The American Hotel System

The 2022 Bon Jovi tour is underway and 15 local bands out of thousands all across the country have earned a slot as an opener for the band in a select city. Bands were instructed to submit an audition video to enter the contest.

Congratulations to the Grand Rapids band The American Hotel System for earning the opening spot for Bon Jovi's Indianapolis stop on the tour! - WGRD

The American Hotel System, is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based rock band formed by five college friends Jacob Betts (Lead Vox & Guitar), Hailey Petty (Drums), Jake LaMotte (Bass), Samuel Overman (Guitar), and C.T. McCallister (electric guitar). It aims to provoke the mind of its audience through heartfelt lyrics and intentional musicality. The band has been featured on several noteworthy platforms like Relix Magazine in August 2019, BuzzMusic Top 10 acts of 2019, and was among one of the Finalists in Music Prize 2021.

The Inception Of The American Hotel System

The band started as a group of friends coming together as seniors in college for a night only to play some of their favorite songs as a sendoff. This performance gave them a break and the band was invited to play at a fundraising event. This event proved to be destiny’s gentle nudge for them to step into the music industry professionally. From there, there was no looking back. They started working on a handful of original songs and recorded their first two EPs: A Search For Sunken Truth; Volumes 1 & 2, over the next 18 months and released their first full-length album; The Sunken Truth, in December of 2019.

“Interrobang”: The Occurrence Of The Idea

Production for Interrobang started in December 2019. The album was originally intended to be released in the fall of 2020 as a follow-up to The Sunken Truth, but the pandemic changed their plans. When the music industry was at its lowest, they quickly put the production on hold and focused on its improvement instead. They released one single, LOYALTY, and then paused production for 14 months. This break allowed them to refine the narrative of the album as a whole.

At the beginning of 2021, The American Hotel System was able to resume production on Interrobang. They started with the recording of their first release Chains. The pandemic acted like an oven for the album, by giving them extra time to reflect on the pain and chaos happening around them, and they chose the themes like lifting your neighbor (LOYALTY), putting away conspiracy and nonsense (STORIES), and focusing on the love that grounds us (Chains).

When asked about how did such a moving idea occur to them, they said, “Weaving these songs together is a meta-narrative fiction of the tongue-in-cheek nostalgia from the 50s and 60s, the era in which the interrobang (the combination of a question mark and exclamation point [‽]) was derived to ask rhetorical questions in advertisement copy. This gaudy rhetoric acts as a satirical lens through which Interrobang commentates on contemporary western culture.”

And the sensational album “Interrobang” was born! - LEVELUP Magazine

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) The Grand Rapids-based alternative rock band, The American Hotel System is about to release a new album and we’re excited to welcome them to eightWest. Their release party is sold out but you can see them around Michigan this summer. The band recently opened for Bon Jovi in Indianapolis. They tell us they had a 5-day heads up before the performance, after applying online in January. - WOODTV8

Michigan based quintet rockers The American Hotel System have returned with reflection and maturity in new live album ‘Where My Soul Has Been’.

A collection of songs old and new unleash a full project recorded at Dogtown Studios, where they unleash their brand of traditional and powerful rock ‘n’ roll.

First track and lead single ‘The Feeling’ feels like the perfect showcase, with a re-energised and reconditioned of a song that shows the group’s growth over time.

Lead singer Jacob Betts says: “Some of these songs were written years ago, but they’ve grown to have new meaning through all of the uncertainty and chaos we’ve experienced in the last two years of the pandemic — acting as a sounding board to wrestle with the pain and questions the last two years have brought.

This is a musical journey through where our souls have been and hope to be.”

An explosive rock sound radiates from The American Hotel System, which will more than appease lovers of the genre and beyond in a band that truly comes alive in this type of environment. - CLOUT Magazine

Michigan rockers and also holders of a brilliant band name, The American Hotel System, have been steadily making their way up the rocking ranks. They have shared a stage with none other than Bon Jovi along their relatively short journey so far, and have just dropped their first live album as a band and it’s a real treat for the ears. Lead single ‘The Feeling’ isn’t a brand new song, but you can tell it has formed a new state over the last few years.

Mixed and mastered at Dogtown Studios in Michigan, they have done a stellar job in capturing raucous energy of this powerful and potent five piece. ‘The Feeling’ holds a presence that is rare, with Betts leading the way with his soaring vocal tonality that is quite unusual, but adds to the band’s overall sound and makes it so present. You feel like you’re right there with them, and it’s clear they are a band who thrive in the live sector. Check out The American Hotel System now. - Music Crowns

Fresh and ground-breaking sound arrangements in The American Hotel System’s track, “21st” have me blown away. The band members have inspiring and special ideas when it comes to creating music. The whole band’s chemistry is evident through the speakers. The timing and tempo of everything is flawless and finely-calibrated while the vocals remain rich and transcendent. I love the detailed lyricism and effortless delivery of every word. The alluring acoustics at the beginning of the track are the perfect intro to a hard hitting rock hit. Dedication to craft in the detail is admirable while the infectious and vivid music fused together is awakening. The American Hotel System brings raw energy and an indefinitely loud testimony to the magic of the underground scene. Layered guitars, ground breaking vocals and emotive lyricism give “21st” a transporting feeling. Painting a soundscape in your mind, The American Hotel System allows the listener to escape into an alternate reality and live in the music. The heavy breaks during the chorus when the vocalist belts, “I’m letting go” is the true highlight of this track. I highly recommend you give “21st” a listen. - Buzz Music LA