Jason Longuski prefers to get personal with his songwriting.

The Night Sky Alumni frontman pulled from reflections, experiences, and relationships while penning tracks for the Metro Detroit band’s latest EP, Down the Rabbit Hole.

“It is a lot of personal experiences that led to those lyrics, the songs themselves, and the feeling behind them all,” said Longuski, Night Sky Alumni’s vocalist-guitarist. “There’s a story for every one of them and how they came to be.”

The EP’s six tracks serve as an introspective examination of gratitude, growth, and love for the indie-rock band. Longuski’s heartfelt lyrics document everything from valuable lessons to aspirational moments to newfound love.

“For a lot of my writing and lyrics, it could be something I flubbed on or a failure, or it could be something very happy that I started out with,” he said. “Even in the darkest of times or experiences, I’ve always had good people around me—my family, my friends, support groups—that have helped me get through some of the hardest moments of my life.”

On Down the Rabbit Hole, those moments not only soar lyrically but sonically as well. Night Sky Alumni bandmates Joe Daksiewicz (guitar, backing vocals), Steve Lupinski (bass), and Al Ledford (drums) bring fiery and upbeat instrumentation to their sophomore release.

“His lyrical content just complements the music I can write,” Daksiewicz said. “On ‘Let It Rip,’ there’s also an airplane noise, … and to me, it’s part of a story. I’m lucky these guys are willing to allow me to experiment. I feel like a mad scientist sometimes.”

To learn more, I spoke with Longuski and Daksiewicz about the band’s EP ahead of a June 20 release show at Parts and Labor Bar in Melvindale, Michigan.

Q: Jason, how did you and Steve Lupinski come to form the band in 2020?

Jason Longuski (JL): Steve was in a previous band called John Kay & Who’s to Say. He had a show with John Kay at the Sanctuary [Detroit] and invited me to open with a solo performance. From there, Steve said, “Do you mind if we do some shows together and I play some bass?” We started playing together and then he introduced me to Al [Ledford] and James [Berg].

We started practicing some songs I already had written, and we brought on a guitarist, Adam Enriquez. He played with us for a while and then decided to depart on his own terms. It was the best departure you could ask for, and it was very friendly and understanding.

And when Adam left, I immediately reached out to Joe to fill in some spots because we already had some shows on the books. Joe still plays with a band called Nick Piunti & The Complicated Men. He wasn’t doing shows at that time as frequently as we were, so he had some time to fill. When he stepped in, we thought, “This is going really well.” He adds that flavor we were missing and it [grew] from there to what we are today.

Q: What inspired the band’s name?

JL: James Berg threw out that name, and it hit home for me. I am a very anxious person and a night owl, so when he threw out Night Sky Alumni, it resonated personally with me to my core. I said, “That’s it, right there.” I find myself a lot staying up late at night, deep in thought. Sometimes when I get the best writing done, it’s after hours.

Q: How did you hone the band’s sound while working on your debut EP, Better Late Than Never, in 2022?

JL: That was the starting point of me bringing material I was working on outside of the group. I [took] it to the group—and not to say that they didn’t have any creative influence—but I had [already] written “Wouldn’t Trade a Thing,” “Waste Your Soul,” and “Proud of You.” I wrote the music, the main riff, the lyrics, and the melody and brought it to the table. And they added their flavor and spice to it. We had been rolling without music for the audience and or anybody to hear, so that’s [how] the EP name came together. It was like, “Well, it’s better late than never; we got something out there.”

We have evolved from that to starting to write songs as a group, rather than just me bringing something together, or bringing something to the table and saying, “Hey, write your parts for this.” It became more of a collaborative project. That EP was recorded and produced by Nick Behnan and he did a great job. I recorded a couple of solo singles, “Some Kind of Sacrifice” and “Hopeful for You,” with Nick [as well].

Q: Down the Rabbit Hole explores positive themes like gratitude and hope. What was it like to reflect on these themes for the EP?

JL: The gratitude and hope stemmed from realizing that we’re not perfect. We’ll never be perfect but there’s always something good to take away from it. Where you are at this moment in time is where you’re supposed to be, so the mistakes you make are intentional, and if you take something positive out of that and learn some from it, then it’s worth it.

