Month: March 2026

Clear View — Weekend Lovers Examine Loss Through Fresh Eyes on “In Your Dreams” Album

Dane Velasquez, Marta DeLeon, and Rick Bailey of Weekend Lovers. Photo – Ed Arnaud

Marta DeLeon views life from a clearer perspective on In Your Dreams.

The Tucson, Arizona, vocalist-bassist examines loss and love through a new lens on Weekend Lovers’ latest album.

“My mom’s passing away was a big deal,” said DeLeon, who fronts the indie-rock trio. “My dad, sister, and I had been estranged these last few years, but we’ve come back together recently. It’s processing a lot of the grief of losing my mom for all of us.”

She tackles that shared grief on “Not Chill,” which explores the need for acceptance and closure.

DeLeon sings, “But you were lucky to have found her at all / It ain’t my peace. Is it all my fault? / I was waiting in a different time / But we don’t feel this, and it’s almost gone / Cuz deep inside we don’t know.”

“The song, ‘Not Chill,’ is about that … and it was hard to finalize the lyrics for it because I wanted it to capture that emotion,” DeLeon said. “The night before I went into the studio, I was still [figuring] out the lyrics. I didn’t want them to be too simple or too repetitive.”

DeLeon features cathartic lyrics and ethereal vocals across nine tracks on In Your Dreams. Weekend Lovers bandmates Dane Velasquez (guitars, keys) and Rick Bailey (drums, percussion) help DeLeon build that sonic world through emotive instrumentation.

“There’s a lot more band collaboration because I started playing with Rick and Dane in mid-2021,” she said. “We had been playing out for two years, and then we went into the studio in 2023 to track the first half of the songs. Then, we tracked the other half in 2024.”

I recently spoke with DeLeon about the inspiration behind the album.

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Beyond the CD — Pinckney Singer-Songwriter Jarrett Cogswell Revisits “Back Home” Album for Streaming

Jarrett Cogswell. Courtesy photo.

In 2003, Jarrett Cogswell took a DIY approach to releasing his album, Back Home.

The Pinckney singer-songwriter burned CDs to sell at shows in Livingston County and the Metro Detroit area.

“Back then, they had those CD burners and CD labelers,” said Cogswell, who’s also a teacher and coach for Pinckney Community Schools. “I would print the paper out and then stick it on every single CD. That’s how it started, and I probably sold 1,000 overall.”

Two decades later, he’s decided to revisit the album and put it on streaming.

“The last couple of years, students of mine and my own kids said, ‘You should get this online,’” Cogswell said. “I emailed Darryl [Schmitz], the guy who recorded my album, and said, ‘Hey, do you still have the files for this?’” And he shared them with me. I got it on my Chromebook and then went on DistroKid. I sent them the files, signed the waivers—and then boom!—it was on [streaming] platforms.”

Putting Back Home on streaming has given the country-pop album a new lease on life. Now, his family, students, and fans don’t need a CD player to hear it.

“If anybody can do that, I should start doing that,” Cogswell said. “That’s why I went back and got the old album and put it out there.”

Featuring heartfelt lyrics and earnest acoustic instrumentation, Back Home is a snapshot of Cogswell’s life and relationships in the early 2000s across 16 tracks. It also reflects on the time he spent in Nashville.

“Back Home is a mix of autobiographical experiences and stories,” Cogswell said. “I would take a story that actually happened and create that. Being back home was a big part because I had moved back from Nashville. The song, ‘Your Favorite Song,’ the last one, that’s about being there.”

To learn more, I spoke with Cogswell about his background and the album.

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Sisters of Music — The Wildflowers Bond Together On and Off The Stage in Washtenaw County

Shannon Lee, Hilary Finchum-Sung, and Kandy Fredrick of The Wildflowers. Courtesy photo.

The Wildflowers embrace their musical sisterhood.

Members Kandy Fredrick, Shannon Lee, and Hilary Finchum-Sung don’t hesitate to acknowledge it either.

“We have a strong bond, and we enjoy each other’s company,” said Fredrick about her bandmates in the country trio from Washtenaw County.

Fredrick instantly clicked with Lee and Finchum-Sung last year when they performed together during a songwriters in the round show at Ann Arbor’s Moon Winks Cafe.

“We’ve only been together a year,” Lee said. “We had so much fun at that show that we decided to keep doing it and gave ourselves a name.”

They named themselves The Wildflowers after the “Wildflowers” song from the album Trio, which features Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris.

“People love the harmonies, and that’s a draw,” said Finchum-Sung, who also performs with Lee in J. Michael & The Heavy Burden. “It’s a special thing to have this group.”

I recently spoke with The Wildflowers ahead of an April 3 show at Ann Arbor’s Crazy Wisdom Bookstore.

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Audra Kubat Promises Intimate Performance for March 6 Detroit Institute of Arts Show

Audra Kubat. Photo by Miles Marie, aka Nomadic Madam.

Audra Kubat sees vulnerability as her superpower.

The folk singer-songwriter shares that rawness and honesty with people during her live performances.

“When I get done with a set and someone tells me they cried, I think, ‘Yes, I have done it!’” said Kubat, who lives in Detroit’s NW Goldberg Neighborhood. “There are so few public spaces where that kind of release is encouraged, but I believe we so desperately need to have more shared healing opportunities.”

Luckily, that opportunity is right around the corner: Kubat is playing March 6 for “Friday Night Live,” an ongoing music series at the Detroit Institute of Arts that features local artists and other acts.

“The March 6 show will mostly be intimate and stripped back,” she said. “I want the words front and center for the audience, then for the melody to show up, then the supporting music, and finally resonance.”

Kubat’s show will feature new material and past favorites with several special guests.

I recently caught up with Kubat ahead of the show.

Continue reading “Audra Kubat Promises Intimate Performance for March 6 Detroit Institute of Arts Show” →