That turn starts a new chapter for the Royal Oak, Michigan singer-songwriter and guitarist, who’s embracing a different sound and releasing her debut EP, Full Circle.
“I’ve taken the approach these days that if I’m not making music that I love and it isn’t just 100 percent me, then I don’t want to bother,” Burns said.
“I don’t want to make music that sounds like somebody else, and I don’t want to make music that’s trying to sound like somebody else. I feel like this is the first time I’ve made something of that nature where it says, ‘This is me.’”
Burns’ authenticity permeates all four tracks on Full Circle, which features a turbocharged indie-pop-rock sound in place of the previous folk, bluegrass, and Americana territory she explored as half of the former duo Escaping Pavement.
“This time, it’s all about finding the sound, making the introduction, and putting it out there in the world as a starting point,” she said. “It’s the start of something new.”
Dylan Dunbar’s “Free Candy” features eight short stories exploring everything from classic battles of good and evil to zombie outbreaks.
Dylan Dunbar is ready to bring some scary good stories to light.
The Detroit guitarist for Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils has released a new book of strange and terrifying short stories called Free Candy: A Horror Story Collection.
It’s the first published work for Dunbar, who discovered a love for writing in 2020 upon tackling an addiction to alcohol.
“I’m now more than three years sober and couldn’t have imagined when I started writing how much of a positive impact it would make in my life—or that I’d be publishing,” he said.
Inspired by The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror, Creepshow, and Tales from the Crypt, Free Candy includes eight intriguing short stories exploring everything from classic battles of good and evil to zombie outbreaks.
Dunbar is celebrating the release of his book on May 9 with a signing at Belle’s Lounge at Valentine Distilling in Ferndale, Michigan. Copies of Free Candy will be available for sale at the event.
The two bandmates from the Denver quartet created a makeshift studio at an Airbnb in Fairplay, Colorado to quickly capture the nine tracks for Hollow Head over six days.
“We didn’t go into this album with a theme in mind. The main thing that we wanted to do was write and record the majority of the songs together at once,” said Adame, the band’s vocalist-guitarist, about their new album.
“They all weren’t written at the same time, but most of them were written in a shorter period of time compared to A Spark of Madness. That’s more of a common theme with our songs.”
What resulted are nine tracks filled with honest, thoughtful, and vulnerable lyrics about processing internal struggles and sharing them with the outside world.
“That’s also why we decided to have the album be self-titled,” Adame said. “There wasn’t a lot of separation this time between Elliott and me—it was a lot more collaborative.”
Miller, Hollow Head’s vocalist-drummer, agreed: “It feels like our first true record. The other one was a bunch of different stuff pieced together.”
While the pop-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist hails from New York City, she’s ecstatic about attending the University of Michigan this fall as a freshman to study music.
So much in fact that Orensteen has written a song called “Michigan,” which pays homage to the school and serves as the aspirational opener from her debut album, AmericanGirl.
“This song turned into a way that I could express my love for Michigan even though I had never been there [before] or had never seen it,” she said.
“I got in contact with the University of Michigan about using my song for their social media. I also sent in the song with my application, and I didn’t even tell my parents I was applying. And then I got in, and they said, ‘What?’”
Despite that surprise, Orensteen learned of her acceptance to U-M in February and has started planning for the fall.
She shares that sentiment in “Michigan” alongside hopeful acoustic guitar and electric guitar while singing: “I’ve never been to Michigan, but I’ve heard it’s nice / You’re going away, going to college, gonna start a new life / You’ll remember me / When you see my name in lights / And you’ll say, ‘Wow, she was right.’”
“I’ve always loved the University of Michigan, and I wrote this in one of my supplemental essays when I applied there,” said Orensteen, who will graduate from New York City’s Professional Children’s School in June.
“I never told my parents or anybody that I loved the University of Michigan, but I’ve always followed the school and their football team. I never thought I’d go there or get into the school.”
Orensteen’s “Michigan” is one of 13 coming-of-age tracks featured onAmericanGirl, which includes introspective lyrics about life and love and spirited pop-rock and pop-punk instrumentation.
I recently spoke with Orensteen about her background and influences, her latest album and songs, her creative process for the album, her producers and collaborators, and her plans for the summer.
Nick Behnan reconciles his expectations of fantasy with reality on “What You Got.”
As a longtime musician, Nick Behnan searches for the right balance between fantasy and reality.
The Detroit singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer straddles those two worlds on his latest pop-soul single, “What You Got.”