Joe Daksiewicz (JD): I think Jason and I are so similar … we’re the same kind of person. We like introspection, we want to be better people, and we make the same mistakes. I think we’re just on the same plane.

Q: “Fueling the Fire” celebrates living in the moment and being with the right person. How did this track become an uplifting anthem for hope and love?

JL: It’s taking a relationship you care deeply about and realizing things will happen along the way. It’s gonna be rocky, and it’s gonna be up and down, but let’s forget about the past. It doesn’t matter at that moment because there’s nothing you can fix about stuff that’s happened already. Let’s make the best of now and look forward to tomorrow. Let’s do things that will encourage growth in the relationship. There’s never a shortage of things you can experience with your partner or whoever it is that will make that relationship stronger.

JD: I do think the title is interesting. Normally, “Fueling the Fire” has a negative connotation, so it’s good to have it be such a positive thing.

Q: “Let It Rip” is about seizing the moment and trusting your instincts, especially as you age. What inspired this track about taking initiative and living your life to the fullest?

JL: The song came from the idea: “What do I want to spend the rest of my life doing? Do I want to spend it working in corporate for a nine-to-five for the rest of my life and retire at 65 or 67? And [then] spend the last few years of my life enjoying it or do I wanna start now? Do I not wanna participate in what’s expected [of me] in this social climate?”

If you have a goal or something you want to do, why wait until you’re old and don’t have much time left? If you have something you love and want to do, just because it goes against the grain doesn’t mean that [it’s] wrong. It doesn’t mean that you can’t do it. Seize the moment and seize the day because life is short.

It’s probably one of my favorite songs on the EP, too. But for the other guys like Steve and Al, because it’s so minimalistic, a lot of the song in the beginning is just guitars and vocals. It’s like they have to hang back and take a break.

Q: “Seeing Through Different Eyes” highlights overcoming a difficult experience and gaining wisdom. How did a past struggle lead to writing this song?

JL: This song came after I had spent a stint, unfortunately, in the DuPage County Jail in Illinois in 2022. I found myself in an unfortunate situation and had to spend time away from my family. It was probably the worst time of my life. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody, … and it’s hard on someone who doesn’t want to end up in a situation like that. That song came after I was released and could eat real food again … and enjoy the freedom of doing what I wanted to [do], whether it was going for a run or breathing fresh air instead of a stinky cell. It was the gratification of knowing, “Hey, I’m out, I’m free.” I tried my best to capture what that felt like in that song.

JD: Once again, I can relate to Jason. I have never been in that situation. I am a recovering addict; I’ve been clean for 13 years. My life could have easily gone in a different direction multiple times.

Q: “Let’s Take a Shot” asks someone to give love a chance in the face of uncertainty.  How did a past or current relationship spark this track?

A: It was a relationship based on uncertainty, and it’s saying, “Do we proceed with this? Should we? Well, screw it; let’s just do this and go all in.” It can mean different things to people in that same situation. You’re overanalyzing every possible situation or judgment that could come your way in your relationship with this person.

Q: “Let’s Take a Shot” was first recorded and released as a single in 2023. Why did you remaster the track and include it on the EP?

JL: Joe had a different tone and vibe that he wanted to capture on his part. It was a good song, and we didn’t want to let it be and sit when we could have made it a little better than what it was.

JD: When I first joined and was learning all these songs, Jason said, “Besides learning the main parts, do whatever you want to do.” He gave me free rein to decide what, when, and where. For that one, there was a catchy, pop element that was missing from the original one. I had written an octave lead part and a guitar solo that I thought fit [the song] a little better. I asked them, “Can we rerecord the guitar on this and release it with the [EP]?” And they were cool with that.

Q: Tell me about the writing process for Down the Rabbit Hole. How did it start with “Burn?”

JL: By March 2023, I already had ideas of what I wanted to do. I had started with that one. I’ll go through spurts and write a bunch of lyrics, and sometimes I’ll go for a while and can’t think of anything to write about. I have to experience something to write about it. As unfortunate as it is to experience a bad thing or as fortunate as it is to experience a good thing, those are the times when I write the best songs I’ve ever written.

