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.
“I’ve always loved split releases,” said Wixson, who performs in Frank White, a punk-rock band from Detroit. “When I was younger, bands put them out all the time, both locally and nationally.”
It wasn’t a big surprise when Wixson pitched the idea of a split album to three other local punk-rock bands: P.T.’s Revenge, Newburgh, and Middle-Out.
“The idea for the Triple Threat LP came from P.T.’s [Revenge] booking their holiday show far in advance,” Wixson said.
A few months before the holiday show, three of the four bands recorded 12 songs for Triple Threat with drummer-engineer-producer John Kowaleski at Stu Stu Studio in Livonia.
“It felt like a great way to revive that tradition,” Wixson said. “Originally, it may have even been a ‘quadruple threat,’ since Middle-Out was invited, but their schedule didn’t allow it this time. Hopefully, that’s something we can revisit in the future.”
On Triple Threat, P.T.’s Revenge, Frank White, and Newburgh each contributed three original tracks and one cover.
“We said, ‘We’re going to produce it, and we’re going to put it on vinyl,’ and it’s a lot easier when you have three bands splitting the bill,” said Kowaleski, who’s also the drummer for Frank White and P.T.’s Revenge.
All three bands appreciated the guidance and expertise Kowaleski provided during the recording process for Triple Threat.
“He played to our strengths as musicians, boosted our confidence in ourselves, and with his years of experience as a songwriter, he really helped us dial in our sound,” said Nic Engler, a vocalist-guitarist with Newburgh.
I recently spoke to Wixson, Kowaleski, and Engler about the album.
It was December 2019, and the indie-folk band had played an opening set at the Detroit music venue.
“We opened for Brother Elsey just right before COVID,” said Alison Wiercioch, one of the band’s vocalists. “That was one of our first times playing as a full band.”
At the time, Wiercioch had performed with sister and vocalist Tessa Wiercioch, guitarist Jimmy Showers, bassist Steve Lehane, keyboardist John Raleeh, and drummer Steve Stetson.
“There’s something special, too, I think about a venue like The Shelter,” said Showers, who makes up the core of the band with the Wiercioch sisters. “I feel like the best place to see a band is at a small club show.”
Now, seven years later, it’s a full-circle moment for Jackamo: they’re gearing up for a February 21 headlining show at The Shelter.
“We said, ‘OK, we want to do a headlining show,’” said Alison Wiercioch. “We want to see what we can do and what type of room we can try to fill.”
The show will feature new music and old favorites from Jackamo, who’s been diligently working on their debut album at Royal Oak’s Rustbelt Studios.
“With the album coming out [later this year], we’re trying to find our sound and what we want to sound like,” said Tessa Wiercioch. “I feel like we almost went back to the basics. We thought, “Well, what are our biggest inspirations, and who are our influences?”
Those influences range from Lucinda Williams and The Staves to The Milk Carton Kids and The Lumineers.
“I was really inspired by The Lumineers’ album, III,” said Alison Wiercioch. “There were all of these music videos with stories, and I was following the storyline—I was enthralled. I looked forward to every time they would release a new music video for the songs. I think we have that idea of interweaving these songs together.”
To learn more, I spoke with Jackamo about their music ahead of the show.
“Sometimes, when we try to make changes in our lives, we feel stuck, helpless,” said Tamiko May about the Lansing band’s new indie-folk single.
“‘Carousel’ explores this idea of how—consciously or unconsciously—we sometimes find ourselves going ‘round and round’ in circles, in a pattern that doesn’t allow for change.”
Backed by contemplative instrumentation, May sings, “Face the fear of losing out / On some dream that’s preprepared / I’m not used to loose reins / And I’m feeling kind of scared / To leave the organ music and / The brass sleeves behind / As we gallop towards a future / That we ourselves define.”
“I wrote ‘Carousel’ a month after my mom died in 2023,” said May, who also plays ukulele on the song. “I had just joined an online songwriting community and had been given a prompt word, which was supposed to be the focus for writing a new song. However, the ‘Carousel’ song kept nudging me to come back to it, and I wasn’t able to focus on the ‘prompt’ song until ‘Carousel’ was finished.”
Jan Krist. Photo taken from Jan Krist’s Facebook page.
