Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulpblog.
One Track Mind features a Washtenaw County-associated artist or band discussing a single song.
Standout Track: “Our Eyes” from Kelsey., aka Kelsey Detering, an Ann Arbor singer-songwriter, bassist, and pianist. Her latest single examines a new relationship between two people and their shared sense of connection, while also exploring themes of authenticity and validation. “That’s really the core of it, knowing that someone sees you almost chillingly well, that they understand the core of you, and in this case, your music,” wrote Kelsey. in an email interview.
“It’s almost too good to be true, just the connection itself. And what this song is really about is wanting to be the person they see, that they love and believe in. And also the reverse, which is how you see deep inside of them, and how all that is conveyed in just one look. You feel like you’ve truly known this person your entire life.” Continue reading “One Track Mind — Kelsey., “Our Eyes””→
Kelsey Detering plays her Dream Rio bass. Courtesy photo.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulpblog.
Kelsey Detering has found her groove.
The Ann Arbor indie-rocker recently started playing bass and features new wave-inspired basslines on her four latest singles.
“Musically, I feel like I found myself starting at the end of 2023,” said Detering, who’s traded her previous Ceolsige (pronounced see-ole-sidge) artist moniker for Kelsey. (pronounced Kelsey period).
“I found myself as an artist and as a person, and everything locked in. That’s what happened to me, and I thought, ‘This is so different than Ceolsige, and it feels different.’ I’m hearing music differently since I started playing bass, and I’m writing and approaching it differently.”
Initially a pianist, Detering credits Duran Duran bassist John Taylor with inspiring her to pick up the bass—a Rio Dream bass.
“I learned all the [Duran Duran] basslines and started to branch out to other basslines and players, too,” she said. “That’s really the foundation of my playing. The first [bassline] I wrote was for ‘Throw the Stone,’ and you can hear [John Taylor’s influence] all over that. He was inspired by [Blondie], it’s a thread that goes through it.”
Detering’s including “Throw the Stone” and three other songs on a new Kelsey. EP, which will be released during her July 17 show at Lo-Fi Bar in Ann Arbor.
It features collaborations with singer-songwriter/guitarist Chris DuPont and guitarist/pedal steel guitar player Michael Harrington and drummer Billy Harrington of The Brothers Harrington.
“If you come to the show, you can get this packaged EP of all the singles I’ve released so far,” she said. “‘Wasted’ is the bridge song because half of it was tracked with these singles and the other half was finished in the album sessions.”
In addition to releasing a new self-titled EP, Detering has been working on her full-length debut album for Kelsey. at Ann Arbor’s Solid Sound Recording Company.
“In the fall of 2023, I had a lot happen in my personal life, and it inspired this whole album,” Detering said. “It was a lot of feelings that I had and a lot of new things I had never felt before.”
I recently spoke with Detering about her latest projects ahead of her show.
All artists are given the same song title, but must write their own lyrics and music as well as determine the genre. Tonight’s song is called “Best Guess,” said Gerald Wayne “G.W.” Staton, who’s owned and operated the 44-seat Black Crystal Studio since 2007.
“I gave the artists an example of something I wrote just to show them what they might do with it. Two of them have written me and said, ‘I’m deep in the rabbit hole,’ but they’re challenged by it,” he said. “Artists always say they needed that challenge, and they needed something thrown at them to get out of a rut.”
During “For Song Sake,” audience members will rate each song from one to five based on lyrics, melody and likability. The winning songwriter will receive a prize, which could include cash, an instrument, a short trip or another item.
Staton and his Black Crystal Studio crew will record each artist’s performance of “Best Guess” and air the recording during an upcoming “For Song Sake” session on Ann Arbor Radio, one of the venue’s two online radio stations. Each artist will receive a copy of the recording.
“I’ve got four dates for ‘For Song Sake’ lined up for next year, one a quarter,” Staton said. “The audience was what impressed me. People came out that I wouldn’t have guessed would come, but they were interested in hearing about songwriting.”
The Stratton Setlist 