Even though [“Burn”] is based on a bad experience, I’m grateful for that experience, the learning that has come from it, and the gift of the music that has come out of it. The song itself is written about addiction and struggle, and it’s about being upset and disappointed with yourself consistently. It’s asking, “Why do I keep ending up in the same patterns and situations?” The lyrics say, “You get up, get up / And start all over again / As long as you’re alive and breathing / You pick up, pick up.” That’s what I try to tell myself every day. If I get up the next day and I’m still breathing … it’s a good day.

Q: You recorded Down the Rabbit Hole with co-producer Brian Reilly at Scramble Shack Studios in Ferndale. What was it like to work with Brian?

JL: We went into the studio in September of 2024, and Brian did his mixing and mastering from there. He was super easy to work with, but also very influential and creative when he heard something or we had ideas. He would not hold back on what his thoughts were.

He’s so gifted and talented himself, and everybody hears something differently. It was very comforting knowing that he could lend critiques but also let us make the ultimate decision on what we wanted to keep and what we wanted to discard. We all got along great, and the recording process was fun. It wasn’t stressful or rushed.

Q: How did the band help shape the sound of the EP during the recording?

JL: I’m grateful to have jammed with so many talented musicians and great drummers. All in all, I don’t think there’s somebody I’ve ever played with who is almost like a human metronome like Al. His takes were all just one take, and he played to the song rather than just writing a part to it. His [playing] says, “I don’t have to go above and beyond or try to stand out. I want to make the song better than what it could be.” He’s an amazing, talented drummer, and we’re very fortunate to have him on board.

I’ve been playing with Steve since 2020, and he doesn’t have to overshadow anything. He knows he’s good, but he also knows what sounds right for the song itself. He’ll say, “Let me write something to make the song fit and make my parts work.” Joe is like a professor when it comes to writing his parts, but also he has fun with it. He got to experiment a lot in the studio during the recording process and added xylophone to “Fueling the Fire.”

JD: I kept hearing in “Fueling the Fire” this descend-ascend [sound]. Brian said, “Well, why don’t I play the song, and you record the xylophone to the whole song and we’ll see what sounds good?” It really accented the chorus. Part of learning the craft of writing music is picturing the song before it’s finished. And part of that is knowing where it’s going, how it’s gonna end, and how it’s gonna begin.

Q: You’re having an EP release show on June 20 with Remnants and Dary at Parts and Labor Bar in Melvindale. What plans do you have for the show?

JL: We’re gonna play every song from Down the Rabbit Hole. We’ll play most of Better Late Than Never and some other songs we have yet to record. We have about a 13 to 14-song setlist at the moment; it’s probably gonna be an hour set for us. We’ve played with Remnants before, and they’re a great band too. We’re excited to be back on the stage with them. It’s the first show we’ll be playing with Dary.

Q: What’s up next for the band this summer?

JL: We have a show with Painting With Light and The Electric Numbers at The Lexington Bar [in Detroit] on July 19. We have the Sunday Socials, a downtown Wyandotte festival, on July 27. We’re also doing Ferndale’s Nine on Nine on August 24. It’s like Music in the Parks or Sunday Socials, where you’re featured outside with a live setup and provide your own PA system. It’s nice to be thought of when people are putting these things together and needing artists and bands to fill slots.

Q: Do you plan to work on new material?

JL: We’re always writing. I’m working on a few that I just started recently. Joe has 1,000 ideas he’s sent me. I have to pick one at a time and work on them. I still have recordings from him when we played in The Split that we never did anything with. I’ll start listening to them and think, “Oh, why don’t I start working on that one?” That’s how [big] his catalog is and how much music he’s written.

JD: I always love recording. I’m super-passionate about it, but sometimes I have to slow down. We’re trying to put this out and make people pay attention. We don’t want to move on too quickly.

Night Sky Alumni perform June 20 with Remnants and Dary at Parts and Labor Bar, 17993 Allen Road, Melvindale, Michigan. Doors are at 7:30 pm, and the show includes a $10 cover.