Category: Videos

Pure Michigan – Sophia Orensteen Pays Homage to U-M and Offers Coming-of-Age Tales on ‘AmericanGirl’ Album

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Sophia Orensteen examines past relationships on AmericanGirl. Photo courtesy of Sophia Orensteen.

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

Sophia Orensteen’s heart belongs in Ann Arbor.

While the pop-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist hails from New York City, she’s ecstatic about attending the University of Michigan this fall as a freshman to study music.

So much in fact that Orensteen has written a song called “Michigan,” which pays homage to the school and serves as the aspirational opener from her debut album, AmericanGirl.

“This song turned into a way that I could express my love for Michigan even though I had never been there [before] or had never seen it,” she said.

“I got in contact with the University of Michigan about using my song for their social media. I also sent in the song with my application, and I didn’t even tell my parents I was applying. And then I got in, and they said, ‘What?’”

Despite that surprise, Orensteen learned of her acceptance to U-M in February and has started planning for the fall.

She shares that sentiment in “Michigan” alongside hopeful acoustic guitar and electric guitar while singing: “I’ve never been to Michigan, but I’ve heard it’s nice / You’re going away, going to college, gonna start a new life / You’ll remember me / When you see my name in lights / And you’ll say, ‘Wow, she was right.’”

“I’ve always loved the University of Michigan, and I wrote this in one of my supplemental essays when I applied there,” said Orensteen, who will graduate from New York City’s Professional Children’s School in June.

“I never told my parents or anybody that I loved the University of Michigan, but I’ve always followed the school and their football team. I never thought I’d go there or get into the school.”

Orensteen’s “Michigan” is one of 13 coming-of-age tracks featured on AmericanGirl, which includes introspective lyrics about life and love and spirited pop-rock and pop-punk instrumentation.

I recently spoke with Orensteen about her background and influences, her latest album and songs, her creative process for the album, her producers and collaborators, and her plans for the summer.

Continue reading “Pure Michigan – Sophia Orensteen Pays Homage to U-M and Offers Coming-of-Age Tales on ‘AmericanGirl’ Album” →

Magic Wand – Carolyn Striho Recaptures Stirring Emotions on ‘Blue Ridiculous Love’ Single

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Carolyn Striho features poetic lyrics and heartfelt rock instrumentation on “Blue Ridiculous Love.”

Carolyn Striho cherishes the magical moments in life.

In those fleeting moments, the Detroit singer-songwriter feels grateful and inspired while spending time with others.

However, that magic often dissipates as people move on or pass away, but the love and appreciation from those interactions remain with Striho.

She beautifully shares that sentiment and a longing to recapture it in her new single, “Blue Ridiculous Love,” which features poetic lyrics and heartfelt rock instrumentation.

“I saw this song more as a painting, and with a painting, you’re interpreting it your way,” said Striho, who co-wrote the track with husband-guitarist Scott Dailey. “I’m talking about the ‘green grass of gold dirt,’ and it reminds me of one of the Beatnik poets, and you get these images.”

Surrounded by eager acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and drums, Striho sings, “I had this magic / It’s right on my side / Then everybody took a ride / The evening shadows / The tiny voice in my head / Starts talking louder / It’s an evil eye.”

“It’s a romantic song with an angst about the future and missing people, but it’s also about how falling in love can feel ridiculous,” she said.

”The lyric, ‘Everybody took a ride,’ could mean different things: They just left your life or they could have died. I had this magic, and I thought, ‘Wait, where did everybody go?’ It prompts you to look back and say, ‘Wait a minute, those people are gone.’”

Continue reading “Magic Wand – Carolyn Striho Recaptures Stirring Emotions on ‘Blue Ridiculous Love’ Single” →

Shifting Gears – Nashville’s Eric Ripper Charts a New Course on ‘Look for a Sign!’ Album

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Eric Ripper follows his instincts on “Look for a Sign.” Photo – Savannah Brown

Eric Ripper prefers to leave the past behind and embrace the road ahead.

The Nashville, Tennessee singer-songwriter explores changing life’s course on “Drive,” the steadfast opener from his latest album, Look for a Sign!

“I’ve just realized that a lot of my life has been from moving around, following a dream, and giving into that motivation,” said Ripper, who hails from Northville, Michigan.

“I was sick of sitting around claiming I was doing something and not following through. In this case, it was moving to Nashville.”

Backed by determined electric guitar, bass, and drums, he sings, “Well, I’m not here for a long time / And I ain’t standing still / Well, I’m just here for a good ride / And this is how I steer.”

“It just means I’m not on this earth for a while, and I need to move around and follow this direction,” he said. “I guess you could say it was the final motivation for my move to Nashville.”

Not only does “Drive” reflect Ripper’s recent motivation, but it also includes a lyric that inspired the album’s title: “It’s hard to choose the route for you / Look for a sign.”

“Drive” was the second-to-last song we worked on. After hearing it over and over, we decided that it had to be the opening track,” said Ripper, who relocated to Nashville in 2023.

“As a fast, upbeat song, it introduces the theme to everything [that’s on the album], and the repeated lyric only made sense as the [album’s] title.”

Continue reading “Shifting Gears – Nashville’s Eric Ripper Charts a New Course on ‘Look for a Sign!’ Album” →

Life is a Highway – Carolyn Striho and Scott Dailey Overcome Obstacles in Their Path on ‘14 Miles of Bad Road’ Single

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Carolyn Striho and Scott Dailey focus on the journey ahead on their latest single.

For Carolyn Striho, the road of life is full of unexpected twists and turns.

But those challenges don’t prevent the Detroit singer-songwriter from moving forward.

That perseverance fuels some of the inspiration behind her latest blues-rock single, “14 Miles of Bad Road,” with husband/guitarist Scott Dailey.

“If you say you’ve been on 14 miles of bad road, it sounds far. When I wrote it, I was thinking more of being up north with roads all over the place,” Striho said. “When you think about it, it could be anywhere—a city or a town.”

Determined to reach their next destination, she sings alongside propulsive electric guitar, bass, organ, and drums, “I wish all the world could see you and me again / I wish all the world could feel like a friend again / I wish all the world could be like a kid again / I wish all the world … / I tried, my friend / You lied again / I tried again / You lied …”

“Scott came up with the lyrics, ‘I tried, my friend / You lied again,’ and it makes sense, meaning, ‘You thought there was a rosy picture of life, and when you’re young, everything seems so good,’” said Striho, who shares counterpoint vocals with Dailey on the track’s chorus.

“You also might think someone’s going to swoop in and make everything better if life’s not going well. That doesn’t always happen, though.”

Continue reading “Life is a Highway – Carolyn Striho and Scott Dailey Overcome Obstacles in Their Path on ‘14 Miles of Bad Road’ Single” →

Everyday Monsters – Fangs and Twang Shares the Horrors and Delights of Michigan and Out-of-State Creatures on Latest Album

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Fangs and Twang’s Joe Bertoletti, Billy LaLonde, and Andy Benes uncover a new group of beasts on You Monster. Photo courtesy of Fangs and Twang

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

After years of writing about monsters, Fangs and Twang didn’t expect to find them in human form.

The country-rock trio of Billy LaLonde (drums, vocals), Andy Benes (guitar, vocals), and Joe Bertoletti (bass, vocals) discovered some people started spreading monstrous misinformation at the height of the pandemic.

In response, Benes channeled that disbelief and frustration into the Ypsilanti, Michigan band’s opening track, “You Monster,” from its fourth album of the same name.

Alongside explosive electric guitar, organ, and fiddle, he sings, “It’s hard to be you and me / When we can’t tell what’s true / It seems to me that we can’t agree / Even that the sky is blue.”

“That song came to me … and it was done in 20 minutes,” Benes said. “All of the lyrics and all of the music just came out, and that was what was on my mind. [It’s about] not having a common set of facts or a common language that we’re speaking anymore as people and how horrible that is.”

The title track also lays the groundwork thematically for the horrors and delights Fangs and Twang uncovers on You Monster.

Continue reading “Everyday Monsters – Fangs and Twang Shares the Horrors and Delights of Michigan and Out-of-State Creatures on Latest Album” →

Fantasy World – Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys Explores Fictional Romance on ‘Gone By Dawn’ Single

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Tyler Mazurek, Harry Dean and Lee Vanderkolk of Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys step into a fantasy world on “Gone by Dawn.” Photo courtesy of Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys

Harry Dean doesn’t consider himself a fantasy writer.

The lead vocalist-guitarist for Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys assumed a fictional persona while penning the country-rock trio’s latest single, “Gone By Dawn.”

“For the longest time, I was writing only from my own experiences,” said Dean, who’s based in Grand Rapids, Michigan with guitarist Lee Vanderkolk and drummer Tyler Mazurek.

“One of my favorite writers, Zach Bryan, has multiple songs where he is making up stories about fictional characters, and I thought that was an awesome concept.”

With a concept in mind for “Gone by Dawn,” Dean landed on a man out west who meets a mysterious woman one night. They share a passionate night at a hotel before going their separate ways the next day.

“I never had that one passionate night,” he said. “I have been with my wife since we were juniors in high school and we got married in June of 2023.”

Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys instantly brings that passionate night to life in “Gone by Dawn” through fearless electric guitar, enthusiastic acoustic guitar, driving bass and thumping drums.

Dean sings, “She might look good in my shirt / And I knew this wouldn’t work / But oh it felt so right / That mysterious girl / She might have stolen my world / Even if only for one night.”

“It was a lot of fun for me to step out of my comfort zone and write a story that was pure fantasy to me,” he said. “We are really proud of how this story came along.”

I recently spoke to Dean about his background, the formation of Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys, the band’s 2023 EP and latest single, upcoming live shows and future plans.

Continue reading “Fantasy World – Harry Dean and The Dusty Boys Explores Fictional Romance on ‘Gone By Dawn’ Single” →

Clear and Present – Darrin James Looks at Marriage, Family and Loss on ‘See Right Through’

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Darrin James explores a gamut of emotions on “See Right Through.” Photo – Doug Coombe

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

When it comes to writing about love and loss, Darrin James believes in being crystal clear.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan singer-songwriter and producer shares honest and vulnerable stories about marriage, family, death, and uncertainty on his latest album, See Right Through.

“A lot of people say it’s heart-on-your-sleeve. I think that’s true and it’s always how I’ve kinda written. This album came from the more reflective side of things, and you have to embrace the vulnerability to write an honest song,” said James, who plays guitar, piano, organ, and synth on his fourth full-length release.

“Sometimes those tropes can express really true feelings … and sometimes when you’re being honest, a song is easier to write. It comes out more like a diary … and you’re staring at it thinking, ‘Now that it came out of me, that’s the song—it’s done.’”

On See Right Through, James reveals a gamut of emotions ranging from gratitude to joy to grief to hopelessness across seven tracks. Those raw feelings come to life through the album’s personal lyrics, heartfelt roots-rock instrumentation, and dreamy synth and horn textures.

“Those were personal songs that I waited until I had [them], and it made more sense after I had the love songs to counter the sad songs. I thought, ‘Now the whole album can have an arc of not just being a sad story,’” he said.

“Because [the songs] are more personal, they’re also more universal and timeless … Those themes I’m trying to deal with are ones that everyone [experiences].”

Continue reading “Clear and Present – Darrin James Looks at Marriage, Family and Loss on ‘See Right Through’” →

OK for Now – Jeff Scott Reconciles the Passage of Time on ‘I’m Alright With This World’ Single

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Jeff Scott addresses being present and grateful on “I’m Alright With This World.” Photo courtesy of Jeff Scott

For Jeff Scott, the passage of time brings much reflection and acknowledgment.

It’s a matter of finding comfort in the present moment, making peace with the past and focusing on the future.

“Like many have felt the past few years, I finally became very conscious of the fact that I had been living with a constant sense of unease. It’s been caused by a few things: the hangover from the pandemic, clearly growing older, losing many people and [witnessing] world events,” said Scott, a Troy, Michigan singer-songwriter, about his new single, “I’m Alright With This World.”

“I wanted and needed to let it all go and to return to the living. It’s not meant to be Pollyannaish; the lyrics are very direct and honest, I believe. It’s meant to be a mantra for myself to stop the noise, acknowledge the present and take stock of all I have to be grateful for. And I’m hoping it provides that to others as well.”

On “I’m Alright With This World,” Scott beautifully expresses those notions through perceptive lyrics and serene, jazzy soft-rock instrumentation.

He sings, “So I made my peace, and I made amends / Made my mistakes and I’m bound to again / But I surely will not worry about that ‘til then / Cause right now, I’m alright with this world.”

“I fully acknowledge the world isn’t that great of a place right now for many reasons, but I believe it’s really important to ground ourselves in what we may be lucky enough to personally experience and accept the grace of that,” Scott said.

I recently spoke with Scott about wrapping up 2023, finding inspiration in life, looking back at other releases, writing and recording “I’m Alright With This World” and making plans for the new year.

Continue reading “OK for Now – Jeff Scott Reconciles the Passage of Time on ‘I’m Alright With This World’ Single” →

Natural Tendencies – Chris DuPont Shares Honest and Vulnerable Stories on ‘Fragile Things’ EP

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Chris DuPont explores the trajectory of relationships and the vulnerability, honesty, and wisdom that comes with them on “Fragile Things.” Photo – Robby Fisher of Dogtown Studio

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

Chris DuPont didn’t go into making his new EP with a plan.

Instead, the Ypsilanti indie-folk singer-songwriter opted to write and record what came to him naturally.

“I just thought, ‘These songs are close to me.’ I didn’t have as much of an elevator pitch this time. It felt like a relief because sometimes I hide behind the elevator pitch. Sometimes I hide behind [this idea of], ‘Oh, this is what I’m about as an artist, and this is what I’m trying to say,’” said DuPont about Fragile Things.

“And instead, I just decided I’m gonna cut the crap and let people have it, and I hope they respond to it. If they don’t, then I will still know that those stories needed to get out of me for me to be OK.”

What resulted are five intimate songs about the trajectory of relationships and the vulnerability, honesty, and wisdom that come with them. On Fragile Things, DuPont shares those tales through emotive vocals, atmospheric folk-pop instrumentation, and ambient soundscapes.

“When I play them and share them, the consensus tends to be like, ‘Someone’s going to get something out of this,’” he said.

“When I play them live, they connect quickly—usually better than I expect. One thing I’m learning is that I think it’s just my job to create and not treat them like they belong to me as much.”

I recently spoke to DuPont about writing songs for his new EP, creating videos for the title track, recording the EP at multiple studios, preparing for a Nov. 17 EP release show, and collaborating with Kylee Phillips on a duet EP.

Continue reading “Natural Tendencies – Chris DuPont Shares Honest and Vulnerable Stories on ‘Fragile Things’ EP” →

Pushing Back – Widetrack Challenges Rigid Societies and Mindsets on ‘Monoliths’ Album

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Widetrack shares insightful tales of conflict, change and determination across eight bold tracks on “Monoliths.” Photo courtesy of Widetrack

Filled with defiance and courage, Widetrack openly challenges the static perspectives and cultures of rigid societies on Monoliths.

The Waterford, Michigan father-son duo of Ron Tippin (drums, vocals) and Zach Tippin (guitar, bass) exposes the toxicity of groupthink, coercion and betrayal on their latest alt-prog album.

“It’s the general idea of things being very homogenized … and in terms of something that’s very difficult to change, but very huge and imposing—like monolithic societies,” said Ron Tippin.

“But it can also represent hope like [challenging] the monoliths in the film The Matrix, which represents the possibility of escape from a simulated reality. That was very much the idea of ‘Illumination,’ the opening track, and a lot of the songs that we started with were very dark, negative and heavy.”

As that realization came to light, Widetrack decided to include another hopeful track on their fifth album. “And then we came up with ‘Unlived,’ and I thought, ‘OK, there’s some positivity here,’ which is kind of a first for us,” Ron Tippin said.

Along with that new thematic development, Widetrack shares insightful tales of conflict, change and determination across eight bold tracks on Monoliths.

The band’s philosophical lyrics, emotive vocals and driving hard-rock, prog-rock and metal instrumentation instantly transport listeners to a contentious world that’s overdue for a revolt.

“I spend a lot of time on social media, as a lot of people do, as an observer and see objective reality and objective truth becoming relics,” Ron Tippin said.

“Some people just can hone in on a narrative—that’s the reality for them—and they get siloed in that. It’s made the divisions more pronounced than ever.”

Continue reading “Pushing Back – Widetrack Challenges Rigid Societies and Mindsets on ‘Monoliths’ Album” →