Saint Wilson

Bryan Freedman’s debut single “Singapore, MI” explores a forgotten Michigan town’s tragic history, blending emotional storytelling with historical research and a unique sonic landscape, reflecting on capitalism and environmental issues.

In his debut single “Singapore, MI,” Bryan Freedman’s project Saint Wilson resurrects a forgotten American tragedy with archaeological precision and emotional resonance. Released April 1st, this ambitious first offering unearths the compelling history of its namesake—a Michigan lumber town that vanished beneath Lake Michigan’s dunes after being stripped of its protective forests to rebuild post-fire Chicago.
What immediately captivates is how Freedman transforms historical research into visceral storytelling. The track opens with spectral imagery of “forests of our youth” that once “stretched a hundred miles long,” establishing both setting and impending loss. As the narrative unfolds through glimpses of “skyscrapers falling down” and pragmatists who “float away to the lake,” Freedman crafts a potent metaphor for exploitative capitalism that resonates powerfully in our climate-threatened present.

The production masterfully mirrors this thematic duality—incorporating found sounds of chainsaws and endangered bird calls that serve both aesthetic and narrative functions. The delicate interplay between acoustic intimacy and wall-of-sound electric passages creates a sonic landscape as shifting as the dunes that consumed the town. The promised “drop-ins” at two minutes and 4:10 deliver particularly affecting moments where instrumentation suddenly recedes before rebuilding with greater intensity.

Freedman finds his most poignant imagery in the town’s folklore—a resident who refused evacuation, moving to higher floors as sand consumed his home. The lyrical perspective shifts to this holdout with lines that capture both defiance and resignation: “Can’t leave the house/The end is getting near/Climbing higher and higher.” This narrative choice personalizes the environmental catastrophe, transforming historical footnote into human tragedy.

The New York-based artist (with Pennsylvania roots) reveals influences ranging from Death Cab for Cutie to Sufjan Stevens, but “Singapore, MI” isn’t derivative—it’s conversational, adding a distinctive voice to indie rock’s tradition of place-based storytelling. The track’s closing refrain of “Take us back to the sea” carries biblical weight, suggesting both judgment and return to natural order.

As the first in a planned series of singles throughout 2025, “Singapore, MI” introduces an artist who merges intellectual curiosity with emotional intelligence. By excavating this buried Michigan town, Saint Wilson uncovers universal truths about our relationship to place, power, and the inexorable forces—both natural and man-made—that shape our world. - B-Side Guys

What a way to crash into the musical world - may we present debut single ‘Singapore, MI’ - from Saint Wilson.

With a unique blend of melancholic folk that is driven onto a home run with strong guitar powered indie rock. The song marks the first in a series of singles to be released throughout the spring and summer of 2025. With found sounds like chainsaws and the calls of endangered birds, delicate acoustic and gazey electric guitars, and intense drums, ‘Singapore, MI’ captures the relentless forces of destruction, both natural and man-made. The track was self-produced by Saint Wilson, the project of New York-based artist Bryan Freedman, who explores the intersection of history, science, religion, and human connection through his songwriting.

‘Singapore, MI’ takes inspiration from the true story of its namesake, a once-thriving lumber town that was aggressively deforested to fuel the reconstruction of Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. Without its protective tree cover, the town was rapidly consumed by shifting sands, disappearing beneath Lake Michigan’s dunes in just a few years.

Saint Wilson, who grew up in Pennsylvania and is now based in New York, draws inspiration from artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Horses, Smashing Pumpkins, and Sufjan Stevens. His music blends emotional storytelling with layered textures of indie rock and sound design elements pulled from daily life. - When The Horn Blows