Michael League
by Mister Mime
31st July 2021
If you haven’t heard of Michael League, be prepared to immerse yourself into an ocean of virtuosity, joy & musical madness as there is no better time than now! The electrifying bass player and bandleader, who is very likely to be your favourite musician’s favourite musician, is the soul of the Grammy-winning outfit Snarky Puppy, and in his debut solo album ‘So Many Me’ he reveals a more intimate and vulnerable side of his creative expression.
Michael played every single instrument on the record including vocals, piano, synths, bass and Turkish percussion, as well as wrote, composed and conceptualized all of the tracks - talk about being in a league of his own! The music is fittingly poignant, uniquely uplifting and refreshing & the lyrics speak about various things like relationships, death and the cycles of life. As stated by the artist, it is above all a record about human observation, and is definitely one of my favourite records of the year so far!
MM: Can you tell us about the title of the album,"So Many Me"? What is the theme/concept of the album?
ML: The subject matter of the record deals largely with the different people that live inside of each of us. I think that, above all, it's a record about human observation.
MM: What about the songs themselves? What are they about? Particularly "Sentinel Species", "The Last Friend" and Fireside"?
ML: Sentinel Species is about the way we feel when we find ourselves in toxic relationships, or simply around volatile or manipulative people. The Last Friend is an attempt to engage with the idea of death in a way that's more linear. And rather than thinking of death as this hooded being that suddenly appears in your final moment and cuts your chord with the living world — to more think of it as a companion that knows you and that's been with you your whole life. And to try and personify it in a way that's less fearful. Fireside is about how much more clear my perspective on life becomes whenever I sit in front of a fire, and about natural circles and cycles.
MM: Are there any interesting stories behind these tracks, or challenges that you faced during the making of the album that you would like to share?
ML: Every track has stories behind it, as you can imagine, but maybe the biggest challenge for me during the process was recording every instrument (and voice) myself. I'm very used to having a big team of musicians around me, and this was the exact opposite. It was only me and Nic Hard, my co-producer and engineer, during the recording sessions. It was certainly a revealing and illuminating process tracking everything alone. I learned a lot about my weak spots as a musician, to say the least.
MM: Can you tell us a bit about your musical background, your first tryst with music and how your journey as a musician began?
ML: I was a high-school guitar player and then switched to bass when I was 17, just before attending the University of North Texas for 4 years, where I studied largely jazz. I started Snarky Puppy in school, and continued to nurture it while doing loads of gigs on the side (weddings, restaurants, cover bands) in order to survive. When Snarky Puppy finally started having some success, I was able to work in more creative contexts, primarily as a producer and songwriter for other artists. This is what I do most now and I absolutely love it. I first fell in love with music while listening to a cassette of the Beatles in 4th grade and never really looked back.
MM: Did your voice and lyrics lead these tracks as opposed to instrumental parts, riffs or beats?
ML: No, the vocals were the last things that I wrote and recorded. Most of these songs started from either rhythmic or harmonic ideas, with the melodies coming after.
MM: Also, how is your intent and message for the listener different with this record compared to the music of Snarky puppy?
ML: Well, this has lyrics, which inherently make the message clearer and more direct. Instrumental music is generally much more interpretive in terms of message since the listener's mind can go wherever it likes without words to guide it.
Image Courtesy : Danielle Spires
MM: Despite being a musician for so many years, was there any kind of uncertainty, doubt or (perhaps intentional) vulnerability for you while making your debut solo record?
ML: I think that all three of those things are present whenever I make a record, regardless of what it is or who it's with. But in this case, because I didn't have anyone besides Nic to lean on, they were more exaggerated than normal. It was nice, though, to experience that in such an intense way, and during a time in which the world was effectively at a pause.
MM: How did the pandemic and its resultant physical and mental/emotional circumstances affect your creative process?
ML: I think it's impossible to compose an entire album while being confined during a global pandemic and not have it affect the process. We all had a lot of time to think about who we are, how we live, what's important to us, etc. This absolutely went into the lyric and music writing process, and probably played a big role in making the record more introspective than anything else.
