Alex Stanilla releases ‘Mahoning,’ indie-rock single inspired by Ohio visit

Lebanon-based singer-songwriter Alex Stanilla released his newest single, “Mahoning,” on Feb. 25.

Stanilla described “Mahoning” as “the most dangerous song that I’ve ever written,” explaining that the idea came to him while driving the Ohio Turnpike en route to Cleveland in 2024.

“Under the clear blue sky, I had this idea for the chorus,” said Stanilla, explaining that he was driving 70 mph at the time.

Realizing he needed to get off the road, Stanilla took the first exit, and found himself in Mahoning, Ohio, overlooking the Mahoning River. Taking a break from the yet-unnamed song, he read placards about the river.

In particular, Stanilla found himself interested in the river’s history, once having been the site of major salt deposits that were mined until depleted. This became a symbolic core of the lyrics for “Mahoning,” which he started writing soon after.

After returning home, Stanilla spent a year workshopping the song at gigs on acoustic guitar. He compared the process to stand-up comedy, with many comics taking partially written jokes to new clubs to experiment with, taking as much direction from silence as applause.

One change Stanilla noted that the song underwent was a shift from fingerpicking to strumming, which he said was inspired by strong audience reactions to strumming during the chorus.

In 2025, Stanilla shifted gears to recording and production with the Kaleidoscope Studio in Lancaster, which has produced his last six released songs. He said some of the song’s artistic direction was ironed out by Kaleidoscope during the production stage, including its structure.

“My initial idea was a little bit longer, the bridge before the chorus was maybe twice as long, and then the ending was different,” he said. “They’re always really good at sticking the landing with songs, and that’s not something I’m really adept at.”

While the studio had advised Stanilla to go with more simplistic arrangements for some of his earlier releases, he said “Mahoning” ended up with a very “full” arrangement, mimicking the sound of a band. The final cut features multiple layers of guitars as well as drum backing and backup vocals during the chorus, added by studio employees.

“I love having other minds on stuff like this,” said Stanilla. “I really both trust and love the input that all those guys have, they just think about songs in such more cogent ways than I do. I’m kinda more, throw something at a wall and see what sticks.”

Stanilla described the final product as an alternative indie-rock song with a focus on storytelling, featuring contemplative/introspective lyrics and a motivating chorus.

Stanilla began recording songs at age 17, 17 years ago, self-producing for years until he began working with Kaleidoscope in 2022. In recent years, he has played shows locally and across the country (including shows in Cleveland, where he visits once a year).

Looking ahead, Stanilla is working toward a 10-song album, planned to include “Mahoning” and another song he has in the works.