Jan Krist doesn’t mind sharing different perspectives.
The folk singer-songwriter gets candid about religion, politics, history, and relationships on Since You Asked Me.
“It does feel cathartic to be able to go ahead and say some of this stuff,” said Krist about her latest album. “It feels a little scary, too, to say what you’re thinking.”
The album’s title track explores having an honest conversation with an acquaintance about being banished from a church.
“I said, ‘Tell me about your experience with the church,’ and he said, ‘Well, since you asked me …,’” said Krist, who had the conversation at a writers’ retreat in Washington.
“And then he launched into this story about when he was young, he had a relationship with a young woman there in the church, and they both made mistakes. But he ended up getting banished, and he lived in Alaska in a little town. It really was hurtful for him to feel this heavy judgment every time he walked into a local place.”
Backed by somber acoustic guitar and cello, Krist sings, “You can’t claim the higher ground / When you’re pushing people down / And barring mercy’s door / And what are we thinking?”
“I have not had that experience, but I’ve had many experiences being in churches,” said Krist, who recently relocated to South Lyon from Fort Wayne, Indiana. “I’ve been Christian since I was 16, and I was a worship director at a church. And I’ve been to all kinds of churches, from high church to evangelical.”
The title track is one of 17 songs on Since You Asked Me, which features emotive instrumentation, narrative lyrics, and serene vocals. Each track immerses listeners in a different time period and provides compelling characters against a rich backdrop of folk music.
To learn more, I spoke with Krist about select tracks from the album and the creative process behind it.
Sonic Distance’s Connor Parent at The Blind Pig in August 2025. Photo taken from Sonic Distance’s Facebook page.
In eighth grade, Connor Parent had an epiphany.
The singer-songwriter and guitarist sat down at a middle school lunchroom table with friend Elliot Walker and pulled out his composition notebook.
“I said, ‘All right, we’re gonna make an album, and it’s gonna be called Everything Outward,’” said Parent, who hails from Walled Lake, Michigan. “It really just came to me.”
Parent spent the next eight years writing and recording 15 tracks for what would become his debut album, Everything Outward, under the artist moniker Sonic Distance.
“I started writing at the age of 14, going through high school, even a bit of college,” he said. “Those are the ages when your mind expands, and you’re learning a lot about the world. I’m still learning a lot, and I feel like I do have more to say.”
What resulted is an introspective alt-rock album that explores the quest for finding one’s purpose and understanding the world around us.
“When it comes to this collection of songs, the sequencing is very intentional. It tells the story from start to finish of a character who starts out angry at the world. The track, ‘Fire Trail,’ takes a spooky, haunting turn to the album,” Parent said.
“It has these mood swings to it, and then it goes into a silly [section] with ‘Chicken Fight,’ ‘Avenue,’ and ‘Jet Lag.’ Then, you get into the introspective meat of the album with the last three songs. It has this personal resolution at the end. A lot of it is fictitious, but a lot of it did come from [real life].”
I recently spoke with Parent about the inspiration behind Everything Outward.
Jennifer Westwood will perform at the first Sounds of the Zoo Presents: Live. Local. Vibes. show of 2026 on January 24 at Kalamazoo’s Old Dog Tavern. Photo – Chuck Marshall
The founder, curator, and director of the Kalamazoo-based music festival is featuring several shows in 2026 to keep its momentum.
“Sounds of the Zoo has reached a point where it’s no longer just an idea or an annual event—it’s a living, growing ecosystem,” Hudson-Prenkert said.
“Lately, I’m motivated by the idea of sustainability: how we build something that supports artists long-term, not just for one weekend, and how we keep evolving while staying rooted in community.”
Billed as Sounds of the Zoo Presents: Live. Local. Vibes., the shows include different Michigan artists sharing the stage with each other and out-of-town guests.
“Creatively, I’ve been inspired by collaboration across scenes and genres and by watching artists support one another in really genuine ways,” Hudson-Prenkert said.
Kamp is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and a member of Shooter Jennings’ band.
“I wanted artists who are not only incredible musicians but also strong storytellers and collaborators,” Hudson-Prenkert said.
“Bringing Detroit and Kalamazoo artists together with Ted Russell Kamp from Los Angeles reflects what Sounds of the Zoo is all about—connection across regimes and scenes. Ted has deep roots in Americana and songwriting, and pairing him with Michigan artists creates a really special, shared musical conversation rather than a typical headliner format.”
