Tag: Willis Sound

Nostalgic Christmas — Olivia Van Goor Celebrates Holiday Music Past and Present on “Waiting for Santa” Album

Olivia Van Goor with her family’s dog, Murphy. Photo – Matt Ryan

This holiday season, Olivia Van Goor is stepping back in time.

The jazz vocalist-composer reimagines Christmas songs from TV specials and movies she loved as a child on her latest album, Waiting for Santa.

“I thought it would be fun to pick some of those songs that you forget about, that aren’t overplayed, or that aren’t overdone,” said Van Goor, who’s based in Royal Oak, Michigan.

“And speaking of Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, if you listen to the full version of ‘Put One Foot in Front of the Other’ at the very end, they go into a section that’s in seven instead of in four. That’s what I did in my recording at the end. I thought, ‘This is so hip [that it’s in] an odd meter. I don’t even remember that when I was a kid.’”

Waiting for Santa also includes Van Goor’s soaring renditions of “Silver and Gold” and “There’s Always Tomorrow” from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and “Believe” from The Polar Express.

“It was really fun to think about those songs, and they just so easily are turned into a very standard feel in the jazz world,” she said.

“And then going from that, it was really fun to reimagine more stories from those things and write the song, ‘Hermey’s Blues,’ with Mike [Harrison]. Hermey the Elf [from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer] didn’t ever get a song. I loved playing along with those ideas and feeling like I was accessing that part of my childhood.”

While the album’s six covers sparkle, Van Goor truly shines on the seven originals, which include a combination of songs she composed or co-composed with others. There’s also a track composed by bandmate Mike Harrison called “Mrs. Mistletoe.”

“I started coming up with ideas, and I had a bunch of ideas for songs that I thought were missing from the Christmas repertoire,” Van Goor said. “And then I was thinking, ‘I don’t have to do this all alone; I can co-compose with some of my friends,’ and that’s how the album came to be.”

Along with bandmates Reuben Stump (bass, vocals), Dave Zwolinski (drums), and Mike Harrison (piano), Van Goor presents a refreshing Christmas album featuring soulful vocals, nostalgic and festive lyrics, and enchanting instrumentation.

I recently spoke with Van Goor about Waiting for Santa ahead of several live shows in December.

Continue reading “Nostalgic Christmas — Olivia Van Goor Celebrates Holiday Music Past and Present on “Waiting for Santa” Album” →

Lighten the Load — J. Michael & The Heavy Burden Provides a Cathartic and Emotional Outlet on “Where We Belong” Album

Shannon Lee, Andrew Pfeiffer, Hillary Finchum-Sung, Jeff Brach, Christopher Georges, David Roof, and former bassist Jamie Sass. Not pictured: current bassist Kevin Howard. Courtesy photo.

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

Despite the band’s name, J. Michael & The Heavy Burden wants to lighten the emotional load for people.

The Ann Arbor-Metro Detroit band provides a cathartic outlet for processing feelings—ranging from hope to heartbreak to euphoria—on its latest album.

“A lot of the music that I write, it all comes from a very emotional place,” said Jeff “J. Michael” Brach, frontman for the Americana-jam rock band, about Where We Belong.

“When I’m at my peak creatively and writing a lot of music, which I’m actually doing more of right now, it’s when I’m going through difficult things.”

Brach examines a spectrum of emotions while rediscovering his purpose—both personally and vicariously—across eight tracks.

“Universally, the music that I love, you can identify with it, even if you’re interpreting it differently,” he said. “We all come from our perspectives, but you can universally tap into certain things that are being said.”

Brach’s relatable songwriting comes to life alongside the spirited instrumentation of The Heavy Burden, which includes lead guitarist Andrew Pfeiffer, drummer Christopher Georges, vocalist Shannon Lee, keyboardist David Roof, vocalist-violinist Hillary Finchum-Sung, and bassist Kevin Howard.

“Once I started listening and focusing on the lyrics, I [don’t] think of us as the heavy burden, but that’s the funny joke part of it,” Georges said.

“A lot of the songs have heavy, emotional tones sometimes, even though they’re light in their presentation and fun and groovy. There’s also this behind-the-scenes bit of toil and heartbreak, and that story-work in there. It’s delivered nicely and sweetly almost to the ear.”

