Construction Time Again — Crossword Smiles Build a New Album, “Consequences & Detours,” Out of Grief and Goodbyes

Tom Curless and Chip Saam of Crossword Smiles. Photo by Madeline Curless.

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

Tom Curless and Chip Saam anticipate life’s twists and turns and adjust their plans and perspectives accordingly on Consequences & Detours, the new album by their band, Crossword Smiles.

“At this point in our lives, we start to have a different perspective on life,” said Curless, who lives south of Flint in the town of Grand Blanc.

“You start to see things a little higher at a 30,000-foot view. I’ve lost people, I’ve lost my parents, and all of a sudden, you say, ‘Wow, life seems a little bit different now.’”

That wise perspective permeates Crossword Smiles’ songwriting on its sophomore release, which features 11 tracks about anticipation, disappointment, and discovery.

“I don’t think you can get away from it,” said Saam, who previously lived in Dexter and now resides in the West Michigan town of Dimondale. “If you’re making music and writing songs, some of your life is going to seep into it. There are some specific references to things like in ‘Typical Waving Goodbye.’ I lost a buddy … and I didn’t know when I was saying goodbye to him that I was saying goodbye for good.”

Those relatable experiences on Consequences & Detours quickly connect with listeners, thanks to the duo’s memorable lyrics, infectious harmonies, vivid electric guitars, and melodic instrumentation.

“We really both contributed a lot of things to each song,” said Saam, also a University of Michigan alumnus and host of the internet show Indie Pop Takeout. “It was very fulfilling for me as a musician.”

The musicianship extends to the arrangements, too, which feature violin, mandolin, trumpet, and accordion to augment the core of guitar, bass, and drums.

“We purposely went after different sonic touches on every song if we could,” Curless said.

I recently spoke with Curless and Sam about the album ahead of a May 31 show at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia.

Continue reading “Construction Time Again — Crossword Smiles Build a New Album, “Consequences & Detours,” Out of Grief and Goodbyes” →

The Struggle Within — Painted Friends Looks Inward and Finds Clarity on “The Devil in the Deep State” Album

Painted Friends’ Mitch Crosby and Jeremiah McWhorter performing in 2022. Photo – Connor Dean Harrington

For Jeremiah McWhorter, vulnerability leads to a purposeful existence.

The Painted Friends frontman embraced his fragility and uncovered hidden truths while penning tracks for the Detroit duo’s latest indie-rock album.

“Without getting too deep into my personal life, I took time to think honestly about the decisions I have made in the last eight months or so while putting the album together. I thought about how deep I got into some struggles and what I needed to do to get out,” said McWhorter, the band’s vocalist-guitarist-bassist about The Devil in the Deep State.

“I started to become more aware of when the natural vulnerability I have from just being a human is leading me somewhere I don’t actually want to go. The key is understanding how to use vulnerability for good instead of evil.”

Alongside drummer Mitch Crosby, McWhorter explores that emotional and spiritual journey and its ramifications through perceptive lyrics and cathartic instrumentation.

“The personal struggles I have in life have always been a big part of what I write about. It helps me process it all. In doing this, I am learning how similar we all are in regard to having personal struggles,” he said.

“I listen to music I can relate to because it sometimes can be that extra push I need to keep going. If I can be that extra push for others, I don’t think there is anything better than that.”

To learn more, I spoke with McWhorter about the thematic and sonic elements behind The Devil in the Deep State.

Continue reading “The Struggle Within — Painted Friends Looks Inward and Finds Clarity on “The Devil in the Deep State” Album” →

Bring to Mind — Danny VanZandt Examines the Emotional Connection Between Senses and Memories on “Proust in the Kitchen With the Wooden Spoon!” Album

From left: Randy Favot, George Jr., Anton Filyayev, Andrew Benjamin, and Danny VanZandt. Photo – Spencer Isberg

For Danny VanZandt, distinctive smells, tastes, and sounds trigger vivid memories.

The Detroit singer-songwriter explores those sensory experiences and the powerful recollections associated with them on his new album, Proust in the Kitchen With the Wooden Spoon!.

“It’s that concept of the Proustian memory that’s in one of his books where the character eats a cookie and has a flashback to a memory,” said VanZandt about his indie-rock release. “That—I think—is such a real thing and such a weird phenomenon that happens.”

As part of that phenomenon, he reflects on a gamut of emotions, ranging from gratitude to longing to anticipation, that arises when cooking and eating his late mother’s spaghetti and listening to music with friends.

“For me, my mom passing [away] was when I started thinking about that kind of stuff,” said VanZandt, who lost his mother in 2020.

