From a Ferndale basement, startup promotes area music scene

What started as a basement project between two friends has since blossomed into something that has attracted interest from musicians from Saginaw to Ohio, and all the way to Los Angeles.

It’s called The Ferndale Set, a music video production group started by Quicken Loans officemates Mike Steciuk and Norman Huang. Steciuk acts as the sound engineer while Huang takes on the videography side of things. What results is The Ferndale Set, an online video series that captures local musicians in their natural habitats, singing their songs in venues throughout metro Detroit.

The goal is to bring more exposure to the region’s burgeoning music scene, both to the musicians and the venues that host them. The duo takes their inspiration from national outfits like KEXP and Audiotree.

"We’ve learned that metro Detroit wants to support its local musicians," Steciuk says. "If you bring the opportunities to them, they’re quick to sign up."

The Ferndale Set began in its namesake town, in the basement of Steciuk. Over the course of a jam session amongst friends, Steciuk’s officemate Huang filmed and edited the party into a short video. The Ferndale Set grew from there.

Steciuk outfitted his basement with curtains and lighting, creating a set where bands could play. But it was the birth of his second child that pushed the group out of the basement and into area venues. It’s a move that has benefited all involved. Now promoting area venues like PJ’s Lager House in Detroit and Common Grace Coffee Company in Dearborn has become part of The Ferndale Set’s mission, too.

"We want to focus on Michigan musicians. A lot of artists create really cool stuff, but don’t have the ability to share it," Huang says.

"We want to create quality videos while also promoting local businesses as venues. You kill two birds with one stone."

Click here to visit The Ferndale Set’s YouTube channel.

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