Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.

One Track Mind” features a Washtenaw County-associated artist or band discussing a single song.

Standout Track: No. 1, “Skate” from Ypsilanti’s Sleep Tight Tiger. The indie-pop band’s debut EP, Plum Something, explores being vulnerable and sharing that emotional experience with others.

On “Skate,” the band sings about feeling carefree and spending time with friends. The members of Sleep Tight Tiger—Ruby Howard, Steve Poeschel, Laura Topf, and Evan Beane—pooled a bunch of their memories together while writing the song. “Those times with friends that arise spontaneously—running into a friend on the street and deciding to walk to the river, or both being homesick at the same time and lying out in a backyard together under the sun—feel easy and fleeting in a way that I hold dear,” writes Topf in an email interview. “There were a couple of roller skaters among the WCBN students that I have fond memories with, who inspired the hook of the song.” (Sleep Tight Tiger members were all involved with the University of Michigan student radio station.)

Beane also credits friendship with being the driving force behind this song, especially since “Skate” was written on a whim. “The idea of going roller skating, I think, evokes a lot of feelings about being happy and carefree, which helped us to combine a lot of these moments and memories we had into a loose storyline,” he wrote in an email interview.

Musical Motivation: “Skate” is inspired by a variety of genres, including twee pop and punk. And while “Skate” doesn’t sound like The Stooges, The Hentchmen, and Wolf Eyes, Sleep Tight Tiger also appreciates the area’s long history of punk and noise groups. “We love music history, and I think that’s very much reflected in the songs we write,” wrote Beane. “I have met so many artists in the community that are so kind and supportive of our music; I’m very grateful to contribute to this larger music dialogue.”

Like Beane, Topf said the band embraces its love of different musical styles and appreciates being linked to its influences. “We are always excited when someone says we sound like one of our heroes,” she wrote. “We aren’t afraid to build upon the history of these genres and subcultures, and we are proud of that. We also aren’t afraid to call ourselves pop, which I think can get a bad rap.”

Sounds Like Ziggy’s: “Skate” and the other songs for Plum Something were recorded at co-producer Evan Courtney’s home studio in Detroit. Sleep Tighter Tiger spent nine hours recording the EP live and added minimal overdubs. “We went in with the intention of having a really raw and unpolished sound that would be equivalent to hearing us at Ziggy’s or something,” Topf wrote. “We love playing live, and we wanted the songs to reflect that. Despite still cringing at my mistakes whenever I listen back, the imperfections are what make this release so special to me.”