Aloft

“It still doesn’t seem like a reality” exclaims Billy Mrak, the principle songwriter in the newest band to emerge from the Michigan rock scene. The name of the band is Aloft. “This whole process has been, well, just like a dream” and a dream is the best way to describe the sound of Aloft. Taking note of the many influences from the last twenty odd years, Aloft has found a way to meld these into a sound all their own. “I would think we are a retro-pop band “chimes Todd Brasseur, the band’s drummer and music collaborator. “We are unique in sound and yet have that pop hook sensibility, especially in songs like “Blind” and “S.O.S” the latter almost having a 60’s vibe to it” notes Brasseur. Aloft was formed in the spring of 2002. Almost by accident the two partners were discussing the music of today with its slick editing and almost disposable and very forgetful melodies. During this conversation Billy and Todd kept going back to the topic of saying how much they missed the sounds of bands like “Pink Floyd”, “The Moody Blues”, “Wings”, and “The Doors”; all the great stuff you know. Billy adds, “All night we kept saying these guys are so great and yet wouldn’t be signed in today’s market, why is that.” “If I’m interested, I’m sure others would be and hey, let’s make an EP.” Like a phoenix born from ashes, Aloft was about to fly. Several weeks of writing took place during a time that Billy and his wife Jodie were anticipating the birth of their first child. Mrak began to tackle a complex set of emotions. “You see, during this whole writing period I saw the gradual decline of health in an immediate family member due to Alzheimer’s. In one hand I had a life cycle beginning and in the other, the decay and fall. There is no doubt that "Closer To Nowhere" is about that cycle.", adds Billy. And all of a sudden there were ten. Ten songs, ten lives created and acted from the past. . “Closer To Nowhere” is a dream and reality. Based from real life, as a listener you can feel the sense of loss, triumph, and uncertainties of life.
Mrak and Brasseur have loosened the cork on the subtleties of a delicate melody and recreate a sound in their music that not only pays tribute to the classic rock scene, but is complex and rich in texture that could solely be their own. This is a thinking person’s music, filled with themes and questions and genuine emotions.