Emily Rose performs with Dan “Ozzie” Andrews during a “Ghost Night at Ghost Light” show. Photo – Jeff Spisak
Six years ago, Emily Rose tested out a new concept for a live show.
The Detroit indie-folk singer-songwriter hosted a tribute night honoring a late artist at Ghost Light Bar in Hamtramck, Michigan.
“One of the bartenders at Ghost Light is a close friend and he said, ‘Emily, you could have a regular show here if you wanted.’ He planted that seed, and I did a Jim Croce tribute night in 2017 because he’s a songwriter that I love,” Rose said.
“It was a great show and it was so much fun. In the back of my head, I thought, ‘Well, maybe someday I’ll do a monthly show where I learn a bunch of songs by a different artist.’”
At the time, Rose laid the foundation for what would become “Ghost Night at Ghost Light,” a monthly tribute show featuring local artists performing the music of departed singer-songwriters as well as sharing their own material.
“Last year I was in a position where I realized I needed something to focus my energy on,” said Rose, who launched the concert series last June. “I needed a project to throw myself into … and a lot of my favorite songwriters are dead. The idea to do a different departed songwriter every month just made sense.”
Hollow Head tackles toxic relationships on “I Can See You.” Photo – Paul Gerrard
Surging with adrenaline and emotion, Hollow Head boldly confronts emotional vampires on “I Can See You.”
That fearless act prompts the Denver indie-rock quartet to drive a stake in problematic relationships on their grungy new single.
“When I was writing lyrics for it, I didn’t go into it intentionally thinking this was what this song was gonna be about. I started writing and I think something on my mind at the time was just about emotional vampires,” said Jim Adame, the band’s vocalist-guitarist, who wrote the track last summer.
“We were going through [things] with specific friends at that time, and I’ve always had specific friends that have kinda been in that realm and also relationships. A lot of that was in my mind subconsciously.”
Backed by impulsive electric guitar, energetic bass and thunderous drums, Adame’s honest thoughts quickly rise to the surface as he sings, “All your words are parasitic / You just talk and watch me bleed / I bet you wanted me to be / Another version of what you see / No, no.”
“It touches on a little bit of guilt where you understand someone is trying hard to be a part of your life, and I was going through that a lot at the time with friends and in romantic situations, too,” he said.
“You have this one person trying very hard to be important to you, and you can very easily let that happen, but you also have to recognize this person is just gonna bring you down.”
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. OnFragile 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.
Eliza Thorp shares wise tales of contemplation, strength and growth on “Stories We Told Along the Way.” Photo courtesy of Eliza Thorp
For Eliza Thorp, life doesn’t always travel in a straight line.
The Petoskey, Michigan indie-folk singer-songwriter and pianist’s personal experiences ebb and flow with the passage of time on Stories We Told Along the Way.
“It’s 99 percent autobiographical, and I never really set out to write for other people,” said Thorp about her latest album.
“Songwriting has always been this thing for helping me to make sense of things in my life. It also puts a different lens on it to understand it a little bit better or to hold it in a different way.”
Those different perspectives allow Thorp to process and share wise tales of contemplation, strength and growth across a dozen cathartic tracks.
“It’s definitely cathartic, and it’s really interesting as a songwriter to see which themes keep coming back to you. It’s like, ‘Well, maybe I haven’t really fully unearthed that, whether it be an emotion or that theme yet,’” she said.
“That was the idea or that concept with the title Stories We Told Along the Way, and with it being about life experiences that some people might be able to relate to.”
Thorp’s intimate “stories” feature vulnerable lyrics, soft vocals and earnest acoustic instrumentation set against a backdrop of northern Michigan imagery.
Vivid references to seasons, landscapes, creatures, the cosmos and weather patterns allow listeners to better visualize Thorp’s picturesque world in their mind’s eye.
“Nature has such a huge impact on everything in my life, particularly my overall well-being. I often find comfort in nature, and I feel like it’s where I can slow down a little bit,” she said. “And then I feel like lyrics might come to me in those quieter moments while I’m out on the trail somewhere.”
Christian Ohly weaves vivid recollections of people, places and experiences on “Miracle.” Photo – Alexis Backus
For Ohly, life’s most impactful moments are more visible in hindsight.
Through that lens, the Detroit indie-folk singer-songwriter recounts memorable tales of loss, love and growth on his latest album, Miracle.
“There’s a lot of introspection on different relationships—family, friends and some romance in there. A lot of it covers loss and the songs poured out of me after I experienced that loss. There are also some more playful and happier songs that were crafted,” said Christian Ohly about his third release via Bird Fight Records.
