Major Release – Melanie Pierce Confronts Dark Feelings of the Past on ‘Stir Crazy’ Single

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Melanie Pierce takes a fearless approach on “Stir Crazy.” Photo – Hannah McWhorter

Melanie Pierce doesn’t hesitate to confront the dark feelings of the past.

The Detroit pop-rock singer-songwriter exposes deep frustration and disappointment from a former relationship on her confessional new single, “Stir Crazy.”

“This song was a huge release … it’s delicate, and one of those feelings was coercion,” Pierce said. “It brought closure by allowing me to get it all out as well as adding a little poetry to the mix.”

Alongside fearless electric guitar, bass and drums, she sings, “It hasn’t been seven years yet but who’s counting / It won’t be long until I’m a different person / And I’m comforted in brand new skin / A place I know your hands have never been.”

“I had been processing feelings from this song for a long time and being able to write about it a bit poetically was very cathartic,” Pierce said.

Pierce captured “Stir Crazy’s” cathartic and courageous feel with co-producer John Katona, co-producer/guitarist/bassist Tom Mihalis’ and drummer/percussionist Dalton Thomas at Shelby Township’s JK (Not Kidding) Studios.

“John, Tom and Dalton took the song to the next level,” she said. “This one specifically felt very dialed in from the start, meaning that it truly was an amazing experience to have Dalton come in and immediately be on the same page about where the song was headed stylistically.”

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Your Song – Bird Fight Records and JK (Not Kidding) Studios Launch Contest for Indie Artists

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Bird Fight Records’ Taylor Penn, Tom Mihalis and John Katona gather at JK (Not Kidding) Studios in Shelby Township. Photo courtesy of Taylor Penn

A metro Detroit record label and recording studio want to spotlight the next emerging artist.

Starting today, the Bird Fight Records and JK (Not Kidding) Studios team of John Katona, Tom Mihalis, Christian Ohly and Taylor Penn are launching a new contest to produce a single or an EP for one indie artist or band.

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.”

Continue reading “Your Song – Bird Fight Records and JK (Not Kidding) Studios Launch Contest for Indie Artists”