The Pursuit of Happiness — King Ink Starts New Chapter and Finds New Sound on “Good News” Single

King Ink’s Sean DeWard, JD Waldvogel, Becca Coberly, and Evan Coberly. Photo – Live Aperture Concert Photography

King Ink is ready for a new start.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan band celebrates meeting the right person and planning for the future on its latest Heartland-rock single, “Good News.”

“Lyrically, it’s a mix of finding the right person and feeling secure in that,” said JD Waldvogel, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist.

“The big thing I want people to take away from listening to us or seeing us live is joy and happiness. We played a show recently where they asked for our bio, and it said, ‘We play bright alternative rock.’ And then on the pamphlet, they said, ‘King Ink—bright rock,’ as our descriptor. I said, ‘I’ve never heard of that genre, but I think we’re starting a new one.’”

Waldvogel captures that positive attitude and upbeat sound with bandmates Becca Coberly (guitar, bass), Evan Coberly (guitar, bass, saxophone), and Sean DeWard (drums) on “Good News.”

He sings, “Cut to you, cut to me / Living in harmony / Not gonna waste my chance / Let’s rewrite history / Hope you’re fine with hyperbole / And maybe in your eyes / Maybe you can see through my disguise / The whole damn world is our stage / Let’s start a new page.”

“I really wanted to feel that from a song, which is just like a sense of joy and a sense of things are good, and that is OK,” Waldvogel said. “I also wanted there to be a sing-along part in there. That song has been a benchmark, or a signpost, saying, ‘Where do we want to go from here?’”

To learn more, I spoke with Waldvogel, Becca Coberly, and Evan Coberly about the band’s background and latest single.

Continue reading “The Pursuit of Happiness — King Ink Starts New Chapter and Finds New Sound on “Good News” Single”

Little Victories – Jim Cherewick Finds Cathartic Moments in Everyday Life on ‘Good News’ Album

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Jim Cherewick shares honest and insightful tales on Good News. Photo – Bryan Lackner of Lucky Penny Media

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

Jim Cherewick admits he recently went through a breakup.

But it’s not the kind of breakup that immediately comes to mind.

“A lot of it is about leaving that terrible retail [job],” said Cherewick, who previously worked at a big-box store. “It was such a burden—it was sad and it was scary. Getting out of that was so important and needed.”

Cherewick addresses that professional split on “Frosting on Fire,” the melancholic opener from the Ypsilanti, Michigan singer-songwriter/visual artist’s latest indie-country-folk album Good News.

Backed by somber acoustic guitar and keys, he sings, “Questions stick to my bones / Like how much longer do we get another try here? / Making every single day a treasure cause I’m awake / And I won’t complain, no I won’t complain / I work at one of those stores.”

“As much as I didn’t want to write about it, I did because I wrote it during [the pandemic],” Cherewick said. “The job sucked, and it was soul-crushing. It was so bad, and then they would cut hours, and then they’d be hiring new people.”

Despite that soul-crushing experience, Cherewick finds fleeting moments of catharsis and gratitude on Good News. The album’s eight tracks reflect on the harsh realities of everyday life and yearn for an escape from drudgery, disappointment, and uncertainty.

Continue reading “Little Victories – Jim Cherewick Finds Cathartic Moments in Everyday Life on ‘Good News’ Album”