Tag: Drive

Head Over Heels — Kelsey. Chronicles the Cycle of a Passionate Relationship on “LOVE HARD” Album

Kelsey. Courtesy photo.

Kelsey. follows her passion on LOVE HARD.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist embraces that intense emotional state on her full-length debut album.

“It was written about one relationship, and it’s very dynamic,” said Kelsey. (pronounced Kelsey period), aka Kelsey Detering.

“There are a lot of layers to it, and every relationship is kind of like mini relationships all in one. It was one epic encounter, and that’s why I felt the need to write this whole album about it.”

On LOVE HARD, Kelsey. explores the intimate cycles of a volatile relationship—love, heartbreak, and longing—and its trajectory across 16 tracks.

“It was more like my own therapy when this happened to me,” she said. “I had to communicate my feelings about all of this … and whatever was going on with it, a song would just come out.”

Featuring a detailed storyline, LOVE HARD is an immersive, multigenre release that lands somewhere in between a concept record and a double album.

“I wanted it to be a cohesive piece of art that you sit down and listen to, and you immerse yourself in,” Kelsey. said.

“It has those segues, instrumentals, and things to really keep you in there. It’s very much for the music lover, especially if you’re the kind of person who wants to put your headphones on and really immerse yourself in something.”

Kelsey. also plans to recreate that immersive experience live on August 21 during her album release show at The Arboretum in Saline.

“It’s going to be a cool format, and I want to play [the album] by side,” she said. “We’ll play a side, and then we’ll talk to the audience for a minute. Then, we’ll play the other side, and it’ll literally be like you’re listening to the record.”

I recently spoke with Kelsey. about her new album ahead of the show.

Continue reading “Head Over Heels — Kelsey. Chronicles the Cycle of a Passionate Relationship on “LOVE HARD” Album” →

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

eric-ripper
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” →

Family Ties – Detroit’s Brother Elsey Forges Strong Sibling Bond for Roots-oriented Rock

Brother Elsey’s Brady Stablein performs at The Blind Pig in January.
Brother Elsey’s indie folk rock roots run deep within their musical family tree.

The Detroit-based band of brothers credit their family with planting a love of music from one generation to the next.

Together, twins Brady Stablein (vocals, guitar) and Beau Stablein (harmonies, bass), both 21, and their 23-year-old older brother, Jack Stablein (harmonies, guitar), changed their band name from Fifth and Main to Brother Elsey last year to pay homage to their great-grandparents, Elsey and Mary Prater. They also thought the new moniker would resonate more with fans.

“Everyone in that family respected Mary and Elsey on a very deep level, and they really loved who they were,” Brady Stablein said. “Our grandfather, Elsey’s son, he got us into music. He was in a country band for a long time, and growing up around him, he always had us playing guitar, singing old country songs and stuff like that.”

The Stablein brothers’ love of music also grew while spending time with their father. Known for his eclectic music taste, the senior Stablein played everything from America to Enrique Iglesias to 50 Cent to musical theater for his sons.

“There were more genres such as folk or stuff that I don’t think a lot people got into as kids like we did,” Beau Stablein said. “That kinda pointed us in the direction that we’re in now.”

Continue reading “Family Ties – Detroit’s Brother Elsey Forges Strong Sibling Bond for Roots-oriented Rock” →