Petoskey local releases new EP, Coldplay cover and music video

PETOSKEY — Petoskey local Tony Manfredonia recently released a four track EP largely inspired by his background in orchestral arrangements and one of his favorite bands. 

The EP — titled "Lost at Sea" — may only have four songs but is filled with orchestral arrangements, singer-songwriter lyrics reflecting on loss and finding peace, and a cover of Coldplay's song "Midnight." 

"Coldplay is what got me into music," said Manfredonia. "I listened to their album 'Parachutes' when I was like two years old and I have been a super fan ever since." 

Manfredonia has an extensive background in composition, orchestral arrangements and even composing soundtracks for video games. 

However, the multi-faceted musician said that his latest release helped him come full circle in his musical career and journey. 

"I did a lot of this singer songwriter type stuff in high school but, when I went to college for music, I found I really loved the classical stuff," he said. "That kind of took over as did the video game soundtracks and has become my bread and butter of sorts. I found I really missed writing songs for me though." 

Manfredonia started a string of singer songwriter-like releases back in 2020 with the release of his seven track album "Rose Water." 

His newest release of "Lost at Sea" came out in late August with the music video for Manfredonia's cover of "Midnight" out only a week ago. The release of the EP and video was both a way for Manfredonia to express himself and feed the desire to write his own music and lyrics but also a way for him and his wife to grieve and heal from the loss of a loved one. 

"The EP is very much so about the loss of my wife's dad. My father in law," he said. 

"It's been a way for us both to process that and I think that song 'Midnight' is a good fit as it has the darker themes but keeps coming back to the lyrics 'leave a light on' which gives this semblance of hope."

Manfredonia also looked at the song as a challenge as it's, as he describes, "something unlike what Coldplay has ever done before." 

"The original song is very electronic and it's almost its own standalone thing. I wanted to take that and challenge myself to make it something that was my own," he said. 

The entirety of "Lost at Sea" is only about 13 minutes long but relies heavy on orchestral arrangements and Manfredonia's lyricism. 

"It is all very symphonic," said Manfredonia. "I wanted to do something for everyone that kind of shows my music in its entirety for an all encompassing kind of record. This EP does that and shows off kind of what I've done orchestrally, for video game soundtracks, what I can do with a cover and what I can do as a singer songwriter." 

However, the EP is also exactly what Mandfredonia wants out of his career moving forward. 

He sees a shift in the music industry as more and more people, composers and musicians are becoming more versatile. 

"I see that shift kind of taking place and I'd like to break the barrier in that you don't have to just be labeled as one thing or only do one thing," he said. 

"I don't want to be a musician that only does one thing." 

Mandfredonia's "Lost at Sea" EP can be streamed alongside his other releases on Spotify, Apple Music and other major streaming services. 

More information about his work and music can also be found on his website at www.manfredoniamusic.com.