“When she first passed away, the emotions wouldn’t come up on their own when just dealing with that, but then it would get reflected through a movie or a song. Then, I could process it and see the totality of it and that’s the way that I would deal with it.”

VanZandt processes everything through 11 emotive tracks on Proust in the Kitchen With the Wooden Spoon!. His sentimental lyrics and evocative instrumentation transport listeners to a special time, place, or feeling.

Each track feels like a magical short story soundtracked with elements of Americana, folk, rock ‘n’ roll, and alt-country.

“I remember listening to Spotify on shuffle and ‘Freak Scene’ by Dinosaur Jr. came on, and I had forgotten that song existed. I also had forgotten that Bug as an album existed and it reminded me of a CD a friend had burned for me in high school,” he said.

“It was such a faraway memory that I had not thought of in years, and I could see the color of the CD. When that stuff happens, that’s so crazy to me and so is the idea of how music can be a vessel that holds memories.”

I recently spoke with VanZandt about the album and the inspiration behind it.

Continue reading “Bring to Mind — Danny VanZandt Examines the Emotional Connection Between Senses and Memories on “Proust in the Kitchen With the Wooden Spoon!” Album” →

Getting Personal — Elroy Meltzer Examines Death and Grief on “And The Elderly Midnight” Album

elroy-meltzer-2 — Elroy Meltzer’s Matt Noordhoff, Steven Meltzer, Pat Kargl, and Drake Fierge. Photo courtesy of Elroy Meltzer

Steven Meltzer takes a more personalized approach to songwriting on And The Elderly Midnight.

The Elroy Meltzer frontman examines internal struggles with death and grief on the indie-rock collective’s latest album via Midwest Gold Records.

“I wanted to go down that [path] and be more relatable. Not to say I’m a dark person by any means, but sadness and death are something that everyone has experienced and dealt with,” said Meltzer, the vocalist-guitarist of the Grand Rapids, Michigan collective.

“In our music scene, we’ve lost great people due to suicide or drug use. I’ve also had friends who have recently lost parents to cancer or are dealing with that currently. It’s heartbreaking, and it’s hard to maneuver through, but it’s happening.”

The album’s seven tracks uncover the emotional toll those experiences take on Meltzer, the people he knows, and the world around him. His perceptive lyrics and the collective’s earnest instrumentation invite listeners to explore their challenges alongside them.

“It’s the feeling of getting older and the idea that I’m getting close to death even though I’m not. It’s also that feeling of thinking, ‘Am I at a point where it’s too late? Have I missed any opportunities? Am I too old now?’” said Meltzer, who founded the collective in 2010 and performs with The Soods.

“It seems like everyone is married, everyone has kids, and everyone is happy. I’m wondering if I’m missing out on those things. It’s also the helpful acceptance of making this life work because you only get one.”

To learn more, I spoke with Meltzer about the inspiration behind And The Elderly Midnight.

Continue reading “Getting Personal — Elroy Meltzer Examines Death and Grief on “And The Elderly Midnight” Album” →

After the “Fallout” — Major Murphy Processes Past Struggles on New Indie-Rock Album

For Major Murphy, the best life lessons come in retrospect.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan trio of Jacob Bullard (vocals, guitar), Jacki Warren (bass, vocals), and Chad Houseman (guitar, keys, drums, percussion) learns from past struggles and finds a way forward on Fallout.

“I think that was a conscious goal or intention of mine to create something realistic but wasn’t wallowing in despair,” said Bullard about the band’s new indie-rock album released via Winspear.

“There’s a quote in ‘The Water’ from the Tao Te Ching, and it says, ‘Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.’ I read that when I couldn’t see a way out, and it was a difficult time and I didn’t know what to do.”

As part of that introspection, Major Murphy discovers a renewed sense of purpose and seeks clarity for the future.

“Thinking about that softness also being something that could dissolve rock was an idea for me that I found incredibly empowering in the sense that you don’t always need to meet resistance with more resistance,” Bullard said. “Sometimes you have to soften and flow.”

On Fallout, Bullard and his bandmates process change, uncertainty, and growth across eight reflective tracks. The album’s philosophical lyrics, soaring harmonies, and emotive instrumentation provide a cathartic and impactful listening experience.

“The album came together organically from a writing perspective, but at a certain point, those themes became evident to me as well. There are more songs than what ended up on this album, and I curated the selection to be super cohesive,” Bullard said.

“It’s a bit more stylized from a lyrical perspective, and it’s less prose and more poetry from my vantage point. I thought of the music, too, as being more contemporary compared to stuff we’ve done in the past. I wanted the lyrics to be more minimal.”

