The Detroit singer-songwriter and guitarist reconciles the past and embraces the future on The Time That Remains.
“I feel like I know these songs the best,” said Ward about his new folk album. “When I released The Darkness and The Light, most of those songs I knew as well as these. I feel like these songs are a lot closer to me than anything I’ve done.”
For his seventh release, Ward gets up close and personal about love, loss, and wisdom across the album’s dozen tracks. He spent considerable time fine-tuning the album’s evocative lyrics, heartfelt vocals, and earnest instrumentation before going into the studio last fall.
“This is unlike any album I’ve done because the songs have been performed out more than any of my other albums,” Ward said.
“When we recorded it, we produced 15 songs, but we trimmed it back because we felt these were the songs that hung together [the best]. At one point, we had a working title called Prayers, Parables, and Pet Peeves, and those are the buckets [the songs] fell into.”
The Metro Detroit singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist embraces her holistic self—both past and present—and the wisdom she’s gained on Running Back to Me.
“It’s a coming of age [tale] where I’m growing up and growing into myself,” said DeRousse about her debut album, which includes elements of indie rock, atmospheric folk, and guitar-driven pop.
“But that’s something that I hold very close to me. I think this record is the experience of trying to find your way through the world, figuring out who you are, and then coming back to yourself after everything and through the noise.”
What emerges are 13 compelling tracks about the evolution of youth to adulthood and back again. Collectively, the songs explore working through self-doubt and heartbreak to find relief and renewal.
“I continue to tell myself those messages and hold them true to myself,” said DeRousse, who released the album via Bird Fight Records. “The oldest song, I was probably 18 when I wrote it, and there’s a line in the song, [‘Outsider’], that says, ‘18 to 27.’ I’m 29 now, it just shows you how long it’s been taking me.”
DeRousse brings those experiences to life through vulnerable lyrics, heartfelt vocals, and cathartic instrumentation.
“I use songwriting as a way to process my experiences, emotions, and thoughts, so it’s super personal,” she said. “I hope listeners can relate to it and take that [away] from it.”
In December 2022, a group of Detroit singer-songwriters hosted a Bruce Springsteen tribute show to benefit the homeless.
Billed as Darkness on the Edge of Corktown at Lager House, the show featured local artists performing songs from The Boss’ extensive catalog and collecting donated winter clothing for people in need.
“We did it then for the first time and accepted clothing donations, but we didn’t have a nonprofit partner per se,” said Mike Ward, a folk singer-songwriter who co-organized the show.
“Everybody had a great time at it, and [co-organizer] Nick Juno was the one who said, ‘Hey, we should be doing that again.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you know what, you’re right, we should.’”
The Springsteen-themed show includes performances from 25 singer-songwriters and benefits the Motor City Mitten Mission, a St. Clair Shores, Michigan nonprofit that supports the homeless.
“Darkness on the Edge of Town is one of Springsteen’s albums and it’s one of my favorite albums of all time. It works because we’re right at the edge of Corktown where Lager House is,” Ward said.
“For this show, we figured out the logistics of having a benefit for the Motor City Mitten Mission and we talked to executive director Gail Marlow. She’s totally into it because she does a lot of promoting with the Detroit Lions—she’s a tireless worker.”
The show also serves as a collection site to donate winter clothing and outdoor gear for the homeless. Only new donations will be accepted.
Show attendees can donate any of the following items—sweatshirts, sweatpants, long underwear, sleeping bags, backpacks, tarps, hand and toe warmers, and more—and receive a discounted entry fee of $5 that night.
People also can make monetary donations at the show or through the Motor City Mitten Mission’s website. All donations and proceeds from the show will go to the nonprofit.
“The Motor City Mitten Mission is a fantastic organization, so we felt like, ‘OK if we’re gonna do this, let’s do it right and reduce the price of admission with the donation of an item,’” said Ward, who started planning the event with Juno last summer.
“Everybody is volunteering for this event, and we’re working with general manager and talent buyer Katelyn Burkart at Lager House to coordinate it.”
“We liked that format of everybody playing a song and everybody had a great time at the first show,” Ward said. “There’s so much camaraderie in this community, and we have all these different performers joining up with others and doing duets—it’s going to be fun.”
Chris DuPont and Kylee Phillips’ new DuPont Phillips EP, “Big Sky Sessions,” features stripped-down instrumentation, emotive duets, and lush harmonies. Photo – Misty Lyn Bergeron.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.
After several years of performing and recording together, the singer-songwriters pooled their talents, catalogs, and influences to form DuPont Phillips and releaseBig Sky Sessions.
“This Big Sky SessionsEP was a very natural project. We used stuff that we have, and we used songs from our catalogs that have been out,” DuPont said.
“What feels good to me is that all of these interpretations of our songs that exist live now have a home. This project proved to me that putting out something doesn’t have to make you suffer. … We cut it in two days.”
During those two days at Ann Arbor’s Big Sky Recording, DuPont Phillips reimagined three tracks from prior solo releases and recorded two renditions of Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell classics along with a new song.
“Sometimes it can be hard to explain to people what we’re doing because we’re playing things from our individual catalogs, but we’re supporting one another,” Phillips said. “For me, it’s fun to have something we can show people and say, ‘This is what it is. It’s this cross-pollination of what we both do.’”
Those collaborative efforts have resulted in an intimate folk-pop EP filled with stripped-down instrumentation, emotive duets, and lush harmonies. The six tracks featured on Big Sky Sessionsoffer vulnerable tales of love, growth, and change.
I recently spoke to the duo about revisiting and reworking older tracks, doing covers, recording a new song, spending time in the studio, preparing for an EP release show, and planning for the future.
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].’”
Mike Ward highlights the fleeting passage of time on “Particles to Pearls.” Photo – Danny Ward
For Mike Ward, a new album chronicles a thoughtful evolution of sound.
The Detroit Americana singer-songwriter carefully transforms a dozen acoustic tracks into an earnest collection of expansive tales on Particles to Pearls.
“I think the first track we added any instruments to was ‘All We Have Are Words.’ David Roof played the electric guitar on it, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s what this can sound like.’ I’d been playing that by myself for two years,” said Ward about his third Psychosongs album.
“Because it’s been two years since I wrote most of those songs, and that’s right about now, every day on Facebook there’s a memory of the song, and I get to hear how I first wrote it.”
During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, Ward penned 31 new tracks as part of a 30 Songs in 30 Days songwriting challenge with New York City folk-rock singer-songwriter Paul Winfield. The poignant tracks opened his creative floodgates and pushed him deeper into the songwriting trenches.
“They’re all moments in time. The album has a number of those songs,” Ward said. “I’m pretty happy with the end results. David Roof plays bass on everything, but he also plays a 12-string Rickenbacker electric guitar on ‘Back Again.’ We wanted a Byrds/Roger McGuinn-style sound on it.”
Interested artists or bands from any genre can enter the contest through Feb. 28. To be considered, entrants can submit audio demos/recordings that best demonstrate their musicality and artistry.
“Submissions can be any type of audio,” said Katona, producer-engineer for Bird Fight Records and owner of JK (Not Kidding) Studios. “It’s more about the songwriting than it is about production. We’ll take it from wherever it is to a fully produced song.”
The winning artist or band will have their material produced by JK (Not Kidding) Studios and released via Bird Fight Records. They also will receive marketing and video production support as part of the winning package.
“The people in Michigan and Detroit are so talented,” said Penn, graphic designer and social media manager for Bird Fight Records. “There are so many incredible artists around … we don’t want them to go unrecognized.”
Pia Roa and Christian Ohly will perform as part of Ohly’s first headlining show Friday at The Loving Touch. Photo – AC Backus Photography
Editor’s Note: Proof of full vaccination is required for attending Ohly’s Friday headlining show at The Loving Touch.
For Ohly, Friday’s headlining show is bucket-list worthy.
The Ferndale indie folk rocker will relish performing his growing catalog of vivid, thoughtful tracks with Tom Mihalis (guitar), Matt Jones (keys), Brodie Glaza (drums), Pia Roa (bass, vocals) and Ian Lukas (trombone) at The Loving Touch.
“I’ve been doing music for eight or nine years now, and I started playing at coffee shops when I was 15 or 16. I think this is the first-ever proper headlining show that Ohly has ever done. We’re super excited and trying to invite all of our friends out,” said Christian Ohly, aka Ohly.
As part of Audiotree Presents, Friday’s show will allow Ohly to debut his latest contemplative single, “Steady,” and spotlight songs from his current seven-track EP, Landlines, before a metro Detroit audience.
“There are some songs that I’ve never really played live and definitely haven’t played them live with the ability that we’re at now. I’m really looking forward to playing them with a few years of experience. The more people I have up there, the livelier and more organic it will sound,” Ohly said.
“These are three bands that I’ve looked up to for years. My childhood friend used to be the bassist for Kimball, so he introduced me to them years ago before I was doing original music. I saw them live a couple of times and being on the same bill as them is pretty surreal,” he said.
“Two years ago, Jackamo opened up for Remnose. I heard their set and had to run up to them right afterward. I was like, ‘You guys took my breath away.’ The Michigan Ordinary’s Steve Davis used to be in a band called The Fragile, and I saw him at the coffee shop I used to play when I was 15 or 16. My brother and I grabbed his CD, and we were like, ‘Wow, how is this guy playing in a little coffee shop?’”
Skywerth blends metal, psych rock, industrial, prog and hip-hop on “Waves.” Courtesy photo
Last spring, Skywerth watched a bewildered nation quickly unravel before his stunned eyes.
The Detroit multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter felt overwhelmed by the social, economic and political upheaval arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had just watched Ahmaud Arbery getting shot down in his own neighborhood and the music industry crumbling overnight all while looking at the incredible divide and conspiracy theories being pushed on social media,” he said.
That lingering frustration, disappointment and anger prompted Skywerth to pen his latest striking multi-genre, emotional-fueled single, “Waves,” featuring Hamtramck indie folk duo Jackamo.
“It was so apocalyptic, so I just wrote exactly what I was observing. Social media is tailored for you, so if anything pops up on your feed that is outside of your belief system, it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb, and your friends are going to say it’s wrong, too. No matter what it is, you are constantly being told that you’re right.” he said.
Now available on all streaming platforms, “Waves” elegantly rises with the genre-bending tides of metal, psych rock, industrial, prog and hip-hop into a symphonic tsunami. Thumping drums, tingling cymbals, swirling electric guitars, crawling bass and expansive synths quickly engulf listeners in a welcoming sense of relief and escape.
Skywerth reflects, “Alone in the waves with your eyes open wide, living in a paradise/Stare into the light/Hands upon the shore, eyes are getting sore/Here we are, caught in the eye of the storm/As the rain starts to fall, as the rain starts.”
“Lyrically, it’s a bit of a pessimistic song. If the song can make two people put their phones down and reconnect with one another in real life for two days, then it would make the year for me,” he said.
Skywerth also forges a beautiful musical connection with Jackamo’s Alison and Tessa Wiercioch, who provide somber, thoughtful harmonies on “Waves.”
“I fell in love with Jackamo the moment I heard them. We have mutual friends, and they also work with Steve (Lehane) at Rustbelt Studios. After writing the lyrics, I knew Ali, Tessa and I could do something pretty cool,” he said.
Along with Jackamo, Skywerth collaborated with Eric Hoegemeyer (soundscapes, synths), Matt Voss (drums) and co-producer Steve Lehane (bass, drum machines, production) on “Waves,” which initially started as an instrumental track.
“After the pandemic hit and I wrote the lyrics, I had this sort of organized chaos. Instead of being consumed by this confusion surrounding me, I had all my thoughts and observations laid out on something that was familiar and felt like home to me,” said Skywerth, who recorded the track at Royal Oak’s Rustbelt Studios and credited Lehane with transforming “Waves” into a vocal track.
“It wasn’t a conscious decision to weave all of these (multi-genre) elements together. I’ve got a bit of ADD, so when something sounds the same for several minutes I get bored. I need to change things a bit to keep me interested. I think the dynamics of the tune help outline the emotions felt from the pandemic.”
Skywerth brings those heavy emotions to life in his wistful new video for “Waves” as he ponders the pandemic’s ongoing impact with Alison Wiercioch in Hamtramck. Filmed and edited by Sara Showers and Cheyenne Comerford, the video also features footage of Skywerth performing live inside a vacant Magic Bag in Ferndale.
“We started tossing around ideas for a video in late 2020, and we shot at The Magic Bag in February. It was quite unsettling being in the venue during the pandemic. We also shot in Hamtramck back in the spring, and it was a group of friends running around with a camera,” he said.
The Barebones Music Festival will feature two nights of virtual recorded performances from Emma Guzman, ATMIG, Jackamo and others. Courtesy photo – Old Main Records
For Wayne State University’s Old Main Records label, this week’s Barebones Music Festival will showcase the creativity and ingenuity of emerging Detroit artists from the other side of the screen.
“We decided to create the Barebones Music Festival with the intention of leveling the playing field for local artists. The pandemic has put a hold on in-person events, and we have been trying to come up with new ways to virtually bring artists together,” said Joseph Corless, Old Main Records’ incoming president.
“A common problem we came across was that many artists did not possess the recording equipment necessary to perform virtually. We decided to embrace this and set the criteria for submissions to utilize only a cell phone with audio and video recording capabilities.”
In response, interested artists submitted individual performance videos for consideration regardless of genre. Next, the Old Main Records team assembled artist submissions into two cohesive virtual music showcases.
“This allows the songs themselves to shine and not be filtered by editing techniques and mixing. Artists had to be creative in their spacing to have a sonic balance between instruments. These limitations forced artists to think outside the box when choosing the song’s instrumentation and performance location,” Corless said.
“We chose artists whose songs could easily flow into one another while still utilizing various genres. Their choices of lighting and filming locations added to the ambiance of their individual styles.”
The Barebones Music Festival is one of several recent virtual events hosted by Old Main Records since the pandemic hit last year. With the shutdown of in-person live music events, the WSU student-run record label has flourished with a series of online artist shows and conversations, music industry panels, songwriter summits, and jazz and dance performances.
“It’s a nice way to bring together many of our past collaborators in a platform showcasing them all individually. I would personally love to see this festival grow into an in-person event in the future, but some changes may need to be made to its format,” said Corless, a WSU business management and music technology student and drummer for Detroit metal band Passing Thought.
“With venues and in-person events opening back up, I would love to start setting up more live shows. I also would like to see us branching out into different genres. Detroit has some phenomenal punk, hardcore and metal scenes that we have barely tapped into.”
Old Main Records hasn’t hosted an in-person live event since their multimedia launch party in January 2020. The party showcased a series of local artists who expressed interest in signing with the label, which is named after the iconic 19th century WSU academic building at Cass and Warren avenues.
“Chris Simpson, our departing president, has taken the lead in getting Old Main Records back up and running despite the pandemic. Darcy Moran, Calder Laidlaw, Anna George and several others have taken the lead in various other projects for the label,” Corless said.
“Wayne State is also slowly opening up again, and it would be great to utilize our recording studio. Old Main Records has been recruiting new members, and their enthusiasm to be more involved in our organization has truly been inspiring.”
The Stratton Setlist 