“I think the nature of what I do for a living creates pretty drastic swings of highs and lows,” Behnan said. “I feel fortunate to not have to have a 9-5, but the ups and downs and expectations can sometimes be difficult to navigate. It’s the nature of the beast though.”
Surrounded by hypnotic electric guitar, bass, electric piano, and drums, he sings, “It’s a whole new paradigm / Livin’ what I had in mind / So I keep it movin’ all the time / Until I find / Just what I’m tryin’ to do.”
“The new thing everyone in my business is freaking out about is AI, which could threaten the music business as a whole and especially sync licensing for TV, film, and commercials,” Behnan said.
“Hopefully, the right regulations get put in place before it goes bonkers, but it’s like the Wild West right now. I find it’s the most important to stay creative and productive—it’s also a mindset thing.”
To learn more, I spoke to Behnan about his past releases, latest singles, creative process, summer plans, and sync licensing opportunities.
In those fleeting moments, the Detroit singer-songwriter feels grateful and inspired while spending time with others.
However, that magic often dissipates as people move on or pass away, but the love and appreciation from those interactions remain with Striho.
She beautifully shares that sentiment and a longing to recapture it in her new single, “Blue Ridiculous Love,” which features poetic lyrics and heartfelt rock instrumentation.
“I saw this song more as a painting, and with a painting, you’re interpreting it your way,” said Striho, who co-wrote the track with husband-guitarist Scott Dailey. “I’m talking about the ‘green grass of gold dirt,’ and it reminds me of one of the Beatnik poets, and you get these images.”
Surrounded by eager acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and drums, Striho sings, “I had this magic / It’s right on my side / Then everybody took a ride / The evening shadows / The tiny voice in my head / Starts talking louder / It’s an evil eye.”
“It’s a romantic song with an angst about the future and missing people, but it’s also about how falling in love can feel ridiculous,” she said.
”The lyric, ‘Everybody took a ride,’ could mean different things: They just left your life or they could have died. I had this magic, and I thought, ‘Wait, where did everybody go?’ It prompts you to look back and say, ‘Wait a minute, those people are gone.’”
Detroit folk singer-songwriter Mike Ward. Photo by Danny Ward.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pulp blog.
The state of the world weighs heavily on Mike Ward’s mind.
That concern prompted the Detroit singer-songwriter to pen a new folk song called “Why Not,” which sends an encouraging message to help others.
“When I have played it, people get how the song starts out small, gets broader as it goes on, and ends at a point where it’s up to us on a personal level,” said Ward, who’s also a University of Michigan alumnus.
“One of the things I have to work hard at is trying not to be too preachy, especially when I’m writing about things on a political level. It’s one of the areas where I try to find a balance.”
Backed by hopeful acoustic guitar and cello, he sings, “Why not do some good today with the time that we’ve got / Start with something simple / A lesson learned or to be taught / Plant a seed or lend a hand / A little helps a lot.”
“I’ve also been looking at not only how that affects the world in general, but also how it’s affecting people’s relationships,” Ward said. “It goes as broad as the country, but as narrow as some relationships and the struggles that people are having.”
“Why Not” is one of several songs Ward will be performing with Sara Gibson (cello) and Annie Bacon (vocals) at an April 28 show at the Downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library.
Ahead of the show, I spoke with Ward about his current state, his career transition from advertising to music, past albums, his latest songwriting efforts, his setlist for the AADL show, and plans for new material.
Julianne Ankley champions pursuing your passion on “What Makes You Dance.” Photo – Yorg Kerasiotis
For Julianne Ankley, a new song puts an extra spring in her step.
That spring represents the Port Huron, Michigan singer-songwriter and visual artist’s strong zest for life and her drive to inspire others on her new Americana single, “What Makes You Dance.”
“I didn’t even start music until later in life … and I just had to keep going. Other than raising three wonderful children, music and art are what make me the happiest … and you can’t ignore it when something makes you feel so good,” said Ankley, who’s also thankful for her boyfriend.
“Plus, it’s something that you give to the rest of the world. It’s not only making me happy, but it’s also making other people happy.”
Backed by grateful pedal steel and acoustic guitar, Ankley beautifully captures that sentiment while singing, “Just close your eyes / Grab a glass of wine / Turn the music up / It’ll all be fine / If you find what makes you dance.”
“We recorded it in the studio about a year ago right now, and we pitched it around just a little bit. Everybody loved it, but nobody put it on hold,” she said. “And I said, ‘It’s too good because I will be walking around my house singing it … and everybody needs to hear this one.’”
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.
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.
The Stratton Setlist 