I recently spoke to the band about its album ahead of an August 1 headlining set at the River Rhythm Music & Arts Festival in Manchester.

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A Decade Later — Chris DuPont Celebrates 10th Anniversary of “Outlier” Album With Willis Sound Show

Chris DuPont. Photo – Misty Lyn Bergeron

After more than a decade of releasing music, Chris DuPont wants to revisit one of his earliest albums.

The Ypsilanti, Michigan singer-songwriter is paying tribute to his second album, Outlier, for its 10th anniversary with a show at Willis Sound.

“For many Ann Arbor listeners, Outlier was an introduction to my songwriting,” said DuPont, who’s performing songs from the indie-folk album with a full band on July 10.

“The longer I make music, the more important it feels to pause and celebrate milestones and to look at how I’ve changed and grown since then. The season of creating and releasing that album holds a great deal of memory, and I want to honor it before I dive fully into my next body of work.”

In 2015, he penned Outlier’s 10 tracks after confronting personal challenges related to his mental health and faith.

“In terms of what it means to me now, I think Outlier contains the opening statements of a discussion I’m still having with myself and the world around me,” DuPont said. “It’s the writings of a young man who’s coming to terms with his own mental health challenges, but still in the earliest stages of owning his problems and being good to those around them.”

Looking back, DuPont sees the emotional and spiritual growth that’s come from that creative experience.

“It’s the serpentine spiritual musings of someone who is enamored with the faith tradition he came from, yet deeply saddened and enraged by the abuses it inflicts,” he said. “These songs took some big swings to talk about relatively tough things, but looking back I think I may have pulled my punches in ways I wouldn’t now.”

I recently did an email interview with DuPont about Outlier ahead of his celebratory show.

Continue reading “A Decade Later — Chris DuPont Celebrates 10th Anniversary of “Outlier” Album With Willis Sound Show” →

From Now On — Detroit’s Mike Ward Looks to the Future on “The Time That Remains” Album

Mike Ward embraces the future on “The Time That Remains” album. Photo – Steven Glynn

Mike Ward lives each day to the fullest.

The Detroit singer-songwriter and guitarist reconciles the past and embraces the future on The Time That Remains.

“I feel like I know these songs the best,” said Ward about his new folk album. “When I released The Darkness and The Light, most of those songs I knew as well as these. I feel like these songs are a lot closer to me than anything I’ve done.”

For his seventh release, Ward gets up close and personal about love, loss, and wisdom across the album’s dozen tracks. He spent considerable time fine-tuning the album’s evocative lyrics, heartfelt vocals, and earnest instrumentation before going into the studio last fall.

“This is unlike any album I’ve done because the songs have been performed out more than any of my other albums,” Ward said.

“When we recorded it, we produced 15 songs, but we trimmed it back because we felt these were the songs that hung together [the best]. At one point, we had a working title called Prayers, Parables, and Pet Peeves, and those are the buckets [the songs] fell into.”

I recently spoke with Ward about The Time That Remains ahead of an August 3 album release show in Ferndale, Michigan.

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Assembling “Disassemble” — Marty Gray’s Shoegaze Album Was Inspired by the Struggles of Family and Friends

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Marty Gray features a guitar-driven rock and shoegaze sound on “Disassemble.” Photo courtesy of Marty Gray.

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

Marty Gray empathizes with loved ones battling dementia, depression, and other personal challenges on his latest album, Disassemble.

“The whole album is autobiographical, it’s just about the people around me,” said the Ann Arbor singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. “It’s rare that there is a song about me, but I’m telling you how I feel about these people throughout the whole record.”

Gray explores that fragility and the observations of a concerned bystander on Disassemble. The album’s poetic lyrics, ethereal vocals, and cinematic instrumentation convey the emotions he encounters while witnessing family and friends decline.

“There are some songs about my friends and the things that they’re going through,” said Gray, who studied opera at the University of Michigan. “There are friends in my life that are losing the battle with depression. I have a couple of songs about my grandparents; I have one about my opa and one about my [late] oma … and my oma’s dementia and seeing what happened with her brain, her mind, and her life.”

