state like a freelancer/session musician does.

I was looking on Craigslist at the time … and I got a gig off that. My first real recording session—a full album that I played on—was for Sam Corbin. He had just moved into town and put an ad on Craigslist that said, “I’m looking for a percussionist/drummer. I’m doing some folk Dylan stuff.” And I said, “That sounds pretty good.” Sam was the first guy I played many dates and months with. It was just the two of us … and we went everywhere. He showed me the ropes, and I was probably 18 or 19. It was an eye-opening adventure to finally be a freelancer and not be tied to a school. After school, I was excited to play, and I tried to play with everyone and do everything that I could. I convinced people to do recording sessions—I still do that—and make albums. It’s because I want to see them make music, and I know that there’s something there that’s going to be good.

Q: Michael, you’ve become a go-to player for pedal steel guitar on stage and in the studio during the past five years. Why did you decide to add that instrument to your repertoire? 
MH: We were doing a James Taylor [tribute] show that Billy had put on, and we had a rehearsal in Ypsi. Drew Howard was playing on the show, too, and he played pedal steel and some guitar. But I remember we were warming up, and I was playing a thumb pick at the time—which I think he liked—and I saw this guy in all black.

He started setting up everything, and I didn’t think too much of it. I was going through the music and making sure I had everything. And I started hearing this sound and thought, “What the hell is that? I’ve never heard that before.” It was Drew tuning and playing his [pedal steel] guitar. As he adjusted it, I got closer and closer to him until I said, “Hey, what is that?” Then, he chuckled and said, “ Well, this is how I play this, and it does this and this.” And I thought, “Oh, wow,” and that was the first time I had ever seen or heard one in person. A lot of recordings that I already knew had it, but I just didn’t think about it. My ears weren’t tuned to that sound. Our grandfather had a lap steel guitar … and I messed around with it to figure out how to hold a bar and use the fingerpicks. It’s a little different than guitar.

I would go to Drew’s house once every six months and take a lesson from him. I would stop at RoosRoast, buy a bag of beans, and drive to Mason. He would show me stuff in his living room for two and a half hours. We’d hang out, make coffee, and talk about it. I’d ask him a lot of questions … and I think he was into the fact that someone was interested in it and he could talk about it. He knew I had a good music background, so I could understand a lot of what he was saying. Eventually, I started doing gigs on it. He recommended me for a couple of things when he couldn’t do it or didn’t want to do it anymore. But he was the reason I got into it, and I wouldn’t know it without him on that James Taylor [tribute] show. The first real session I did was Mark Jewett’s The Lucky One album at Big Sky Recording. I think I’ve done more sessions on pedal steel now than guitar.

Q: What’s it like to share the stage and studio as brothers? 
BH: If [Michael] recommends me for a gig, he’s probably thinking, “I want Billy to show up and do a great job, and I want them to like him.” And vice versa, too. If I hire Mike for a gig, I want to make sure he’s prepared and that I can help him a little. It’s nice to have that extra push [as brothers] that you wouldn’t give unless it was a good friend. I don’t think it’s very difficult. … It's usually pretty friendly.

When we were in high school, Mike was a football player. He had some records, and Mike knew more Ludacris songs than he knew Jimi Hendrix songs. At some point in high school, [we] couldn’t have been further apart, but then once we were both going through college and we started playing together, we got really close. And now it’s like having a best friend on the gig, and it’s worked out nicely. I’m very proud of him, and I’m always trying to push him to do more stuff.

MH: It’s fun … I think that sums it up. I feel like I can get away with more stuff, and he’s the only one who can notice it on stage.

Q: What type of gigs do you typically play together? 
BH: On the gigs that I’m playing, Mike is usually an auxiliary player and he’s playing pedal steel and guitar, but he’s playing for an artist that already plays guitar. Usually, it’s a bigger budget or a bigger stage and that type of gig is where we see each other at. We tend to get called in the same circles. We do a lot of musical theater gigs together, so we’ll be in the pit on a lot of gigs together. I try to add Mike on shows that I’m doing because I know he’s versatile, and I can get on him about learning some stuff that I need. I can [do] the brotherly nudge that I can’t do with someone else.

Q: Last summer, you hosted The Brothers Harrington variety show at Black Crystal Cafe, a private concert venue in Ann Arbor. It spotlighted both of you with bassist Ken Pesick and included performances with different artists. What plans do you have for the show in 2025? 
BH: It’s almost like a mini version of The Wrecking Crew or The Funk Brothers and Motown. If you have both of us on the gig, you can use this name. It’s reminding people, “Hey, we played on all these records.”

But what I’m looking forward to is a combo of both. What I love about what we did was that we got to pick the artists. We also helped shape the setlist and picked a lot of the tunes. In a way, it felt like we were the artists of the show because we were curating the vibe and what we wanted the night to be like, but we were still sidemen. It was the best of both worlds in the same show. We’re hoping to do more, and we want to do another [show] at the café and push that a little bit. Being a session player is No. 1 for me. [I like] supporting artists and encouraging [those] that don’t have a record yet to make one.