To learn more about Fallout, I spoke to Bullard about the album’s thematic elements and creative process.

Continue reading “After the “Fallout” — Major Murphy Processes Past Struggles on New Indie-Rock Album” →

Feeling Seen and Validated — Moonwreckers Examines the Trajectory of Heartbreak and Grief on “Why Look Here?” Album

moonwreckers-1 — Paul Stiem, Jamus Sumner, Matt Konkle, and Matt Galbraith of Moonwreckers. Photo by Chuck Marshall

After encountering heartbreak and grief, Moonwreckers understands the importance of feeling seen and validated.

The Metro Detroit quartet of Matt Galbraith (vocals, guitar), Matt Konkle (drums), Paul Stiem (guitar), and Jamus Sumner (bass, vocals) explores that emotional need and its evolution on the album, Why Look Here?

“It certainly is autobiographical. At the time, I was married, and we were having issues, and we did eventually divorce. A lot of these songs were written around the time when I was in my early 30s, so shit hit the fan between us and we had been together since we were 18 years old,” said Galbraith about the band’s indie-rock-meets-emo debut release.

“I didn’t know what a world looked like without that, so I was very lost, and it was scary to me what life looked like outside of that relationship. There’s some coming-of-age stuff in there, too, but a lot of it has to do with that relationship, the struggles and the attempts of trying to reconcile things, and then failing and rinse and repeat.”

Moonwreckers deeply examines that trajectory across 12 personal tracks on Why Look Here? The album’s honest lyrics, plaintive vocals, and evocative instrumentation prompt listeners to process their emotions and struggles alongside the band.

“There are so many universal themes here. Everyone’s gone through the experience of having a relationship that didn’t pan out to be what they wanted it to be,” Sumner said.

“Everyone’s gone through the frustration or the disappointment of misaligned expectations and incomplete communication and the moment someone passes or walks out of your life. There’s unfinished business and you have to work through that—except you won’t get an answer to everything.”

To learn more, I spoke with Moonwreckers about their latest album ahead of a July 26 show at Detroit’s Batch Brewing Company.

Continue reading “Feeling Seen and Validated — Moonwreckers Examines the Trajectory of Heartbreak and Grief on “Why Look Here?” Album” →

Hungry Like the Bear — Ursa Day Embraces Hearty Appetite for Music on ‘Hyperphagia’ EP

Ursa Day’s Matt Drew, Cormac Egan, Ryan Haley, and Ryan Drew. Photo courtesy of Ursa Day

When it comes to music, Ursa Day has an insatiable appetite.

The Hazel Park, Michigan indie-rock quartet is eager to write, record, and release a growing catalog of new material, including their latest EP, Hyperphagia.

“The big thing that we had as a direction concept-wise for the record was Hyperphagia being a state of hunger. What we learned in the name selection process, and we picked this name quite a while ago, is that it happens to bears right before they go into hibernation,” said Ryan Haley, Ursa Day’s vocalist-guitarist.

“After we came out of Habitat, we were excited by that process … and we were hungry to share more projects with everybody else. That direction, whether it was musically or artistically, was a strong driving force behind a lot of the lyrics and what we can do to pepper the feeling of those lyrics throughout a tune.”

Haley and his bandmates Matt Drew (guitar, engineering, production), Ryan Drew (bass), and Cormac Egan (drums) effortlessly achieve that goal on Hyperphagia. The EP’s profound lyrics, fantasy-versus-reality themes, and mighty blues rock-inspired instrumentation entice listeners with six savory tracks and leave them wanting more.

“We’re all different people, and our musical influences are varied. Ryan has a strong allegiance to the pop bass player; he likes James Jamerson and has a feel similar to those happy, melodic solo-ish basslines. Matt is eclectic and has a wealth of knowledge about the indie scene,” said Haley, who’s influenced by Peter Green, Jeff Beck, and Larry Carlton.

“He mixes well with the influence that I have with the British guitar players and Ryan’s pop influence to put us on more of a unique, alternative-based sound. Cormac is one of the most interesting musicians I have ever met as far as tastes go. When I walk into a rehearsal and ask Cormac what he’s been listening to, he’ll talk to you about movie scores and large, elaborate instrumentation … and then he’ll be playing Metallica double-kick-style drums really well.”

Continue reading “Hungry Like the Bear — Ursa Day Embraces Hearty Appetite for Music on ‘Hyperphagia’ EP” →

pia the band Re-evaluates Life Plans and Priorities on ‘Getting Better’ EP

pia-the-band-room — Pia-Allison Roa examines personal growth and self-expectations on Getting Better. Photo – Zach Nahshel

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

Pia-Allison Roa makes an honest self-assessment on her Getting Better EP.

