I first heard Nick Piunti last year, on the single “One Of The Boys.” It's feminist power pop in the way the lost classic “Shelly’s Boyfriend” by Bonnie Hayes and the Wild Combo was, but more rock, and a lot of fun to listen to.

Now that song is on Heart Inside Your Head, the latest album from Nick and his band the Complicated Men, which is one of the best albums I’ve heard all year, a rush from start to finish.

Nick was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

Andrea Weiss: How did the band form?

Nick Piunti: I recorded four solo albums, beginning in 2013, with some great musicians, but missed having a band that was available for more shows and regular rehearsals. I was going to do a solo show when I was approached by Jeff Hupp to ask if I needed a bassist. He brought along Ron Vensko to play drums, we had one rehearsal and it clicked. Later we were joined by Kevin Darnell on keys, for a short time Ryan Allen on guitar, and now Joe Daksiewicz is our other guitarist.

AW: Who are your influences?

NP: Melodic, catchy rock/pop songs. Starting from the 60’s until now. Earliest influences were The Monkees, The Beatles, and a ton of songs that were played on CKLW and WKNR, AM radio stations.

AW: You’re from Detroit. Who from that city has influenced you?

NP: Well the first song I ever sang live was Alice Cooper’s "Be My Lover." So that’s one. Iggy of course, Mitch Ryder, I’m a fan or early Seger. And Seger’s backing band Julia was also very influential. They were kind of like a Michigan Badfinger. Great singers, too. Julia’s drummer, Randy Meyers, produced our first singles when we were just kids. Ted Nugent’s first album with Derek St. Holmes on vocals was a big record for 15-year-old me. Derek went to the same high school as I did and rehearsed across the street from me. The Knack knocked me out (Doug Fieger was from Detroit). Marshall Crenshaw was a big influence, as well. The Romantics were cool, White Stripes, Eminem. And I didn’t even mention Motown yet!

AW: I like how heartfelt your lyrics are. Is it your aim to make an emotional connection with the audience?

NP: Lyrics have always been important to me. Sometimes they come easy, other times it’s hard work, but it’s worth it. I get turned off by songs when lyrics are an afterthought, or lazy. And though my lyrics are personal, I’d like to think that the audience can relate and make them their own as well.

AW: “One Of The Boys” is feminist, which is great. Do you hope people will be inspired by that?

NP: I was raised by a single mom when none of my friends had divorced parents. I had the greatest respect for my mom and I learned early on how to see the world from both a male and female perspective. And now that I’m a father to three women, there’s no way not to be at least a part-time feminist. The song was written for my daughter as a reminder to stand up for herself when it comes to relationships.

AW: I also hear a bit of Fountains Of Wayne in your music. Would you say they’re an influence?

NP: Absolutely! Some of my favorite records. And my wife’s, as well. She got to play tambourine along to "Hey Julie" at one of their shows.

AW: Do you have any plans to tour?

NP: We play the Detroit area often, but would love to get out of town for some selected shows. We all have careers outside of making music, but we’re a  pretty tight rocking band that would love to perform more than we do. We’ve had a lot of requests from a lot of places, we just need to make it happen.

AW: What would you tell someone first starting out in music?

NP: I would tell them that music is something you can enjoy for the rest of your life. I would say learn to write your own songs. Play your instrument as much as you can. Find other musicians to play with that you can learn from and push yourself to get better at your craft. For me, songwriting was my strength, but I’ve always been a good rhythm guitarist and I learned how to use my voice to be a pretty good vocalist. Nothing really came that easy for me musically but I loved it so much and I’ve worked really hard at it.