Gray ventures into new sonic territory on his fourth album, too, trading his previous pop sound for guitar-driven rock and shoegaze.

“Part of this story is me falling in love with guitar,” Gray said. “And I’ve never been a fabulously talented guitar player. With shoegaze, you don’t have to be a ripper. If the story calls for it and if the story wants it to be big shoegaze with lots of reverb, lots of distortion, lots of everything … [then] let’s go for it.”

To learn more, I spoke with Gray about Disassemble ahead of a January 8 show at The Blind Pig.

Continue reading “Assembling “Disassemble” — Marty Gray’s Shoegaze Album Was Inspired by the Struggles of Family and Friends” →

Everyday Monsters – Fangs and Twang Shares the Horrors and Delights of Michigan and Out-of-State Creatures on Latest Album

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Fangs and Twang’s Joe Bertoletti, Billy LaLonde, and Andy Benes uncover a new group of beasts on You Monster. Photo courtesy of Fangs and Twang

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

After years of writing about monsters, Fangs and Twang didn’t expect to find them in human form.

The country-rock trio of Billy LaLonde (drums, vocals), Andy Benes (guitar, vocals), and Joe Bertoletti (bass, vocals) discovered some people started spreading monstrous misinformation at the height of the pandemic.

In response, Benes channeled that disbelief and frustration into the Ypsilanti, Michigan band’s opening track, “You Monster,” from its fourth album of the same name.

Alongside explosive electric guitar, organ, and fiddle, he sings, “It’s hard to be you and me / When we can’t tell what’s true / It seems to me that we can’t agree / Even that the sky is blue.”

“That song came to me … and it was done in 20 minutes,” Benes said. “All of the lyrics and all of the music just came out, and that was what was on my mind. [It’s about] not having a common set of facts or a common language that we’re speaking anymore as people and how horrible that is.”

The title track also lays the groundwork thematically for the horrors and delights Fangs and Twang uncovers on You Monster.

Continue reading “Everyday Monsters – Fangs and Twang Shares the Horrors and Delights of Michigan and Out-of-State Creatures on Latest Album” →

Inside Out – Kylee Phillips Gets Vulnerable and Introspective on New “Long Time Coming” EP

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Kylee Phillips shares a spectrum of emotions on “Long Time Coming.” Photo – Kris Herrmann

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

Kylee Phillips deliberately steps outside herself and looks inward on Long Time Coming.

The indie-pop singer-songwriter and keyboardist examines past vulnerabilities and realizations through a wiser lens on her new EP.

“It’s very autobiographical. Honestly, writing them was less about sharing them with other people and more about admitting things to myself,” said Phillips, who lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

“In the writing process, I struggle sometimes to be vulnerable or to process my own feelings in real life. I joke that sometimes you could ask me how I feel about a situation and I would say, ‘I don’t know,’ and then I would write a song and go, ‘I guess that’s how I feel about it.’”

On Long Time Coming, Phillips shares a spectrum of emotions—ranging from disappointment to anticipation to relief—across five introspective tracks. The EP’s cathartic lyrics and atmospheric pop instrumentation allow listeners to instantly grasp and connect with Phillips’ perspective.

“A lot of these songs were things that I was describing, especially ‘Long Time Coming,’ and are like the closets in your house where you put stuff and you’re like, ‘I’m not going to think about it; I’m going to pretend that all that crap has been in there,’” Phillips said. “Then at a certain point, you say, ‘I’m gonna have to look in that closet.’” 

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Bold Ambition – Adam Labeaux Explores the Power of Courage and Vulnerability on ‘Brave Face’ Album

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Adam Labeaux’s “Brave Face” features earnest lyrics, soulful vocals and ‘70s-inspired folk-rock instrumentation flavored with improvisational jazz and soul. Photo – Natalia Holtzman

Adam Labeaux searches for the true meaning of courage in himself and others.

The folk-rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist explores the power of tenacity, vulnerability and authenticity on his new album Brave Face.

“It does have a lot to do with these central themes, and these are things I tend to touch on a lot, including the human condition,” said Labeaux, who resides in Ann Arbor.

“I tend to write dark folk, and I gravitate toward this subject matter and a focal point that maybe people don’t want to look at all the time. But I always have hope, and I always feel there’s positivity to come out.”

