THE BAND YAM HAUS in Los Angeles preparing for tonight’s competition in the “American Song Contest” on the NBC network. From the left are Jake Felstrom, Zach Beinlich, Seth Blum and Lars Pruitt. The show is set to broadcast at 7 p.m. Central time. (Photo from Yam Haus Facebook page)

MARQUETTE — Ada LeAnn, 16, of downstate Battle Creek is the artist representing Michigan in the new “American Song Contest” competition television show that kicks off tonight on NBC.

But another state’s entry into the contest has a Yooper connection.

Yam Haus, a four-man band representing Minnesota, includes bass player Zach Beinlich, whose Upper Peninsula roots go back a couple of generations.

Beinlich’s father is Kurt Beinlich, a 1976 graduate of Ishpeming High School. His mother is Lynette (Moyle) Beinlich, a 1976 graduate of Negaunee High School.

His paternal grandparents, Eric and Cathie Beinlich, were longtime Ishpeming residents who were active in their community. His maternal grandparents, MaryRose (Jolly) Moyle and the late Gordon Moyle, have roots in the Copper Country.

“I spent almost every summer and Christmas in the U.P. when I was growing up and it has a very special place in my heart,” Zach Beinlich said in an email interview. “We would go to Lake Superior, visit Marquette, and spend lots of time at my grandparents’ house visiting with family and making really special memories up there.”

What does Zach like the most about the U.P.?

“It’s really hard to pick one thing, but I do love all the nature experiences, visiting Lake Superior, the Porcupine Mountains and the lake by my grandparents’ house,” he said. “We would go to Congress Pizza in Ishpeming almost every time we went and it’s still my favorite pizza to this day.”

A news release from NBC explains what this new show is about: “Based on the worldwide phenomenon ‘Eurovision Song Contest,’ organized for 65 years by the European Broadcasting Union and watched by 200 million viewers annually, this amazing musical spectacular combines the competitive spirit of rooting for your favorite sports team with the joy of watching a beloved singing performance.

“In the U.S. version of the international megahit, ‘American Song Contest’ will feature live original musical performances, representing all 50 states, five U.S. territories and our nation’s capital, competing to win the country’s vote for the best original song.”

Yam Haus has produced a number of original songs since forming five years ago.

“Yam Haus was formed in 2017 when we all decided to quit our jobs and give the music thing our full attention,” Beinlich said. “Three of us knew each other from high school but didn’t formally start the band until 2017. Since then we’ve been able to pay the bills and have the time of our lives.

“We try to make our music as accessible as possible. We use the genre ‘pop’ a lot of the time but we seem to flow between genres based on what we’re feeling at the moment,” he said. “The song being performed on the show doesn’t really sound like anything we’ve done before, but is definitely a high-energy rock ‘n’ roll style song.”

The band has been working its way into the public eye from its beginning.

“We’ve had a lot of amazing opportunities since we started the band, but selling out the venue First Avenue in Minneapolis was a pretty big deal for us. The venue is really special in our hometown because Prince made it famous and is probably the coolest place to see a show,” Beinlich said. “We also went on a nationwide tour last fall with a band called Blue October and we played 50 shows all around the country, which was an unbelievable opportunity.”

Yam Haus wasn’t expecting the “American Song Contest” contact.

“We received an email in 2021 about auditioning for the show and we didn’t really know what it was going to look like,” Beinlich said. “After lots of Zoom calls and conversations, we were selected to represent Minnesota and it’s been a whirlwind ever since.”

Yam Haus — which also includes Lars Pruitt, lead vocals; Jake Felstow, drums; and Seth Blum, guitar — is now in Los Angeles.

“We have been meeting the other contestants at the hotel this week and everyone is super nice. It seems like we all genuinely want each other to do well and we’re super excited to see their performances on Monday night. We will be performing on March 21, the premiere of the show,” Beinlich said.

That’s where public support comes in.

“The public gets to vote on their favorite act every week. There is also a jury that has a say in who moves on but getting as many people to vote for us as possible is a huge thing for us,” Beinlich said. “We would love if the people of the U.P. watched us on March 21 and voted for us so that we can move onto the next round keep making the Midwest proud!”

“American Song Contest” debuts at 7 p.m. Central today on NBC, hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson.