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.”
“It’s how Don Juan describes a warrior’s ‘place of predilection’ as a physical spot that grounds you, restores you, and reconnects you with your purpose. That concept has always struck me as being profound, and with this song, I realized that my own place of predilection isn’t necessarily physical but rather musical.”
Juhl and bandmate John Patrick soar on “Predilection,” which features a tranquil blend of acoustic guitar, organ, mandolin, violin, double bass, and banjo.
“For me, that space is a kind of inner landscape where I wanted the instrumental to reflect that sense of lifting off into a place that’s familiar yet expansive,” Juhl said. “A few early listeners told me it felt like a journey, and that meant a lot because that’s exactly how I experience it.”
I recently spoke with Juhl about the band’s new single and the creative process behind it.
“It was well-received, and we had so much fun performing together that we decided to turn it into something,” Ankley said. “I suggested the name Triana, which means ‘three rivers.’ Since we are three different women with three different styles, it seemed fitting.”
Nearly a year later, Ankley, Chenard, and GlenBrooke are fusing their country, Americana, blues, and rock influences together for Triana’s rich, harmony-driven sound. The trio will share that sound during a September 13 performance at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia.
“We all come from different musical directions, which seem to blend together,” Ankley said.
To learn more, I did an email interview with Ankley about Triana ahead of the show.
The Americana band embraces the growth and wisdom that comes from personal and professional challenges on It’s Alright.
“A lot of it was the decompression of our days and things that were weighing on us,” said Ashleigh Glass-Cooper, Blockhouse Valley’s vocalist, about the Metro Detroit band’s latest album.
“It also was thoughts we were having and things that were racing through our minds that we were able to capture in those times and hold onto for moments where we could make something better out of them.”
Glass-Cooper traded those thoughts and feelings with husband, musical partner, and mandolinist-guitarist Cody Cooper during their daily commutes home from work.
“It wasn’t that we sat down and said, ‘Let’s write songs about this,’” she said. “We tend to talk about [things] on our commutes, and our brains get a chance to decompress in ways that we don’t always set time apart for otherwise.”
Those conversations laid the groundwork for It’s Alright, which features eight tracks filled with soulful vocals, clever lyrics, and infectious instrumentation.
“We gave them a structure, a context, a musical home that we could potentially share with other people,” Glass-Cooper said. “And we think [the songs] are really relatable because we don’t want to dwell on all of the negativity. We don’t want to give it more power through what we’ve done, but we do want to provide that release.”
To learn more, I spoke with Glass-Cooper and Cooper about the album, its themes, and the creative process behind it.
Shannon Lee, Andrew Pfeiffer, Hillary Finchum-Sung, Jeff Brach, Christopher Georges, David Roof, and former bassist Jamie Sass. Not pictured: current bassist Kevin Howard. Courtesy photo.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulpblog.
The Ann Arbor-Metro Detroit band provides a cathartic outlet for processing feelings—ranging from hope to heartbreak to euphoria—on its latest album.
“A lot of the music that I write, it all comes from a very emotional place,” said Jeff “J. Michael” Brach, frontman for the Americana-jam rock band, about Where We Belong.
“When I’m at my peak creatively and writing a lot of music, which I’m actually doing more of right now, it’s when I’m going through difficult things.”
Brach examines a spectrum of emotions while rediscovering his purpose—both personally and vicariously—across eight tracks.
“Universally, the music that I love, you can identify with it, even if you’re interpreting it differently,” he said. “We all come from our perspectives, but you can universally tap into certain things that are being said.”
Brach’s relatable songwriting comes to life alongside the spirited instrumentation of The Heavy Burden, which includes lead guitarist Andrew Pfeiffer, drummer Christopher Georges, vocalist Shannon Lee, keyboardist David Roof, vocalist-violinist Hillary Finchum-Sung, and bassist Kevin Howard.
“Once I started listening and focusing on the lyrics, I [don’t] think of us as the heavy burden, but that’s the funny joke part of it,” Georges said.
“A lot of the songs have heavy, emotional tones sometimes, even though they’re light in their presentation and fun and groovy. There’s also this behind-the-scenes bit of toil and heartbreak, and that story-work in there. It’s delivered nicely and sweetly almost to the ear.”
The inaugural River Raisin Americana Celebration features six acts from Michigan and Kentucky.
As members of Blockhouse Valley, Ashleigh Glass-Cooper and Cody Cooper hold a deep appreciation for Americana music.
The married partners not only write, record, and perform in that genre for their Metro Detroit quartet, but now they’re hosting a new festival to celebrate their love of it.
“As Americana music draws from and mixes a broad array of other genres, one of the key concepts for the River Raisin Americana Celebration is to bring a variety of musicians with diverse approaches, instrumentations, styles, and stories,” said Glass-Cooper, who’s also the festival’s executive director.
“To accomplish our vision, we invited all bands and artists to apply to perform in our inaugural concert. We were thrilled to receive over 100 submissions! We reviewed each submission and curated a show that we believe will have something for everyone.”
“Americana is a genre that can feel grounded while also being surprising, delightful, and moving,” Glass-Cooper said. “I fully anticipate that our audience members will each discover something new to love, even if they are primarily attending as fans of one of the six acts.”
I recently spoke with Glass-Cooper about the festival and the inspiration behind it.
The Metro Detroit quartet of Ashleigh Glass (vocals), Cody Cooper (mandolin, guitar), Jon Howard (guitar), and Danny Steinkopf (upright bass) explores a wicked tale about a sinister woman and her late husband on its bewitching rendition of the traditional folk song.
“This song contains a lot of imagery in the lyrics that’s unapologetic in its darkness,” Glass said. “You don’t always see that in traditional tunes that have survived through generations of public sensibilities.”
Surrounded by vigilant acoustic guitar, mandolin, and bass, Glass sings, “Her husband was a hardworking man / Just about a mile from here / His head was found in a driving wheel / But his body was never found.”
“We wanted to highlight that darkness in this recording and the sense that the woman in this song is not a person that should be taken lightly,” she said.
Julianne Ankley champions pursuing your passion on “What Makes You Dance.” Photo – Yorg Kerasiotis
For Julianne Ankley, a new song puts an extra spring in her step.
That spring represents the Port Huron, Michigan singer-songwriter and visual artist’s strong zest for life and her drive to inspire others on her new Americana single, “What Makes You Dance.”
“I didn’t even start music until later in life … and I just had to keep going. Other than raising three wonderful children, music and art are what make me the happiest … and you can’t ignore it when something makes you feel so good,” said Ankley, who’s also thankful for her boyfriend.
“Plus, it’s something that you give to the rest of the world. It’s not only making me happy, but it’s also making other people happy.”
Backed by grateful pedal steel and acoustic guitar, Ankley beautifully captures that sentiment while singing, “Just close your eyes / Grab a glass of wine / Turn the music up / It’ll all be fine / If you find what makes you dance.”
“We recorded it in the studio about a year ago right now, and we pitched it around just a little bit. Everybody loved it, but nobody put it on hold,” she said. “And I said, ‘It’s too good because I will be walking around my house singing it … and everybody needs to hear this one.’”
Brian Maloney runs The Sonic Coast, an online radio station that plays Americana, roots and rock music by national and local artists. Photo courtesy of Brian Maloney
In 2014, Brian Maloney instantly reconnected with his hometown and its musical legacy.
The Sonic Coast founder and chief music curator visited the Motor City to attend a Crain’s Detroit Homecoming and started pondering his next life chapter.
“I was in downtown Detroit for a couple of days with the event, and everywhere I looked, I was reminded of what a remarkable place this city and state are in the music industry,” said Maloney, who spent 40 years working in radio and now resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“The following ‘revelation’ about what to do in retirement happened in February of 2020 when I brought The Gasoline Gypsies down to North Carolina for a couple of shows and a media tour.”
The band sold out two shows 700 miles from Port Huron, Michigan and reminded Maloney about the draw of Michigan-made music.
“It became clear I was going to focus everything I had learned over the past 40 years on my two favorite things: Michigan and local music,” Maloney said. “So when I retired, The Sonic Coast was born.”
Today, Maloney oversees the burgeoning online radio station, which plays Americana, rock, folk, country, roots, soul and funk from national and Michigan artists.
“I saw a tremendous opportunity in the state to play local artists (abundant!) on a meaningful platform to give them exposure next to national acts that were getting limited exposure in Michigan. Unfortunately, traditional commercial radio doesn’t invest in/support local artists much anymore,” he said.
“It’s honestly more important than ever for a band to get played and promoted on a platform. Spotify, Pandora and others are simply a database of music for consumers. Sonic Coast plays, promotes and interacts with the artists.”
To learn more about The Sonic Coast, I chatted with Maloney about becoming a DJ, working in radio, taking leadership roles with several stations, growing his new online radio platform, celebrating Michigan artists and music, adding curators and supporting live music.
Those moments also serve as lighthearted and serious reminders about gratitude on the married duo’s latest album.
“There’s an overarching theme of love and rain being that contrast and balance of life,” said Annie Capps, the duo’s vocalist-guitarist, who’s based in Chelsea, Michigan with her husband Rod Capps. “It’s about not taking the rough stuff too seriously, yet it’s also about being grateful for the good stuff and not taking things for granted.”
The Capps demonstrate that mindset personally and professionally on Love and Rain, which features 10 tracks filled with perceptive lyrics, vibrant Americana instrumentation, and rich harmonies.
“Annie is fortunate because she has an outlet to write songs about these things,” said Rod Capps, the duo’s guitarist-violinist-violist, who will celebrate 30 years of marriage to Annie Capps in June. “My role in the songwriting is to color around the edges. Annie builds these structures, and I help flesh them in and put filigree in.”
I recently spoke to the Capps about celebrating their anniversary, working with their bandmates, exploring different themes on the album, writing and recording tracks forLove and Rain, preparing for their annual Valentine’s Day show at The Ark, and planning for other performances and projects.
The Stratton Setlist 