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Arts & Entertainment

Ferndale DIY Profile: Frank Stephens, Musician/Indie Record Label Manager

We asked all kinds of Ferndale residents what DIY means to them. This is what musician Frank Stephens said.

Ferndale Patch has started a DIY Project, talking with various people from the community, asking them what DIY means to them.

To learn more about our DIY Project and to participate, go .

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

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My name is Frank and I’m a musician who plays in too many bands, including: Jura, Sound and Fury, Red China, Forget, JFn’K, Bored Housewives, Pinkeye (amongst others). Also, I run a record label with my friend Jason Worden called Forget Records, which is part of a loose collective of labels and artists named Axis Mundi. My favorite colors are black, red, and blue. My favorite food is Thai. My favorite animal is the red panda.

2. What does DIY mean to you?

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It's easy to get swept up in culture. If you aren't putting something out, you're taking something in. Both are good, so you should do both. Having some type of DIY ideal allows you to put your culture out, so someone else can take it in, and hopefully be inspired to put theirs out too. Nobody can make you do something, only you can choose to do it yourself.

3. Tell us about a DIY project (or projects) who've worked on and why it was DIY.

Most of the music related activities I've been a part of are DIY. Being in a band, or part of a label in Metro Detroit involves a lot of work (booking, recording, arranging practice, manufacturing recordings, etc.), and generally you're the one doing that work. What's nice is when you get to work with good people, like all my totally rad friends, everybody works together to achieve the goal, doing it ourselves.

4. Why does the DIY attitude fit Ferndale?

The DIY attitude fits Ferndale because people in Ferndale are applying that aesthetic to their lives. There are lots of creative people in the city that are taking actions to make their culture available to those around them.

5. Who is your favorite DIY artist/musician/human?

Man, I have an issue with playing favorites. When you say, "______ is my favorite," you imply that everything else is not as good. Everyone I'm friends with inspires me to do what I do.

If you'd like to participate in Ferndale Patch's DIY Project, email editor Terry Parris Jr. here.

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