Q: Billy, you’re performing at FutureStars on January 18 at Pioneer High School. How has the Ann Arbor high school vocal competition grown over the years? What plans do you have for this year’s show? 
BH: FutureStars began in the early 2000s when I was in high school [at Pioneer]. I walked into rehearsals and then played the show that year. I played the rest of the shows as a student from then on until I graduated. Over those three years, it became a huge show. I eventually came back to Pioneer one year to see the show, and I had a few ideas and concepts I thought I could bring to the show to make it better. Susan Hurwitz graciously took a chance on me … and I became the music director and drummer for the show from 2012-2021.

It was an incredible experience. I brought in a band of professionals playing about 85 charts over two weeks that backed the students. It was a ton of work, definitely a labor of love, but I learned so much, and we had so many memorable performances over the years. FutureStars is one of the shows that if you know, you know. It is an underground staple of the town for music, and I think it is one of the highest-quality shows around. The students bring in an incredible amount of talent and hard work. Offering them an experience to perform in a show of such high caliber is rare for [them]. It also brings the town together. We eventually opened the show up to all Ann Arbor Public Schools students.

I cannot wait to come back and just play the drums! It’s going to be weird not being in charge or responsible for all the music director duties, but the show is in good hands. The band members for FutureStars 2025 include Adam Plomaritas (guitarist and music director), Ken Pesick (bassist and assistant music director), Mike Harrington (guitar), Mike Harrison (keyboards), and Grace Mauk (keyboards). All dear friends I get to gig with!

Q: Billy, you’re embarking on a three-month North American tour with The Simon & Garfunkel Story starting January 24. How did you become part of that tour? How has it helped shape you as a musician? 
BH: This ties nicely into leaving FutureStars. We finished out the 2021 season online, and Cynthia Westphal, a professor and friend, sent me an audition post in New York City. It was for a show called The British Invasion – Live on Stage tour. I ended up taking the audition and being offered the tour. I very reluctantly had to say goodbye to FutureStars and pass the torch, so to speak. The British Invasion Live tour was a life-changing experience. I sang lead on a few numbers, did a full-blown drum solo, and had a costume change every night. After the tour, I was given the offer to join The Simon & Garfunkel Story, which has the same producers and creators. This is my third tour with the show, and the show has a cast of two up front—reminiscent of Paul [Simon] and Art [Garfunkel]—and a four-piece band backing them. It is a very streamlined show [with] just five on stage … [and] this year we are taking it down to a trio for the band. I can’t forget our awesome crew and tour manager who share the bus with us.

Performing the music is truly special for me. For one, because it is from one of my favorite eras of music, and two, because this music means so much to our audience. I would say the majority of our audience is in their 60s or older, so this is their music! It’s important to me that we do it justice and respect it. At the end of the day, this is great music, and I love playing it.

We have a few Michigan dates. We’re playing Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo on March 19 … and Andiamo Showroom in Warren on March 21. Last year, we sold out the Fisher Theatre in Detroit and did two shows at the Music Hall in Detroit the year before that.

Michael Harrington sits with a pedal steel guitar.

Michael Harrington with a pedal steel guitar. Photo courtesy of Michael Harrington.

Q: Michael, you’re also performing at FutureStars. What other projects do you have planned along with that? 
MH: FutureStars at Pioneer High School is revving back up, and I will be one of the guitarists playing in the house band. It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a decade of doing that gig. I think it’s either year 12 or 13 for me.

I had a handful of sessions on both pedal steel and six-string guitar [last] year that should be available [this year]. [The] artists [include]: Jackamo, Maddy Ringo, Mark Jewett, Kelsey Detering, and a few others. There is a fun country band from Chelsea that I work with named Bovine, which is eager to get into the studio and cut an EP for the winter/spring of 2025.

I’ve also been a special guest featured for the bluegrass nights at [North Star Lounge] in Kerrytown for the last couple of years and will be there on Valentine’s Day [with The Pontiac Trail Blazers]. I’m in the process of setting up a special project led by myself at this venue, so keep your eyes posted on their calendar in early spring/summer. It will be the first time I’ve been a bandleader since my early jazz trio/quartet stuff I was doing pre-COVID, so that’s exciting.


Lori Stratton is a library technician, writer for Pulp, and writer and editor of strattonsetlist.com.


Billy Harrington and Michael Harrington perform January 18 for FutureStars at Pioneer High School, 601 West Stadium Boulevard, Ann Arbor. For tickets, visit the Pioneer High School Theatre Guild’s website.

Michael Harrington performs February 14 with The Pontiac Trail Blazers at North Star Lounge, 301 North Fifth Avenue, Ann Arbor. For tickets, visit North Star Lounge’s website. Billy Harrington performs March 21 with The Simon & Garfunkel Story at Andiamo Showroom, 7096 East 14 Mile Road, Warren. For tickets, visit The Simon & Garfunkel Story’s website.