Local singer/songwriter Damon McKenzie just released a song and music video titled 'Addiction,' that is striking a chord with many who've lost someone to their demons.

I first became familiar with Damon's music when he was fronting a band known as Last Summer, and I liked their sound so much that I featured them on my old local show (The Flint-Town Throwdown) whenever I could. These days, McKenzie's doing the solo thing as far as the name goes, but he's backed by members of another local band -- Miles Beyond.

Their new single, 'Addiction,' tells a tale which many folks in the Flint area know all too well. So many lives have been negatively impacted by drugs and their hold over loved ones, and the song tells that story in a beautifully tragic way, as does its accompanying music video.

"I can't even begin to explain all of the messages people have been sending me over this video. Telling me about deaths and loved ones and such," McKenzie said of the surprisingly powerful connection some have made to his song. "I can hardly deal with some of it."

Even though some reaction are a little overwhelming, the message is an important one. "This is for anyone who has had their life affected by power of addiction. Everything can change so quickly... And everything can be lost even quicker," McKenzie wrote of the song's message. "Missing somebody you love for the rest of your life isn't worth the high. Addiction leads to tragedy."

Band personnel aside, the entire project is a who's who of talented local creative minds. The song is produced by Chris Lewis at Fire Hyena Studio, who I first became familiar with via his stellar work with another of my local favorites -- Mercy Beach. The music video was produced by Black Jacket Films, who we've had the pleasure of working with on a number of events. Those guys do great work as well, which is evident after seeing just a few seconds of their video.

Damon's currently working on new music, which you can hear first by throwing his Facebook page a like, and you can check out all his videos on YouTube.

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