MM: I absolutely loved the music videos for the tracks and the central parts you played in them! I'm sure it was a different/new experience for you to put out this side of yourself as well, apart from the music. The videos have a detached introspective/observational and even empathetic/sympathetic surrealism about them that I think really enhanced the experience of listening to the songs and understanding what you were trying to convey. I believe that a lot of people respond to visual stimulus a lot more than the music itself.
ML: Jep and I were definitely trying to focus more on imagery than story in these videos. In general, I like to leave as much as possible up to the viewer/listening in terms of finding meaning, so we tried to present moods and characters rather than a kind of literal narrative.
MM: Can you tell us a bit about the conceptualization of each of the videos? Did you conceive these as well while writing the songs? {In your Mouth, Right Where I Fall, I Wonder Who You Know}
ML: Yes, the ideas were mine, but director Jep Jorba, director of photography David Bretones, and costume/set designers Aloma Lafontana and Renata Carrillo made them a reality.
MM: How do you view the interaction of music and sound with other artistic mediums like photography, filmmaking, or dance for example, especially as a storytelling tool to broaden the scope and deepen the impact of your art upon the audience?
ML: I think that if the accompanying element is not done well, it can actually minimize the effect of the song on the listener. It's a big responsibility to couple sound with imagery, and it has to be done with a lot of thought and a lot of care.
MM: Did the music videos and emoting the music through acting and dramatic performance in turn influence the respective tracks like a feedback mechanism of sorts?
ML: No, the songs were already mastered when we started the music video conception process.
MM: ‘Jazz, RnB, world, folk, fusion, rock, pop' : What’s your take on the concept of ‘genres’? How do you draw from different sonic palettes and diverse influences to craft your own unique expression? I am particularly curious about the Turkish & Moroccan influences of yours and your connection to these cultures.
ML: The simple answer is that I don't think or care about genres. I try to think in terms of musical ideas. If ideas from different parts of the world or musical styles match sonically and make me feel something, I don't really think twice about combining them.
MM: Would you say that the definition of 'Pop' is now becoming, or always was 'Relevant to the masses' instead of "dumbed down music for the masses"?
ML: There has always been good pop and bad pop. It's just about what's more popular at any given moment. I do notice the trend moving in a positive direction right now, which is encouraging.
MM: I feel that the record is as eclectic and experimental as it is honest and relatable. How consciously and deliberately did you think about how experimental/eclectic you wanted it to be as opposed to being accessible? Are these two things necessarily polar or can/should they inevitably co-exist?
ML: Again, I just don't really think about that. I just think about what excites and interests me and try to create that. The fun is inside of the music for me, not in how people may or may not perceive or relate to it.
MM: Can you tell us a bit about 'GroundUP Music' and the role it has played in your musical world and journey?
ML: GroundUP Music is a record label that I started in 2013, but now I think of it more as a community that prioritizes art and creativity above pretty much everything else. We are still an active label but we also have a music festival in its 5th year (GroundUP Music Festival) and a non-profit foundation and are growing in new directions.
MM: Who were/are your most significant musical influences throughout your life?
ML: My high school guitar teacher, Dan Leonard, and my mentor in Texas, Bernard Wright.
MM: Who/which are some artists/records that you've been digging recently?
ML: I'm enjoying loads of new music that has come out in the last few months: Laura Mvula, Haitus Kaiyote, Lianne La Havas, Michael Mayo... there's so much happening right now!
MM: What are your interests outside of music?
ML: I love film, I love architecture, and I love talking with people who do different things than me for a living.
MM: What do you usually do outside of the musical world?
ML: Cooking, reading and team sports.
MM: Can you tell us a bit about the album artwork, what it symbolizes and how it augments the theme of the album? And give a shoutout to the artist?
ML: The beautiful artwork for this record was done by the incredible María Gómez-Lebrero from Cádiz, Spain. It was inspired by medieval imagery and the idea that each song should be represented visually in some way. We talked for a long time about the images I had in my head representing each song, and María did a beautiful job of actualizing them.
MM: What advice would you have for young & upcoming musicians and artists to find their own voice and navigate the current, ever-evolving music industry?
ML: Make the music you want to make, then figure out how to sell it. To me, this is the music business. When you make art based on what you think people want, it's very hard not to get lost.
You Can Follow Michael League on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cHioeMsFG8&ab_channel=GroundUPMusicNYC
All Images Courtesy of Michael League & the Respective Photographers
