Tag: Sheryl Crow

Ultimate Demise — Lost at Ease Deconstructs the End of a Relationship on “Stupid Human Games” Single

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Lost at Ease deconstructs the end of a relationship on “Stupid Human Games.”

The Grand Rapids, Michigan, collective captures the blunt verbal interplay of two people confronting each other on its latest indie-pop single.

“I think it kind of reflects lots of relationships, and I think it could be about friends or family,” said Burton Kroes, a songwriter, producer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist who formed Lost at Ease in 2024.

“I wouldn’t say it’s autobiographical, but those lyrics are very personal to me. It’s a little bit of how I see the world sometimes … like through a domination-submission [lens].”

Filled with shimmering synth and pounding drums, “Stupid Human Games” features a stellar collaboration with Grand Rapids singer-guitarist Wren Burns, who provides soulful vocals on the track.

Burns sings, “I know you say that you love me so / Reflections of your ego / They’re all you want, and they’re all you need / It’ll cost, you will see.”

“It’s definitely a good venting song,” they said. “I like how it applies to a lot of different relationships … especially when you’re noticing patterns of behavior instead of just continuing to deny those giant red flags because you don’t want to see them.”

Along with Burns, Kroes also collaborated with drummer Adam Hubbell, engineer and percussionist Logan Thierjung, and arranger Kiersten Quilliams on “Stupid Human Games.”

“The whole thing was a puzzle to piece together, and while I wrote and produced it all myself, I was lucky to have some great ears around me for feedback on specific elements, like the guitar solo, the strings, and the drum mix,” Kroes said.

To learn more, I spoke with Kroes and Burns about their backgrounds and the inspiration behind the song.

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DuPont Phillips Combines Catalogs and Influences for New ‘Big Sky Sessions’ EP

dupont-phillips
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.

Ypsilanti’s Chris DuPont and Kylee Phillips decided a joint EP was long overdue.

After several years of performing and recording together, the singer-songwriters pooled their talents, catalogs, and influences to form DuPont Phillips and release Big Sky Sessions.

“This Big Sky Sessions EP 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 Sessions offer 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.

Continue reading “DuPont Phillips Combines Catalogs and Influences for New ‘Big Sky Sessions’ EP” →