For those unaware, Jeremy Facknitz has been entertaining audiences with his lovingly crafted music and high-energy performances for over a quarter century.

Since the 2002 break-up of his Detroit-based band The Ottomans (they earned a 2001 Detroit Music Award for Best New Alternative Band, beating out The White Stripes), Jeremy has performed primarily as a solo act, marrying folk-rock and jazz styling to showcase his intimate stories of life, love, and self-discovery.

But from 2003 to 2017, those stories seemed to fall on deaf ears. Facknitz carved out a living performing at bars, coffee shops, and corporate events while teaching lessons on the side. I was happy to be making a living performing music, but my original music wasn’t being heard - and as the years passed I found myself more and more frustrated playing to little more than the din of drunken conversation.

Things came to a head on July 17th, 2017 when Jeremy was diagnosed with viral meningitis. I came face to face with my mortality, and I realized it was time for a change. I quit performing at bars and spent the next year making the leap to house concerts, touring, and performing solely for listening audiences.

The leap has paid off. Jeremy was named a top 24 finalist from over 800 entries in the 2020 and 2022 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competitions at Kerrville Folk Festival. His songs Ballet of an Unhatched Chick and Michigan (Something In The Water) were awarded semi-finalist distinction at songoftheyear.com, also in 2020 and 2022.

While occasionally performing with his 6 piece band in Colorado, Jeremy continues to tour solo - performing at house concerts and listening rooms in the United States, Canada and Europe. His 6th solo album, Smilin’ At The Future, is set for release March 31st, 2023.

1. Destiny
2. As Of This Morning
3. Michigan (Something In The Water)
4. There’s No Going Home Again (featuring Serenity Hollaway)
5. Broad Strokes (featuring Edie Carey)
6. Smilin’ At The Future
7. Ste. Genevieve
8. Lay It On Me
9. Come Alive
10. Unsung

This soulfully-hued, and wholly heartfelt, organic new album opens on the rhythmic growth within the veritably, at times, shimmering foot-tapper Destiny and the free flowing musical notes and melodies within As Of This Morning, and then we get brought the soulfully-imbued Michigan (Something In The Water), the melodic notes and storytelling of There’s No Going Home Again (featuring Serenity Hollaway), and then comes the beautiful balladry of Broad Strokes (featuring Edie Carey).

Up next is one of my own personal favorites on the album, the fun, jaunty pop of titular Smilin’ At The Future which is itself backed seamlessly by the sweeping Ste. Genevieve, the impassioned Lay It On Me, the recording rounding out on the atmospheric, stirring ardent Come Alive, closing on the quiet, acoustic balladry of Unsung.

Official Website