“Somebody asked me if the songs were more recent or if they cover most of my life, and I realized some of those songs talk about when I was five and six, then 12 and 13 and stuff that happened last year.”
Each track on Miracletranscends space and time as Ohly weaves vivid recollections of people, places and experiences. Whether it’s spending time with Annie, Julia or a sibling or venturing to Paris, Colorado or California, the album functions as an emotive travelogue that instantly connects with listeners.
“The last few years, I’ve really wanted to travel, and I thought about being able to do it when I was in high school … and then having a job and having some time off and also wanting to play music in some different places,” said Ohly, who’s inspired by James Taylor and Christian Lee Hutson.
“So many of the songwriters that I listen to and have been inspired by use very specific places, details and people. While listening to the whole thing and doing more introspection on the final project I was like, ‘Man, there sure are a lot of names and places in here I did not realize when I was recording [it].’”
This month’s edition of “The Soundcheck” deciphers a range of relationships, whether they’re fleeting or everlasting. Some pull the “Ripcord” to break a scary free fall while others cherish “Every Heartbeat” and say a belated “Thank You for Breaking My Heart.” It also reveals the wisdom that comes with age and experience—I Know a Thing and Ronronner—and the potential for future growth.
Adam Liles, “Ripcord”
The Indigo Curve guitarist shares an instant headrush of emotion and energy on his debut solo single “Ripcord.” Produced by Anton Pastoria, the track’s swirling, indie-rock array of pounding drums, glistening electric guitar and humming bass propel Detroit’s Adam Liles into a brief infatuation until the “ripcord” of reality takes over. In raspy, reverb-filled vocals, he sings, “And I’m feeling it all / As far as feeling it goes / She came in like a star / Oh, but she left like a ghost.”
Liles also released a new video for “Ripcord,” which features him strumming a cream Fender Stratocaster on a pedestrian bridge at sunset over an interstate. He teamed up with Love Streams Films’ director Andrew Brumfield and Craigen Z Oster to film the introspective take on his single. Liles and Brumfield also collaborated on The Indigo Curve’s kaleidoscopic video for “But I Wanna Write Love Songs” last summer.
“The Soundcheck” celebrates newly released singles, EPs and albums each month. Photo – C D-X
It’s been nearly eight years since I started The Stratton Setlist, and I’ve heard a barrage of wonderful new music from independent artists during that time. While I’ve written hundreds of features on different artists across multiple genres, I wanted to find a way to showcase more people through a new monthly series called “The Soundcheck.”
And welcome to “The Soundcheck.” Each month, I’ll compile a roundup of newly released singles, EPs and albums from local artists inside (and outside) Michigan. I’m proud to share the inaugural edition, which features electropop from Soundslikeotto and indie-folk from Ohly and Tom Alter. Plus, this edition celebrates my favorite season of spring.
Sit back, breathe in the spring air and enjoy these refreshing sounds.
Soundslikeotto, “So High”
Soundslikeotto’s Jonny Walker, Austin Howard, Connor Maggio, Chesney Walters, Nate Dornfried and Ryan Freitas get addicted to love on “So High.”
Soundslikeotto delivers an infectious helping of ‘80s electropop on their latest single, “So High.” The Detroit indie-pop sextet of Chesney Walters (vocals), Jonny Walker (guitar), Nate Dornfried (keys), Ryan Freitas (bass), Connor Maggio (guitar) and Austin Howard (drums) dropped their addictive new single in March after releasing their debut EP Still Picture You last summer. (It’s especially effervescent on cassette.)
On “So High,” the band fuses hyperactive synth, electric guitar, bass and drums with a bold storyline about being in an intoxicating relationship. Walters sings, “No control / You tighten your chemical hold / So hot and so cold / And I can’t get enough, get enough, get enough.”
Honestly, I can’t get enough of this single and its instant adrenaline rush each time I play it. Soundslikeotto’s confessional single belongs on a clear Memorex mixtape alongside Phil Collins’ “Sussudio” and “Don’t Lose My Number.” Dust off that boombox, insert mixtape and let the addiction begin!
The Grand Rapids, Michigan chamber-pop vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist embarks on a cathartic journey to explore forgiveness and find renewal on his latest EP.
“That’s when the process began, and I thought, ‘OK, what are these three songs, ‘Blue Note,’ ‘Mercy for the Gentle Kind’ and ‘Cricket’s Waltz,’ about?’ I had to go back and piece it all together, but I was doing that simultaneously while preparing for my Return to the Violin recital,” said Blake, who’s also a classically trained violinist.
