“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 them 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 how much they 

missed the sounds of bands 

like “Pink Floyd”, 

“The Moody Blues”, “Wings”, 

and “The Doors”;

“all the great stuff you 

know”. 

Mrak 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 

the ashes Aloft was about 

to fly. Several weeks of 

writing followed, during a 

time 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”. 

The writing continued 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.