Tag: Mark Kieme

Along the Way – Ypsilanti Singer-Songwriter Adam Plomaritas Returns With His First New Release in a Decade

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Adam Plomaritas gets introspective on his new EP, “Old Time Love.” Photo courtesy of Adam Plomaritas

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

Adam Plomaritas’ new EP reflects on his personal journey of love and growth.

It provides the Ypsilanti, Michigan pop-soul singer-songwriter with an emotional outlet for exploring the opportunities and challenges that come with being loved and loving others.

“These tunes are about finding a balance between wondering if you’re loved enough and if you’re loving enough in the best ways,” said Plomaritas about Old Time Love, his first collection of new songs since his 2013 album, The Hard Way. “As a husband, father, son, brother, and artist, it’s natural to seek approval, if not always healthy.”

Plomaritas beautifully captures that sentiment on Old Time Love, which features five infectious tracks filled with heartfelt vocals, vibrant horns, and upbeat pop-rock instrumentation.

“The EP is a little bit of introspection, even though the songs are generally light and fun in nature,” he said. “You seemed to have pierced the hard candy shell and gotten to the ooey, gooey chocolate inside—it’s about feeling like you’re enough.”

I recently spoke with Plomaritas about growing up in a musical family, solidifying his writing and recording skills through earlier releases, anticipating his first new release in 10 years, sharing select songs from Old Time Love, and preparing for a Dec. 1 show at The Ark.

Continue reading “Along the Way – Ypsilanti Singer-Songwriter Adam Plomaritas Returns With His First New Release in a Decade” →

In Harmony – Metro Detroit’s Voxanna Forms During Pandemic and Releases Compelling Self-Titled Debut Album

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Voxanna’s Billy Brandt, Elaine Schoendorf, Raquel Salaysay and Kerry Gluckman share rich harmonies and a timeless acoustic folk-rock sound on their self-titled debut album. Photo courtesy of Voxanna

When the pandemic first hit, Billy Brandt, Elaine Schoendorf, Kerry Gluckman and Raquel Salaysay unexpectedly found a silver lining during a dark time.

The two couples and musical collaborators experienced a burst of creativity and formed Voxanna, a new acoustic folk-rock band from Metro Detroit.

“It’s something amazingly positive to do,” said Brandt, one of the band’s vocalists and a guitarist, banjoist and autoharpist.

“It started with Kerry, Raquel and me—though I had met Elaine right before the pandemic. We trusted each other, and for some reason, we had an instinctual feeling that we’d be OK if we gathered to play music, so we did.”

At the outset, Brandt gathered with Gluckman (percussion) and Salaysay (bass, vocals) to jam outside the couple’s house and started recording their performances. 

“We videotaped everything, so everything was a performance … and that worked very well in our favor. People really enjoyed seeing us from their lockdown homes or whatever apartment they were living in,” Brandt said.

“This live music seemed to get 100, 300, 500 and 1,000 likes every time we posted, so we built a small online community that’s very different from an in-person community. We had good responses, and it kept us going.”

That momentum prompted Brandt to bring Schoendorf (tenor guitar, vocals) into the fold after the two had started singing and harmonizing together in 2019.

“We had been working our thing concurrently with Kerry, Raquel and I working out this trio—this rhythm section thing,” Brandt said. “But we were missing one thing and that was three-part harmonies, so we eventually put it all together.”

Continue reading “In Harmony – Metro Detroit’s Voxanna Forms During Pandemic and Releases Compelling Self-Titled Debut Album” →