The Detroit singer-songwriter who performs as pia the band recognizes the importance of re-evaluating life plans and priorities and making changes along the way.

“These are the four songs that I felt were most ready to be out,” said Roa about her debut EP. “Once we recorded all four and then put it all together, it popped out to me that these are all about overcoming things.”

As part of that process, pia the band examines past situations and relationships through contemplative lyrics and ethereal indie-rock, dream-pop, and shoegaze-folk instrumentation.

“It felt good to get all those out … but then it was even more special looking back at what the songs meant, what they could mean now, and how they can be interpreted by other people,” said Roa, who’s also a clinical pharmacist specialist at Wayne Health.

To learn more, I spoke with Roa about Getting Better ahead of her May 28 show at Ziggy’s in Ypsilanti.

Continue reading “pia the band Re-evaluates Life Plans and Priorities on ‘Getting Better’ EP” →

Looking Ahead – Painted Friends Finds Peace and Forgiveness on New ‘Gomnia: Volume 2 (Indimindi) Album’

image_123650291 (3) — Painted Friends features philosophical lyrics and emotive indie-pop and pop-rock instrumentation on “Gomnia: Volume 2 (Indimindi).” Photo – Hannah McWhorter

Painted Friends boldly embarks on a path to spiritual enlightenment.

Along the way, the Detroit indie-rock duo of Jeremiah McWhorter (vocals, guitar, bass) and Mitch Crosby (drums) finds peace and forgiveness on “Better Bones,” the honest opener from their latest album, Gomnia: Volume 2 (Indimindi).

“This song has been on my mind for a very long time—longer than any others I’ve written,” McWhorter said. “I have changed the lyrics a few times throughout the whole process, but the message of it has pretty much stayed the same. It’s the same message that is expressed throughout all of Gomnia—the idea to love our enemies or Sermon-on-the-Mount-type-stuff.”

Surrounded by hopeful synth, pounding drums, and thoughtful electric guitar, McWhorter sings, “I heard a pretty word / And fell to my knees / I took time to pray for a way / To have a better life / And now I’ve no one to hate / No reason to shake / The truth is the light / That gives me a better life.”

“Love—by definition—must be freely given; it’s a choice,” McWhorter said. “I’m not referring to romantic feelings. I’m talking about choosing not to attack someone you disagree with out of love for them and their humanity.”

That plea for love, humanity, and truth flows throughout the 10 tracks on Gomnia: Volume 2 (Indimindi). Painted Friends deeply examines those notions through philosophical lyrics and emotive indie-pop and pop-rock instrumentation.

To learn more, I spoke to McWhorter about the Gomnia album series, select tracks, a recent album release show, and plans for releasing new material.

Continue reading “Looking Ahead – Painted Friends Finds Peace and Forgiveness on New ‘Gomnia: Volume 2 (Indimindi) Album’” →

Heal Up – Lucas Powell Overcomes Heartbreak and Finds Closure on ‘Lose You on My Own’ Single

lucas-powell-2024 — Lucas Powell finds renewal and clarity on his new single, “Lose You on My Own.” Photo courtesy of Lucas Powell

Three years ago, Lucas Powell embarked on a pathway to self-healing.

The Royal Oak, Michigan singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist found closure from a past relationship after writing a new song about it.

“I often write to tell stories about myself and my experience and to process my feelings. This one was a song I wrote to say all the things I couldn’t say directly to a former partner,” Powell said.

“Going through heartbreak without explanation leads to a lot of self-gaslighting and blame and was one of the loneliest periods of my life.”

What resulted is Powell’s cathartic new single, “Lose You on My Own,” which openly explores that heartbreak and disbelief alongside emotive indie-rock instrumentation.

Backed by intrepid electric guitar, synth, bass, and drums, Powell sings, “Now, I’m pulling at the steering wheel / And I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel / Looking in the rearview mirror because forever didn’t last / Asking, “How can this be real?”

“I hope people who hear this song will be given words for what they feel and know they aren’t alone in their experiences,” he said. “Three years later, I couldn’t be more thankful in every way for the changes I’ve endured via the specific hardship mentioned in this song.”

Continue reading “Heal Up – Lucas Powell Overcomes Heartbreak and Finds Closure on ‘Lose You on My Own’ Single” →

The Stratton Setlist

Catch the opener. Stay for the encore.

Tag: Indie rock