Longtime friends of Kamp’s, Westwood and Dunbar are eager to perform with him in Kalamazoo.
“Ted called, and we decided it was a great chance to get our pumps primed for the road again,” said Westwood, who performs with husband Dunbar and their band, The Handsome Devils.
“I wanted to treat our friend to some good experiences here. We wanted a date on the west side of the state. I love Jennifer [Hudson-Prenkert’s] vision, we enjoy Kalamazoo, and saw it as an opportunity to work with someone with a real vision versus looking to add a date to a calendar.”
I recently spoke with Hudson-Prenkert and Westwood ahead of the January 24 show.
The show benefits Motor City Mitten Mission, a St. Clair Shores nonprofit that supports the homeless.
“After the success of our 2025 show—raising nearly $5,000—there were so many artists from Southeast Michigan who asked to be part of it if we held it again,” said Mike Ward, a folk singer-songwriter who’s organizing the show with his wife Angie Ward and singer-songwriter Nick Juno. “So it was a no-brainer.”
It will also serve as a collection site for donating winter clothing, food supplies, and other essential items for those in need.
Show attendees can donate any of the following items—hoodies, sweatshirts, shoes, boots, T-shirts, winter gloves and hats, sleeping bags, tents, backpacks, bottled water, beef jerky, crackers, soup cups, utensils, and more—and receive a discounted entry fee of $5 that night.
“Last year, we had no idea how much we could raise,” said Ward, who first hosted the event in 2022. “We honestly thought if we brought in $700 to $1,000, plus donated items, it would be a success in addition to the awareness for the Mission. We sold out and had to turn people away, and ended up bringing in $4,700, plus filled a few vans with donated items.”
People can also make monetary donations at the show or through Motor City Mitten Mission’s website. All donations and proceeds from the show will go to the nonprofit.
To learn more, I spoke with Ward ahead of the show.
The Clarkston musician and entrepreneur met through Wiltsie’s, a pop-up listening room that features live performances from Michigan musicians and doubles as a co-working space.
“I started doing shows for Brandon, both solo and then with One Ton Trolley,” said Arnold, who fronts the roots-rock band.
“Had it not been for Wiltsie’s, Brandon and I probably wouldn’t know each other. My whole network changed as a result of Wiltsie’s.”
Arnold and Still also witnessed the instant connections people started making while attending shows at Wiltsie’s.
“My career has morphed into helping small towns build co-working spaces [like Wiltsie’s],” said Still, who works in economic development and runs The Integrated Life Company.
“Our tagline that we’ve fallen into with Wiltsie’s has been transformational music experiences. It’s transforming the places, it’s transforming the people, and it’s transforming the artists in that they actually get to have a connection with people, too.”
That shared love of music, connection, and community struck a chord with Still and Arnold. By March 2024, they started laying the foundation for Echoes in the Iron, a multimedia project that supports small-town revitalization and builds community through music, storytelling, and entrepreneurship.
The project includes a series of YouTube videos spotlighting small business owners, musicians, and community advocates in Michigan.
“The music is obviously the main focal point for drawing people together and having the emotional spark to get people truly engaged,” Arnold said. “But we want to showcase their town, too, along with the businesses and the history. We want to combine everything … and foster community through all of that.”
I recently spoke with Arnold and Still to learn more about Echoes in the Iron.
Julianne Ankley understands the numbing effect of a breakup.
The Americana singer-songwriter explores that unexpected sensation and its lasting impact on her latest single, “Polar Train.”
“To me, the song is not so much about the pain of dating the wrong person,” said Ankley, who resides in Port Huron, Michigan. “It’s the aftermath ‘numb’ feeling that can follow post-breakup.”
Backed by bluesy electric guitar and driving instrumentation, she sings, “Those things you did turned me on / You cast your spell, now you’re up and gone / Leavin’ me chilled right to the bone / Didn’t realize that I’d soon be one.”
“At the time that I was writing this song, I was curious and drawn to this very attractive person who I thought might not be the best fit for me,” Ankley said. “It was about the inner struggle of knowing what might result if I let them pursue me.”
The Stratton Setlist 