“Then I realized it was a very subconscious thing that I was making this record about the healing process and how the only way to heal something is not to harden up, but to show tenderness.”
Blake thoughtfully examines that concept throughout Mercy for the Gentle Kind’s six poignant tracks, which feature poetic lyrics and cinematic instrumentation mixed with indie-folk, chamber-pop and classical music sensibilities.
“And then I found the John Berger audio, which was in an interview with him talking about how we can judge systems and we can judge actions, but we can’t judge the human soul,” he said.
“I said to myself, ‘Wow, what a profoundly beautiful and incredibly difficult idea,’ but it sort of struck me because that’s exactly what I did with that past teacher of mine and that’s what healed me. It simply brought together the whole project.”
To learn more about Blake’s journey, I chatted with him about his background, a past traumatic experience that impacted his ability to play the violin, his “debut” album and latest EP, the Music in the Heights concert series and his upcoming plans.
“It’s definitely kind of like a prayer and an asking; I wrote it on my birthday, which is kind of funny,” said Talmers, a University of Michigan alumna.
“But I think the central image of the song is thinking about unfolding as a human … and it’s very vulnerable to be a human. It’s just admitting that and feeling often like when we bring our full selves to other people it’s hard to do that and not be embarrassed.”
Surrounded by wistful nylon guitar and strings, she sings, “So please excuse the hardness of my softening / If I’m unworthy, Lord, I swear I’ll fake it good.”
“It’s this image of wanting to be your full little sweet self and feeling ashamed of that,” Talmers said. “It’s also oscillating between those two things, like ‘I want to go back into the womb, and I don’t want to interact with anyone,’ and wanting to fully be with people and be loving and brave.”
Within those tracks, she shares haunting tales wrapped in emotive string-brass instrumentation and pensive folk-jazz and Latin-Mediterranean soundscapes.
I recently spoke to Talmers about her background, ambitious double album, prolific writing and recording process, and upcoming plans.
Chain of Lakes shares candid stories on “Songs That Didn’t Make the Record.” Photo courtesy of Kyle Rasche
Chain of Lakes doesn’t hesitate to show his authentic self.
The Alto, Michigan indie-folk singer-songwriter candidly shares honest stories about self-acceptance, familial love and the passage of time on his latest album, Songs That Didn’t Make the Record.
“I’ve consciously been trying to not worry about how a song is gonna come off. The second I stopped trying to be cool, audiences started responding,” said Kyle Rasche, aka Chain of Lakes.
“When I play my ‘Worm’ song from the [upcoming] kids’ record because that’s the last one I finished, people wanna see who you are—good, bad, ugly. You’re just more interesting that way when you’re yourself.”
The album’s 10 tender tracks showcase Rasche’s increasing growth and strength over different points in time. Whether it’s his last day on earth or his ideal day at the beach, his wise lyrics, sentimental stories, and earnest instrumentation reflect his evolutionary mindset.
“I do write a lot, so these were all from that same season of writing. I think it makes sense there’s a theme throughout because I have been writing a lot about my family. I have been writing a lot about discontent on not being able to fully dive into art,” Rasche said.
“I use a lot of imagery … sunsets on a chapter, day or period. I didn’t consciously make these songs to be a batch that comes out like this by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it makes sense if they sound like that because they were all made in the same time period of a writer that was writing a lot.”
A prolific songwriter, Rasche’s Songs That Didn’t Make the Record serves as his second full-length Chain of Lakes release in over six months. In May, he dropped Catch, an introspective album that recounts personal tales of heartwarming comfort and raw vulnerability.
“Thematically, Catch was more cohesive as it was than if we had just thrown a random ‘Sunset’ song on there or a very sweet love song that wouldn’t really fit,” Rasche said. “Catch is about coming of age and nostalgia and finding reconciliation with parts of yourself.”
Amidst that reconciliation, Rasche compiled a timeless gem of an album with producer Josh Kaufman for Songs That Didn’t Make the Record. However, don’t let the album’s title fool you—there’s nothing ephemeral about any of its tracks.
“I put this record out because I love these songs too much to not have them on a record. I’m very, very proud of them, and now I have a little bit of regret on that name. If it sounds like these are reject songs … that last record was made to be that record, and this means those weren’t for it. I think this one is a little lighter,” he said.
“Calling this Songs That Didn’t Make the Record took so much pressure off of having it be a cohesive album because everybody just gives me liberties of it being the next songs.”
The Stratton Setlist 