That positivity and bravery shine across Brave Face’s dozen candid tracks, which feature earnest lyrics, soulful vocals and ‘70s-inspired folk-rock instrumentation flavored with improvisational jazz and soul. Imagine if Labeaux formed a new supergroup with members of Steely Dan, the E Street Band and Toto.

“I’m the first to admit that sometimes I write songs to give myself words of encouragement that I’m not getting from someone else,” said Labeaux about his fourth album. “If nothing else, I find that when I’m at my lowest and when I’m most manic that usually it means I haven’t been writing enough. I haven’t been expressing it, and I really need to get into that space and have that cathartic moment.”

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Midwest Americana – Blockhouse Valley Combines Regional Folk and Bluegrass with Rust Belt Grit on Self-Titled Debut EP

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Blockhouse Valley’s Ashleigh Glass, Jon Howard, Cody Cooper and Danny Steinkopf feature wistful stories about heartbreak, home and hope on their self-titled debut EP. Photo courtesy of Blockhouse Valley

With musical roots throughout the Midwest, Blockhouse Valley deeply cultivates a flourishing Americana landscape in southeast Michigan.

The metro Detroit quartet of Ashleigh Glass (vocals), Cody Cooper (mandolin, guitar), Jon Howard (guitar) and Danny Steinkopf (upright bass) combines robust elements of Appalachian folk and Tennessee bluegrass with gritty Rust Belt sentiments on their self-titled debut EP.

“Growing up, my prolific and prodigious grandparents helped shape my vision for my musical endeavors. I was exposed to artists like Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart and Chet Atkins, but my personal preferences skewed more toward rock, blues and indie music,” said Cooper, who hails from Sunbury, Ohio, and whose grandparents reside in northeast Tennessee’s Blockhouse Valley.

“When Ashleigh, a West Virginia native, and I started writing music together, we found a lot of shared experiences tied to the trials of living in the Rust Belt. We both lamented witnessing the impact of lost industry and economy on our parents’ and grandparents’ generations and were concerned about how it was shaping our peers and our perspectives in the Midwest.”

In response, Cooper and Glass penned six thoughtful tracks for the EP that reconcile past struggles and beckon future growth. Wistful stories about heartbreak, home and hope soar alongside rich harmonies and fervent acoustic instrumentation.

“The tie to Blockhouse Valley harkens to the short-lived promise of prosperity, the long-term costs lurking beneath the surface, and the ever-enduring splinter of hope that we might learn to do better as we learn from all we’ve seen,” Glass said.

“From this viewpoint, our music has been influenced by a wide range of artists, most notably Chris Thile and his bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek. They encapsulate so many elements that we relish, including bluegrass instrumentation that blends nods to their predecessors with truly virtuosic musicianship.”

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Past Perfect – Bobby Pennock Shares Enduring Favorites on ‘The Vestiges of Art’ Album

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Bobby Pennock demonstrates his musical prowess on “The Vestiges of Art.” Photo – Kent Koller

Bobby Pennock strategically revisits past songs for future reflection.

The Detroit folk-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist shares insightful vignettes from an enduring canon of tales on his new power-pop-fueled album, The Vestiges of Art.

“Interestingly, most of the songs on this album are older songs that I’ve performed live over the years, but never recorded. Although a couple are older and have never been performed,” Pennock said.

“When I started selecting songs for the album, rather than thinking about a theme, I thought about which songs I had that are up-tempo and kind of pop-rock. I thought the phrase, ‘The Vestiges of Art,’ is what an album is, so the idea to name the album came pretty quickly and easily.”

Pennock proudly reveals 10 “vestiges” (and one new track, ‘Perhaps We Were’) bursting with melodic instrumentation, thoughtful lyrics and timeless pop-rock sensibilities.

Whether addressing internal struggles or changing relationships, each track places a vivid storyline inside listeners’ heads and delights their ears with infectious soundscapes.

“About 99 percent of the time when I sit down to write a song, I have no idea what I’m going to write about,” he said. “I don’t keep a writer’s notebook.”

Continue reading “Past Perfect – Bobby Pennock Shares Enduring Favorites on ‘The Vestiges of Art’ Album” →